The Night Circus challenge as something akin to love letters, with each

by Erin Morgenstern building new tents for the sake of the other. They
even collaborate on an elaborate tent known as the
Erin Morgenstern’s novel The Night Circus is Labyrinth wherein they each create rooms to
the story of love and power and what happens when compliment one another’s previous move in what can
those two things come together. At its core, the story be interpreted as the two testing the boundaries of the
revolves around a challenge that has been played out challenge’s rules about interference. With each of
between two ancient magicians for untold centuries. these testaments to their love, however, they take one
But when the competitors of the game fall in love, step closer to the limit of how much they can hold
both their lives and the game are altered as they work onto with their powers. In so doing, they are
to save one another, for only the victor can survive. unknowingly bringing themselves closer to the final
Herein lies the central conflict of the story: where move in the game by building the circus for one
two lovers are bound to a fate that calls them to best another.
one another or die trying, the world cannot remain Meanwhile, Le Cirque des Rêves gains a life
unaffected by the pain and the beauty that results. A of its own with dozens of people being drawn to it as
complex narrative with interweaving points of view architects and patrons, fans and performers. Many of
and timelines, The Night Circus explores the these characters are under the spell Marco cast on the
consequences of such a game being unleashed into circus and are unknowingly tied to its fate. In this
the real world where other people can be pulled in by way, the game draws in unsuspecting victims to the
its magic. side-effects of the power that is being used to build
The game is the driving force behind the plot the circus larger and larger. The nonlinear narrative
even while remaining a mystery to nearly everyone structure and the multiple points of view serve to
involved. This plot is instigated when Hector Bowen illustrate just how intertwined the characters become
appeals to his former teacher turned rival, the man in because of their connection to the circus. This also
the grey suit, saying that he would like to enter into allows for the novel to utilize side stories and
another round of their “challenge.” Though many subplots to meditate on the nature of power and the
details about the challenge are withheld at this early different permutations of love. From among these
stage in the story, what is clear is that Hector believes characters, several key players emerge who help to
his own daughter, Celia, is such a promising budding hasten the plot to its climax and conclusion. The
magician that she can’t be beaten by anyone that the twins Poppet and Widget are born inside of the circus
man in the grey suit finds to challenge her. Upon and they both have a natural aptitude for magic.
agreeing to the challenge, the man in the grey suit Isobel Martin is spurned by Marco, and in her grief
leaves to find his own competitor and forever binds over lost love, she unties a charm she used to keep
the fates of the two primary protagonists of the novel, the circus together. Tsukiko’s love for the circus
Celia Bowen and Marco Alisdair, together. pushes her to step in when Celia begins to lose
Both Marco and Celia spend parallel control of Le Cirque des Rêves. A humble farm boy
childhoods in preparation for the challenge, training named Bailey falls for a girl and runs away with the
via the methods deemed most appropriate by their circus.
respective teachers. While these contrasting methods The climax comes when Celia decides that
are diametrically opposed to one another, they are the the only way to end the challenge is to take it into her
same in that they are neglectful and abusive to both own hands. The circus destabilizes rapidly even
children. Once the circus is created, and the though Celia is using everything in her to hold it
challenge begins, Marco and Celia’s relationship together. Both Celia and Marco commit to sacrificing
morphs from one of competition into a passionate themselves to save the other and, while facing the
love affair. They come to see their moves in the possibility of the circus being forever lost, Celia
manages to bind them both to the circus using the who rise in the wastes beyond Westeros’s northern
very technique that her father failed to perform and wall. The third follows the young, exiled ruler
save them both. For Celia, this use of her father’s Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Westeros’s deposed
technique to save them both is crucial as it not only king, and her struggle to take back the Iron Throne.
establishes that Celia is a better magician than her Martin took inspiration for his stories from
father, who turned himself into a ghost using the the English civil wars known as the Wars of the
same trick, but it allows her to subvert the game Roses, as well as from Maurice Druon’s novels of
itself. This final “move” effectively renders the game French history, The Accursed Kings. A Song of Ice
a stalemate as neither Marco nor Celia can continue. and Fire has received acclaim for breaking literary
The falling action that brings about the and modern social stereotypes, for depicting a world
resolution of the book occurs when Bailey arrives at where women and religions are highly diverse, and
the circus and is given the choice of whether he wants for its realism. Yet, the world is always morally
to take it over. Bailey is in love with Poppet, who will ambiguous, bringing into question our conceptions
likely die if the circus fails, and he loves the circus of virtues like pride and honor, and phenomena
itself with a conviction he has for little else, so the including violence and sexuality.
