A sweeping, action-packed, and romantic fantasy full of dangerous magic and dark choices, perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore—set in the same world as Of Fire and Stars. Asra is...
A sweeping, action-packed, and romantic fantasy full of dangerous magic and dark choices, perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore—set in the same world as Of Fire and Stars. Asra is...
Due to publisher restrictions, your digital library cannot purchase additional copies of this title. We apologize if there is a long holds list. You may want to see if other editions of this title are available from your digital library instead.
Due to publisher restrictions, your digital library cannot purchase additional copies of this title. We apologize if there is a long holds list. You may want to see if other editions of this title are available from your digital library instead.
Description-
A sweeping, action-packed, and romantic fantasy full of dangerous magic and dark choices, perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore—set in the same world as Of Fire and Stars.
Asra is a demigod with a dangerous gift: the ability to dictate the future by writing with her blood. To keep her power secret, she leads a quiet life as a healer on a remote mountain, content to help the people in her care and spend time with Ina, the mortal girl she loves.
But Asra's peaceful life is upended when bandits threaten Ina's village and the king does nothing to help. Desperate to protect her people, Ina begs Asra for assistance in finding her manifest—the animal she'll be able to change into as her rite of passage to adulthood. Asra uses her blood magic to help Ina, but her spell goes horribly wrong and the bandits destroy the village, killing Ina's family.
Unaware that Asra is at fault, Ina swears revenge on the king and takes a savage dragon as her manifest. To stop her, Asra must embark on a journey across the kingdom, becoming a player in lethal games of power among assassins, gods, and even the king himself.
Most frightening of all, she discovers the dark secrets of her own mysterious history—and the terrible, powerful legacy she carries in her blood.
About the Author-
Audrey Coulthurst writes YA books that tend to involve magic, horses, and kissing the wrong people. When she's not dreaming up new stories, she can usually be found painting, singing, or on the back of a horse. Audrey has a master's degree in writing from Portland State University. She lives in Santa Monica, California. She is the author of Inkmistress and Of Fire and Stars, which was named a Publishers Weekly Flying Start. Visit her online at www.audreycoulthurst.com.
Reviews-
January 15, 2018 In Coulthurst’s immersive second novel, set in the world of 2016’s Of Fire and Stars, 17-year-old demigod and healer Asra uses her blood magic to help her love, Ina, find her “manifest,” the animal she will magically bond with and change into at will. To Asra’s horror, the creature turns out to be a fearsome dragon. After Ina’s village and its people are destroyed by bandits, she vows to kill the king, whom she blames for her village’s vulnerability. Asra sets off to stop Ina, aided by Hal, a boy who burns bright with magic and awakens a spark of attraction in Asra. He may also hold the answers to Asra’s mysterious parentage and birthright, but his sister, a former assassin, is hot on their trail. Coulthurst emphasizes self-reliance, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of love in this satisfying tale of a lonely young woman, stung by betrayal, who must reconcile her ability to write the future in her own blood—and its price—with her desire for peace and a family to call her own. Ages 13–up. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM.
Because her blood contains the power to write the future, demigod Asra has been hidden away her whole life. Billie Fulford-Brown narrates in a soft, tentative voice and imbues it with shock and grief after bandits slaughter the village Asra was raised to protect and she must leave her mountain home. Fulford-Brown's subdued tones begin to shift subtly as Asra's journey to save the king from her vengeful lover, Ina, reveals a powerful hidden heritage. Newfound strength is infused in her voice as Asra takes on the necessary sacrifices she must make to save the people of her kingdom. Listeners will be intrigued to see the outcome of Asra's choices. J.M. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
January 1, 2018
Gr 8 Up-Set in a mystical and magical world, this work follows Asra, a demigod who can write the future with her own blood. Her secret is powerful and in order to protect her people and Ina, the girl she loves, Asra remains quiet in the refuge of the mountains. When Ina's village is threatened, Ina chooses to manifest herself as a dragon, the animal that has been chosen for her as she passes into adulthood. Asra attempts to help Ina only to have blood magic go awry, allowing the bandits to destroy her village and Ina's family. Asra continues to help her after Ina seeks revenge on the king. Asra goes on a journey where she must fight powerful people with very few to trust. Her quest is not only one of adventure but also one of self-discovery. Coulthurst creates another dangerous world much like the one in her debut novel, Of Fire and Stars. This sophomore effort moves at a swift pace, engaging teens in a mystical world of darkness and blood magic. Fans of dragons, dark magic, and romance will embrace this novel and hope that Coulthurst will craft more adventures in this world. VERDICT A strong choice for fantasy collections.-Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 1, 2018 A demigod pines for romance but finds herself responsible for deaths and chaos.Asra lives alone on a mountain, providing villagers with magic-infused herbal remedies. If she mingles with mortals, they'll learn she's a bloodscribe: words written with her blood can change the past or future. Desperate to keep her (secret) mortal lover, Ina, from marrying a boy, Asra uses her bloodscribe power, accidentally (and inevitably) triggering deadly events. Whether she necessarily caused as many deaths as she thinks, she's consumed by guilt: if she finds Ina, who's become a vengeful dragon and departed, Asra can rewrite the past. Romantic love is Asra's primary focus--after Ina, a boy named Hal, also a demigod. Questions of faith also run through the book, both in the form of Asra's curiosity over which god is her parent and a challenge to the king, which threatens the land's life-support. Given that Asra's blood causes magic on contact, readers may wonder whether she menstruates (gods do have children). Dramatic chapter-ending cliffhangers invigorate momentum; ongoing, unnecessary reiteration slows it. Bisexuality in both protagonist and villain is refreshing, though the concluding text explicitly undermines Asra and Ina's relationship in hindsight. Asra and Ina are white; Hal is dark brown. For richer treatment of bisexuality, passion, and blood power, look to Sarah Fine's The True Queen (2018).Filled with fervor but more told than shown and diluted by repetition. (Romance/fantasy. 13-16)
COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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Because her blood contains the power to write the future, demigod Asra has been hidden away her whole life. Billie Fulford-Brown narrates in a soft, tentative voice and imbues it with shock and grief after bandits slaughter the village Asra was raised to protect and she must leave her mountain home. Fulford-Brown's subdued tones begin to shift subtly as Asra's journey to save the king from her vengeful lover, Ina, reveals a powerful hidden heritage. Newfound strength is infused in her voice as Asra takes on the necessary sacrifices she must make to save the people of her kingdom. Listeners will be intrigued to see the outcome of Asra's choices. J.M. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
