The Unspoken Name
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4.1 • 82 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A. K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name is a stunning debut fantasy about a young priestess sentenced to die, who at the last minute escapes her fate; only to become an assassin for the wizard who saved her.
What if you knew how and when you will die?
Csorwe does—she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice.
But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard's loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.
But Csorwe will soon learn—gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due.
“In the vein of Le Guin's magnificent Tombs of Atuan—if Arha the Eaten One got to grow up to be a swordswoman mercenary in thrall to her dubious wizard mentor. I love this book so much."—Arkady Martine, author of A Memory Called Empire
"I cannot recommend it enough." -- Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the Ninth
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Larkwood spins an imaginative story of love, sacrifice, and betrayal that traverses worlds in this phenomenal debut. Csorwe, a 14-year-old orc princess, is betrothed to the Unspoken One, her world's god, and is slated to be sacrificed to him on behalf of her people. Before the ceremony can be completed, a stranger, Belthandros Sethennai, finds her and offers her the chance to avoid her fate by leaving with him and helping him to regain control of his world. To return to power, Sethennai must find a holy relic, the Reliquary of Pentravesse. He trains Csorwe to be his "blunt instrument," transforming her into an assassin and sending her on quests across alternate worlds to seek out the Reliquary. On one such journey, Csorwe meets a young mage named Shuthmili and falls in love, testing her loyalties once more. Larkwood's intricately woven plot is jam-packed with intrigue and excitement. Lyrical, immersive prose masterfully conveys complex worldbuilding. Epic fantasy fans are sure to be impressed by this expertly crafted adventure.
Customer Reviews
Comes with a dictionary. Really?
Downloaded the sample. The book starts with a pronunciation guide for the twenty-some character names. Seriously? Did not buy the book, so I cannot speak for the rest of it.
Rough
I’ve never read a book with a more forgettable cast. I forced my way through this one and could not wait for it to be finished. If the author had filled in some of the giant gaps in the story, it actually might have been a little interesting. The world is very vague and feels like an afterthought. The magic system system is very basic and really only serves as a plot device. My biggest gripe with this book is that I feels like a first draft.