choice is easy. That Bailey is given choice is an A Song of Ice and Fire begins in Westeros, the
important stance that the novel takes as Bailey largest continent of the known world. Here, seasons
choosing to be the new proprietor means that he has last for years, even decades, without any predictable
the autonomy that neither Celia nor Marco was ever length, causing despair or laziness before they end
afforded. Along with Poppet and Widget, Bailey abruptly. The first novel, Game of Thrones, is set
takes ownership of the circus and keeps it running almost three hundred years after Westeros’s Seven
long into the future. In so doing, they are also Kingdoms were brought together by the Targaryen
carrying with them the legacy of Celia and Marco’s dynasty, led by Aegon I. Aegon and his sisters
love story, which is forever tied to Le Cirque des Visenya and Rhaenys, who acted doubly as his
Rêves. wives, assumed military control using a number of
dragons. Aegon named himself the first king of the
The Song of Ice and Fire totality of Westeros, excluding from his domain a
by George R.R. Martin southern land known as Dorne. The Targaryens
stayed in power for three centuries. However, a series
A Song of Ice and Fire is an epic fantasy of civil wars and deceptive political moves gradually
series by American novelist and short-story writer led to the loss of the dragons that had asserted their
George R. R. Martin. Currently five books long with power. A Game of Thrones takes place fifteen years
a sixth being written, the series began with the after the death of the last Targaryen king, Aerys II,
publication of its first volume, A Game of Thrones, who was known as the “Mad King.” He fell to Lord
in 1991. Every book in the series takes place on the Robert Baratheon, who became king of Westeros just
massive, fantastical islands of Westeros and Essos. as a summer lasting nine years came to a sudden end.
Each book is structured as a series of limited first- When King Robert dies, a power struggle
person narrations from different characters; the ensues between the Houses of Westeros, with each
volume of characters increases drastically as the vying for the throne. Robert’s apparent successor is
series goes on, from nine to thirty-one. his thirteen-year-old son, Joffrey. Queen Cersei
The characters of A Song of Ice and Fire are Lannister, Joffrey’s mother, immediately announces
all entangled in three primary plotlines. The first is a his rulership, stirring bitterness in Westeros. Robert’s
war that rages between the most powerful families of former advisor and best friend, Lord Ned Stark, finds
Westeros. The second is the ominous, more out that Joffrey was born of an incestuous
existential threat of the Others, led by the Night King, relationship between Cersei and her twin brother
Jaime Lannister, known as King slayer. Fearing few characters. The novel is agnostic about its
Cersei’s eventual control of the throne, Ned tries to characters’ abilities to determine their fates, as they
dethrone Joffrey; however, his co-conspirators give are killed off and promoted seemingly at random,
him up and he is executed. putting Westeros in a constant cycle of renewal.
Meanwhile, Renly and Stannis, Robert’s
brothers, individually try to gain the throne, and two The Devil in the White City
of Westeros’s Seven Kingdoms try to secede. The by Erik Larson
kingdom led by Robb, Ned’s oldest son, names its
leader “King in the North,” and Lord Balon Greyjoy In 1912, Daniel H. Burnham, the lead
tries to regain control over the Iron Islands. The architect and Director of Works for the World’s
events of the second book, A Clash of Kings, follow Columbian Exposition of 1893, cruises with his
the ensuing war, called the War of the Five Kings. family overseas on the Olympic, but is confined to
The plot thread involving the North, which is his room much of the time because of physical
the domain of the Others, takes place mostly beyond ailments. He thinks of his good friend Frank Millet,
Westeros’s northern Wall. The Wall is made of ice who was the chief painter in Chicago’s World Fair of
that is eight millennia old. Its guards, the Sworn 1893, and who is also on a cruise ship: the Titanic.
