by P. J. Marie (Author)
I was the land. I was the air. I was the sea. I was all of it - everywhere - and as I inhaled then let the tormented sorrow screech from my lungs, the world buckled and broke beneath my feet.I was burning alive...And the world would burn with me.
A century after the Great Destruction that devastated civilization, Mizuki Altherr lives within a small village struggling to survive beneath the shadow of a great mountain. The Elders teach that it is home to Veles, god of the earth, who keeps them safe - but demands penance for humanity's past indiscretions.
It's a Gifting year...
The previous sacrifice tore Mizuki's family apart and forever changed her world. Now she must face the terrible tradition again as her closest friend, Aiden, and his family are chosen to provide the next offering. In a desperate bid to end the cycle of violence and defy the Elders' iron rule, Mizuki and Aiden set forth on a daring journey into the Wild - where together they discover a secret that shatters their understanding of the village and reveals the truth behind the horrors that left the world in ruin.