The Shadow Glass (The Bone Witch #3)Author: Rin Chupeco
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release Date: March 1, 2019
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Synopsis:
The dramatic finale to The Bone Witch series! Tea's dark magic eats
away at her, but she must save the one she loves most, even while her
life—and the kingdoms—are on the brink of destruction.
In the Eight Kingdoms, none have greater strength or influence than
the asha, who hold elemental magic. But only a bone witch has the power
to raise the dead. Tea has used this dark magic to breathe life into
those she has loved and lost...and those who would join her army against
the deceitful royals. But Tea's quest to conjure a shadowglass, to
achieve immortality for the one person she loves most in the world,
threatens to consume her.
Tea's heartsglass only grows darker with each new betrayal. Her work
with the monstrous azi, her thirst for retribution, her desire to unmask
the Faceless—they all feed the darkrot that is gradually consuming
her heartsglass. She is haunted by blackouts and strange visions, and
when she wakes with blood on her hands, Tea must answer to a power
greater than the elder asha or even her conscience. Tea's life—and the
fate of the kingdoms—hangs in the balance.
DENIAL
I hated everything, and I said as much.
Kance, being of a better temperament than I, was more optimistic. "Father does this every year, Kalen," he pointed out quietly as we stood before the crowd, waiting for the ceremony to begin. "It's a time-honored tradition, a public way to show our support for the people."
I grunted. There were thousands of people gathered here to witness the rites. This might be one of the most important moments of an Odalian's life, but it wasn't what I was here for. I was here to scan the crowd for any heartsglass that manifested a desire to do violence to Kance or the rest of the royal family, for which I was given permission to deter by any means my proclivities deemed necessary. I was committed to serving as Kance's bodyguard and, at fourteen, had the training to prove it. I owed King Telemaine that much, though he had every right to treat me like a traitor, like my father was.
Thinking about my father only darkened my mood. He deserved to rot in prison for the rest of his life, but he had been good to me, even if he hadn't been a good person. Some days I had to fight not to excuse one for the other.
I wasn't lucky enough to deserve nice things.
Kance's eyes twinkled, like they always did when he teased. "You're such a worrywart. Nothing's going to happen. Your scowl is enough to chase away even the False Prince himself. I think Chancellor Merdon breaks out in a cold sweat every time you so much as scowl in his direction."
"An unexpected breeze would be capable of scaring Chancellor Merdon."
"Are you nervous?"
I grunted again. It was true that this was my first official appearance as Kance's bodyguard, and
I was adamant that I would do everything in my power to serve him well. Whatever Kance claimed, the Heartsrune ceremony was a recruitment opportunity masked as a coming of age ritual. Anyone whose heartsglass bled silver instead of red or purple was required to serve at the King's discretion –as asha for the girls, and as Deathseekers for the boys.
"I know you won't agree, but I rather like that the crowd has grown considerably from last year," Kance went on cheerfully. "Perhaps if there are more asha found today they can stay in Odalia rather than leave for Kion. Lady Mykaela even found a potential Dark asha to train."
"I don't know why you think that's a good thing." My mother was killed by a Faceless-controlled daeva. So was Kance's. Dark asha share similar skills to the Faceless—the same necromancy, the same questionable ability to raise and control daeva, and the same predisposition to go mad because of those powers. I disliked them on principle. The Dark asha tasked to fight the daeva back then had lost her courage and fled, dooming our mothers and the rest of that city. Kance had always been more forgiving than most.
"You saw her, if only for a brief moment. What do you think?"
"I didn't notice enough of her for me to have an impression," I lied.
"Well, she does seem quite shy, at first. Her brother served in the army and was killed by a savul. She gave Father quite the earful about that."
I turned to glare at him. "I wished you'd told me you were meeting them. I would have been there earlier." Councilor Raja and I had arrived just as Kance and King Telemaine were taking their leave from Lady Mykaela and her new charge. I was still put out that Kance hadn't told me about it.
"You were busy giving out instructions to the honor guard, and I didn't want to disturb you."
"Kance."
"You don't have to guard me day and night, Kalen. I sincerely doubt anyone would attack us in the presence of two Dark asha and a familiar."
I didn't bother telling him that it was the Dark asha I was worried about. "I don't want you keeping things from me. Like it or not, you're my responsibility."
"You sound a little like Khalad," he said, and his smile dropped.
"I promised him I'd watch out for you." I knew King Telemaine and Khalad were having problems; I didn't know the specifics, but it wasn't my place to ask. It didn't seem like Kance knew much about it, either.
"I apologize. I'll be sure to tell you next time."
"And don't apologize, you're the prince." Something he'd said earlier finally clicked in my brain. "Wait. Two Dark asha and a familiar?"
"Apparently Lady Mykaela found the young novice because the girl went and raised someone from the dead," the prince chuckled. "Remember the brother killed by the savul? That's her familiar. The Dark asha novitiate is named Tea, and the brother is Fox. Lady Mykaela thought it would too traumatic to force her to return her sibling. Lord Fox appears to have accepted his condition, so all Lady Mykaela intends is to keep a closer eye on them both. Dark asha are rare enough these days. Lady Tea would be more amendable to training if she can keep Lord Fox close."
"I wish Lady Mykaela good luck, but I doubt that." I was suspicious. Most competent Dark asha novitiates couldn't resurrect the dead on their first try. The girl was powerful enough for Lady Mykaela to break the rules to placate her.
I didn't like it. The last thing I wanted was a Dark asha growing accustomed to the laws not applying to her.
Kance only laughed, and clapped me on the back. "Perhaps they can stay long enough for me to introduce you after the ceremony. I'm sure you'll like her, too."
Despite an unsettling resemblance to
Japanese revenants, Rin always maintains her sense of hummus. Born and
raised in Manila, Philippines, she keeps four pets: a dog, two birds,
and a husband. Dances like the neighbors are watching.
2nd Prize: Win stickers of Tea, Kalen, and Fox, an art print of Tea & signed bookplates (INT)
Start Date: March 1, 2019
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