Brotherhood of the Night’s Watch, defend Westeros Burnham tries to send Millet a telegram, but the
from primitive tribes known only as the Free Folk, steward tells him that he cannot send it, because the
who make occasional efforts to breach the Wall. This ship Millet is on has been in an accident. Burnham
narrative is told mainly through the perspective of does not worry because the Olympic is on its way to
Ned’s bastard son, Jon Snow. Jon joins the Watch as help.
a child, inspired by his uncle Benjen. He excels at the In 1890, Chicago is rapidly changing and
job and is eventually promoted to Lord Commander, progressing. A young doctor, H. H. Holmes, steps off
the highest position of the Night’s Watch. By the a train in Chicago, and he enjoys the city because of
events of the third book, A Storm of Swords, the its smoke, chaos, and ability to hide dark acts. On
Night’s Watch begins to clash with the previously February 24, 1890, Congress chooses Chicago to
distant War of the Five Kings. host the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, also
The third and final plotline concerns known as the World’s Fair, and nicknamed the White
Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of the Mad King City. Chicago wants to host the Fair to show New
whose usurping ended their family’s dynasty. York and the rest of America that they can be a
Daenerys resides in Essos, the continent off of sophisticated city, despite their seedy reputation, and
Westeros’s eastern coast. Viserys, her brother, to upstage the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris. Burnham
marries her off to a warlord from a violent tribe; and his partner, John Root, are unofficially told they
nevertheless, Daenerys comes into her own as a will design the Fair, as they are Chicago’s leading
cunning and respected ruler. She rises to power after architects. Meanwhile, Holmes goes to a suburb of
gaining control of three dragon hatchlings. The trio Chicago called Englewood and convinces Mrs.
goes on to symbolize the resurgence of Westeros’s Holton to let him buy her drugstore, E.S. Holton
dynastic power and the Targaryens’ right to rule. The Drugs. She mysteriously disappears.
novels culminate as the danger from the North Once Burnham and Root are given
mounts, threatening to lay the Five Kingdoms of architectural control of the Fair, the board of
Westeros to waste. directors argue for months about where to build it,
A lengthy, epic, and suspenseful drama, A cutting down on an already alarmingly short
Song of Ice and Fire builds tension layer by layer, timeline. When the board appoints Burnham as chief
presenting an extensive yet ultimately fragile of construction for the Fair, Burnham then employs
political system that hinges on the decisions of very Root as supervising architect. In 1891, Carter Henry
Harrison loses his election for a fifth term as mayor. disappearing. The Fair builders finally erect the
A young Irish immigrant named Patrick Prendergast Ferris wheel and it is a success. Minnie’s sister Anna
campaigns for Harrison, and Harrison ends up visits. Holmes takes them to the Fair and suggests
winning the mayoral election of 1893. At the end of that they vacation in Europe. However, on the
October 1890, a recession begins. Holmes marries morning they are set to leave, he kills both. Later, he
Myrta Belknap, and she works in his drugstore. He meets his next wife, Georgiana Yoke.
purchases a vacant lot across the street and plans to Firemen die in a terrible fire at the Cold
build a hotel for guests of the World’s Fair. The Storage Building because of construction flaw.
building is suspicious and includes vaults, gas jets, Burnham and others are charged with criminal
and a secret basement. negligence, but everyone insists Burnham knew
Burnham and Root slowly assemble a team of nothing about the flaw, and he is set free with just
renowned architects, and begin planning their bail. Millet hosts a popular ball at the Midway to try
designs. They plan to build the Fair on the grounds and raise attendance; the Fair is in trouble of leaving
of Jackson Park. Just after the architects begin work, the city in debt. However, on Chicago Day, the
Root dies. Burnham is crushed, but resolves to attendance is so high that it cancels the debt. Holmes
continue working on the Fair. The Fair faces many escapes Chicago and runs away from the huge sums
obstacles including arguing authoritative bodies, of money he owes. He goes to Minnie’s land in Texas
labor unrest, and the national recession. It progresses to build a new castle. After learning that Harrison did
too slowly. While Burnham tirelessly supervises the not give him the job he wanted, Prendergast buys a
construction, the Conner family rents a place in gun and assassinates Harrison. Instead of a Closing
Holmes’ hotel building. Holmes has an affair with Ceremony, there is a funeral and everyone says
Julia Conner and tricks her husband, Ned, into goodbye. The winter is harsh, homelessness
buying the debt-ridden drugstore, prompting Julia explodes, and many Fair buildings burn the next year.
