July 3, 2023
Two sisters strive to save each other from a persistent evil in this thrilling fantasy adventure by Lim (the Six Crimson Cranes duology). Channi’s Adah intended to sacrifice her newborn sister Vanna to Angma, the Demon Witch, in return for a blessing to spare his wife from death. Adah—enraptured by Vanna’s beauty and the enigmatic light radiating from within her—instead offers three-year-old Channi. When she’s saved by the serpent king, Angma curses Channi to resemble a snake, promising to undo it so long as Channi delivers her sister to Angma before Vanna’s 17th birthday, otherwise Angma will hunt them both. Now 19, Channi is ostracized in her hometown for her reptilian face by all except her almost 17-year-old sibling. During Vanna’s betrothal selection, in which suitors compete for her hand, her prospective match with kind Crown Prince Rongyo is derailed by brutal King Meguh. Channi battles and defeats King Meguh in Prince Rongyo’s stead and, impressed by her face and abilities, King Meguh kidnaps Channi. As Angma begins her pursuit, Channi must rely on unlikely allies to reunite with Vanna. Occasionally dense but lush storytelling evokes East Asian folklore mixed with Helen of Troy vibes, culminating in an intriguing tale about one sisterhood that endures against all odds. Ages 12–up. Agent: Gina Maccoby, Gina Maccoby Literary.