The Girl and the Stars

Book Description:

From the critically-acclaimed author of PRINCE OF THORNS and RED SISTER comes a chilling new epic fantasy series.

'If you like dark you will love Mark Lawrence. And when the light breaks through and it all makes sense, the contrast is gorgeous' ROBIN HOBB

Only when it's darkest can you see the stars.

East of the Black Rock, out on the ice, lies a hole down which broken children are thrown

On the vastness of the ice there is no room for individuals. No one survives alone. To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal. And Yaz is different.

Torn from her family, from the boy she thought she would spend her life with, Yaz has to carve a new path for herself in a world whose existence she never suspected. A world full of danger.

Beneath the ice, Yaz will learn that Abeth is older and stranger than she had ever imagined. She will learn that her weaknesses are another kind of strength. And she will learn to challenge the cruel arithmetic of survival that has always governed her people.

Only when it's darkest can you see the stars.

Staff Review by Ashleigh Berry

Fantasy is a powerful genre with limitless possibilities; it is truly otherworldly. For me, I need thorough world-building, a unique system for magic, engaging characters, and conflict with believability to truly lose myself in the story. Luckily, I found all of that and more in The Girl and the Stars, the start of a thrilling new fantasy series from Mark Lawrence.

Every four years the clans of Abeth, an unforgiving frozen world, gather at the Pit of the Missing where children are thrown once they are judged to be unsuitable by the regulator. It's not thought of as cruelty. A child born 'broken' would die on the ice, their weakness being too much for their bodies to survive. The pit exists to keep the rot of weakness out of a tribe, ensuring their longevity. It's harsh, but thought necessary.

At 16, Yaz needs to make it through one more test before she is officially an adult. Only, Yaz isn't like the other Ictha, whose endurance on the ice is a legend amongst the tribes. She knows something isn't right about her and has prepared herself to join those missing down the pit. What she hasn't prepared for is the truth of what actually exists below the surface.

Mark Lawrence has created a vast, multi-layered world in The Girl and the Stars, connected by untold magic and motives. I was awed by the seamless integration of various fantastical concepts in a completely unique way, from underground cities and unknown civilisations to ancient technologies and ethereal inbetweens. Danger roams unbound with metal hunters, tainted demons, and an enigmatic priesthood, each driving their own agenda. If, for some reason, this hasn't been enough to hook you, then let me explain the prose. Lawrence beautifully crafts a world of monsters, mystique, and magic with clarity and intelligence, breathing life into ice and giving a heartbeat to the stars.

On top of everything, this is a hugely character-driven narrative. We are introduced to a wealth of individuals from start to end, each given the time to become familiar and significant. They are unique, strong, and a joy to experience this story with - one about friendship, family, self-discovery, and righting the wrongs of the past.

Mark Lawrence has created something truly exciting with this series, and I cannot wait to see what's to come!

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