It’s like something I saw or heard during my time in China–but in the countryside, not the city. However that doesn’t quite fit either because this world has very little modern technology. (They have knives and cooking pots and spears, but certainly nothing electric.)

The main character, Tala, barely survives as a slave for a poor family at the edge of a village facing famine and war. With their harvest threatened, the family plans to sell off Tala as a wife–to a man who has killed off his last several wives. Desperate to escape, Tala joins the priestess trials, where she must tap into her hidden store of magic to make the final cut and have a chance at a future.

From the first page to the last, Tala’s story engages me. I’m rooting for her, hoping that things will work out even when it seems like all of society is designed to keep her down.

Though I found one or two points confusing and was less than satisfied with the ending, this was an excellent book. I will be looking for the sequels.