and Ned’s divorce. Julia Conner gets pregnant. In June 1895, Detective Geyer searches for Benjamin
Holmes convinces her to let him give her an abortion, Pitezal’s missing children. Holmes is in jail for
but instead kills her and her young daughter, Pearl. insurance fraud, and claims he faked Pitezal’s death
Benjamin Pitezal introduces Holmes to Emeline and the children are with Minnie Williams. Geyer
Cigrand, and Holmes hires her as a secretary and tracks the children and finds all three of their bodies.
courts her. Holmes suffocates Emeline in a gas-filled Holmes is convicted and sentenced to a hanging. In
vault and sends her skeleton to Charles Chappell. the epilogue, the perspective switches back to
Holmes finds a new secretary named Minnie Burnham on the Olympic. Burnham finds out that
Williams, whom he courts and then marries. He Millet was on the Titanic and has died. Burnham
tricks Minnie into giving him her land inheritance. himself dies less than two months later.
The Dedication Ceremony for the Fair occurs
at the end of October 1892, six months before The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Opening Day. The Fair is far from finished and by Claire North
damaged by weather and labor strikes. On his third
attempt, a Pittsburgh engineer named George Ferris Claire North, a pseudonym of British
is finally approved to build the Ferris wheel as a rival author Catherine Webb, published her novel The
to Paris’ Eiffel Tower. In January 1893, Olmsted’s First Fifteen Lives of Harry August in April 2014.
protégé Harry Codman dies. Exhibits arrive from The book received critical acclaim, going on to win
around the world. Despite many more setbacks, the John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best
Opening Day occurs on time, though some parts of Science Fiction Novel. It was also nominated for
the Fair are unfinished. Holmes begins to accept the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Best Science Fiction
female guests into his hotel, and they start Novel and was featured in both the Richard and Judy
Book Club and the BBC Radio 2 Book Club. hearing this, Jenny becomes convinced that Harry is
The novel’s protagonist, Harry August, is a mentally ill, and he is admitted to a psychiatric
Kalachakra. He is part of a species of humans who hospital. While at the hospital, Harry meets Franklin
live multiple lives. Every time they die, they are Phearson, a government agent. Noticing that Harry’s
reborn and return to the original location of their premonitions about future events are true, Franklin
birth. For Harry August, that location is the women's spots an opportunity for himself in what others only
washroom of Berwick-upon-Tweed station in the interpret as mental illness. He tells Harry about the
North-East of England, where he was first born in Cronus Club, a group of people who are rumored to
1919. The novel starts out as Harry comes to the end live their lives over and over again, just like him.
of his eleventh life. As he lies on his deathbed, fully Phearson takes Harry out of the psychiatric
aware of what is in store for him, he receives a visit hospital, wishing to utilize his knowledge about
from a young girl who is also a Kalachakra. She has future events to change the course of history.
come to Harry with a warning: the end of the world Phearson tortures Harry to get him to reveal what he
is coming, and it is getting closer every day. knows about the future. Harry desperately attempts
The novel then proceeds to describe Harry’s to contact the Cronus Club to ask them for help.
previous incarnations, and how he came to exist in Finally, he receives a visit from Virginia from the
the world in the first place. His mother was a kitchen Cronus Club who helps Harry to commit suicide and
maid who worked in a manor for the Hulne family. arranges to meet with him in his fifth life.
