A Consuming Fire
by
Laura E. Weymouth
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Simon & Schuster
Imprint
Margaret K. McElderry
ISBN
9781665902700
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Sexual Content: Reference/Discussion , Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse , Violence: General
Uprooted meets The Grace Year in this dark young adult fantasy of love and vengeance following a girl who vows to kill a god after her sister is unjustly slain by his hand.
Weatherell girls aren’t supposed to die.
Once every eighteen years, the isolated forest village of Weatherell is asked to send one girl to the god of the mountain to give a sacrifice before returning home. Twins Anya and Ilva Astraea are raised with this destiny in mind, and when their time comes, spirited Ilva volunteers to go. Her devoted sister Anya is left at home to pray for Ilva’s safe return. But Anya’s prayers are denied.
With her sister dead, Anya volunteers to make a journey of her own to visit the god of the mountain. But unlike her sister, sacrifice is the furthest thing from Anya’s mind. Anya has no intention of giving anything more to the god, or of letting any other girl do so ever again. Anya Astraea has not set out to placate a god. She’s set out to kill one.
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Sexual Content: Reference/Discussion , Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse , Violence: General
Details
Format
Page Count
352
Trim Size
9" x 6"
Dewey
F
AR
0: points 0
Lexile
940L
Genre
Fic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Mar 2023
Book Genres
Fantasy
Topics
Sacrifice. Revenge. Gods. Sisters. Twins. Romance. Action and adventure.
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Gr 9 Up-Weatherell girls are trained from birth to be dutiful and righteous, willing to offer themselves as living sacrifices to the terrible god on the mountain. Every 18 years, a girl leaves the secluded town and travels across Albion to give a piece of her body or mind to the god, lulling him to sleep and returning home a hero. When Anya's twin, Ilva, travels north, the god takes her life and marks her as unworthy. Anya's grief fuels rage and a thirst for vengeance. She volunteers as a replacement sacrifice, but her true purpose is to kill the god. Lyrical prose and gruesome circumstances create the hypnotic atmosphere of a fairy tale. Gradual revelations create an engaging air of mystery, as do the discoveries of how this world intersects with history. Five centuries prior, Albion was the Roman province of Britain. When the god on the mountain arose, the Romans left, taking their religion with them. Characters do not seem to know about Christianity; pieces of that religion left behind by the Romans play integral roles in the plot. While it is never made explicit within the novel, passages from the holy book used to justify the sacrificial system are actually quotes from the Bible. Rich in themes of gender, religion, and the politics of power, this novel is ultimately the story of a girl who refuses to accept the role thrust upon her and fights to improve her world for the vulnerable. VERDICT A heady and evocative tale that will appeal to readers of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black, recommended for general purchase.-Elizabeth Lovsin?(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Grades 9-12
Fantasy/Science Fiction High Plus
For Grades 9-12
Tales of unique and mysterious powers, strange new worlds, alternate realities, and dark fantasies await your high-school readers. They'll discover a new world monthly with the 12 books in this category.
14 books per Year
$302.40 per Year
Interests
Fiction,High Interest/Reluctant Reader,Thriller/Horror/Mystery,Novels
Grades 9-12
Fantasy/Science Fiction High Plus
14 books per Year
$302.40 per Year
