Description

From New York Times bestselling author Amy Ewing (The Jewel) comes the exciting first book in a new fantasy duology. Rich, vivid world-building and ethereal magic combine in an epic tale that’s perfect for fans of Snow Like Ashes, These Broken Stars, or Magonia.

Sera Lighthaven has always felt as if she didn’t quite belong among her people, the Cerulean, who live in the City Above the Sky. She is curious about everything—especially the planet that her City is magically tethered to—and can’t stop questioning things. Sera has always longed for the day when the tether will finally break and the Cerulean can move to a new planet.

But when Sera is chosen as the sacrifice to break the tether, she feels betrayed by everything in which she’d been taught to trust. In order to save her City, Sera must end her own life.

But something goes wrong, and Sera survives, ending up on the planet below in a country called Kaolin. Sera has heard tales about the dangerous humans who live here, and she quickly learns that these dangers were not just stories.

Meanwhile, back in the City, all is not what it seems, and the life of every Cerulean may be in danger if Sera is not able to find a way home.


With two worlds in peril, can one girl uncover the truth before it’s too late?


  • Rich World-Building: Explore the City Above the Sky, a magical society tethered to a planet, and the dangerous human country of Kaolin below.
  • A Reluctant Heroine: Sera Lighthaven never asked to be a sacrifice. Now, stranded and betrayed, she must find the strength to save not just herself, but everyone she left behind.
  • Fish Out of Water: After surviving a fall from space, Sera must navigate a mysterious world where the people are dangerous and her unique magic could be her greatest asset—or her biggest liability.
  • Dual POV: Told from multiple perspectives, this epic tale weaves together the story of a girl fighting to get home and the twins on the ground whose lives are about to change forever.

About the author(s)

Amy Ewing earned her MFA in Writing for Children at the New School and received her BFA at New York University. The Jewel started off as a thesis project but became her debut novel, the first in a New York Times bestselling trilogy. The other books are The White Rose and The Black Key. She lives in New York City. Visit Amy online at www.amyewingbooks.com or on Twitter @AmyEwingBooks.

Reviews

Ewing’s confident and unique world building, appealing characters, and innumerable mysteries will entice readers. - ALA Booklist

“Fast pace and constant action make for an interesting read.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Part high fantasy, part mystery, with a whole lot of feminism, this inventively explores gender, nonconformity, self-acceptance, and family. Readers will be hooked. Give to fans of The Reader by Traci Chee or any epic fantasy lover ready for a rich new world and a complex but rewarding plot.” - School Library Journal

More by Amy Ewing

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