A. K. Larkwood's The Unspoken Name is a stunning debut fantasy about a young priestess sentenced to die, who at the last minute escapes her fate; only to become an assassin for the wizard who saved her.
What if you knew how and when you will die? Csorwe does--she will climb the mountain, enter the Shrine of the Unspoken, and gain the most honored title: sacrifice. But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin--the wizard's loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power. But Csorwe will soon learn--gods remember, and if you live long enough, all debts come due. "In the vein of Le Guin's magnificent Tombs of Atuan--if Arha the Eaten One got to grow up to be a swordswoman mercenary in thrall to her dubious wizard mentor. I love this book so much."--Arkady Martine, author of A Memory Called Empire "I cannot recommend it enough." -- Tamsyn Muir, author of Gideon the Ninth"The Unspoken Name is great fun--fantasy with an epic sweep in a gorgeously drawn universe."--Ann Leckie, New York Times bestselling and Hugo award-winning author of Ancillary Justice
"A fun, fresh take on the traditional fantasy quest, and an adventure I couldn't put down!"--S. A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass "Astounding... written with skill and stunning assurance. The worlds this story spans are as exotic and dangerous as the characters who traverse them. From its flawless first page to its bittersweet last, The Unspoken Name is unlike anything I've read before." --Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld "What a glorious book! Richly detailed, enthralling, and extraordinary, with brilliant nods to such luminaries as Ursula K. Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones. A.K. Larkwood's book hooked me in from the first page and never let go. Fabulous, in every meaning of the word." --Jenn Lyons, author of Ruin of Kings