She became pregnant after she was raped by Rory At the beginning of Harry’s fifth life, Virginia
Hulne. When the rest of the family discovered that explains the history of the Cronus Club and admits
she was pregnant, they promptly fired her. Harry’s him as a member. She warns Harry never to reveal
mother had nowhere to go and no support system, his point of origin, the time and place he was
and after giving birth to Harry in the women’s originally born because other Kalachakra could use
bathroom at the train station, she died. Harry was this information to ensure that he is never reborn.
then adopted by the Hulne family’s groundskeeper, During Harry’s sixth life, he meets Vincent,
Patrick August, and his wife, Harriet. The rest of another Kalachakra, and the two develop a tight-knit
Harry’s first life is described as being rather mundane friendship. However, Harry soon discovers that
and largely uneventful. At this point, he did not yet Vincent is attempting to build a quantum mirror, a
know he was a Kalachakra. machine capable of explaining everything that occurs
The first time that Harry was reborn, it was a in the universe. In doing so, he is manipulating time
shock. It took him some time to realize what was and altering the technological course of history.
going on and to accept his second life. Ultimately, it Harry grows concerned that Vincent is meddling too
drove him to madness. Unable to understand what much with the space-time continuum; his concern is
was happening to him, he committed suicide at age further exacerbated when he discovers that Vincent
seven. Of course, Harry was then reborn once again, has killed other members of the Cronus Club.
at which point he realized that simply killing himself Vincent and Harry get into an altercation and Vincent
would not end the cycle. Therefore, he decided to tries to erase Harry’s memories, but Harry commits
spend his life traveling the globe studying the world’s suicide in order to escape and preserve his memory.
major religions, looking for answers that would During Harry’s fifteenth life, he saves
explain his predicament. Vincent from a radioactive accident. Vincent is
When Harry is reincarnated the fourth time, touched by the demonstration of loyalty and
he meets Jenny with whom he falls in love. His friendship and tells Harry things about his past that
feelings for her prompt him to confide in her about he has never told anyone else before, including his
his multiple rebirths, explaining to Jenny that point of origin. Harry kills Vincent before he can be
because of this, he is able to predict the future. After
born, therefore ensuring that he does not bring about fear. Other themes examined in the novel are political
the end of the world. corruption, violence inspired by far-right politics,
and the allure of myths. The city and the city is the
The Golem and the Jinni winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award, the World
by Helene Wecker Fantasy Award, the Hugo Award for Best Novel, the
British Science Fiction Association Award, and the
In the Polish town of Konin at the end of the Locus Award. In 2018, the novel was made into a
19th century, a corrupt kabbalist named Yehudah television miniseries by the BBC.
Schaalman creates a golem in the shape of a woman When Mahalia Geary, a Ph.D. student in
at the request of young Otto Rotfeld, who seeks a archaeology, is found dead, Inspector Tyador
submissive, attentive, and curious wife. Rotfeld dies Borlú of the Extreme Crime Squad is assigned to the
during a subsequent sea voyage to New York City, case. The underlying premise of the novel is that two
leaving the newly awakened golem in an unfamiliar cities/countries Besźel and Ul Qoma occupy the
environment. A rabbi in New York takes in the golem same time and space but have developed distinct
and, naming her Chava, starts teaching her to pass as languages and cultures; so distinct and separate, in
human among the diverse groups of people living in fact, that citizens from each city are forbidden from
New York. Meanwhile, a tinsmith in New looking into the other (clearly visible) space. Doing
York's Little Syria accidentally frees a jinni from a so is a serious crime invoking the intervention of
flask in which he has been imprisoned for a Breach, a mysterious secret police force known for
millennium. With no memory of how he was “disappearing” breach violators. Borlú determines
subdued, the jinni is virtually powerless and trapped that Geary was killed in Ul Qoma and her body
in human form. He takes the name Ahmad and dumped in Besźel, but the killer has managed to
apprentices with the tinsmith while searching for a avoid Breach involvement. Video footage clearly
way to return to his natural form. shows a van crossing borders legally to leave
Chava and Ahmad eventually meet, Geary’s body in a Besźel skate park. Borlú seeks to
recognizing each other as inhuman, and become turn the investigation over to Breach authority, but
friends, though they have different views on being his request is denied (unusual, since these requests
inhuman while living in a human world. Chava seeks are often a formality). With the case his sole
to be more human and fears losing control and responsibility, Borlú and his partner, Lizbyet Corwi,
exposing herself, whereas Ahmad holds a jaded view investigate the possible involvement of far-right
towards social restraints and engages extremist groups, but ultimately, they find
in hedonistic pursuits. Chava and Ahmad's influence themselves at a dead end.
on the lives of the people around them comes to a With all avenues exhausted on the Besźel
climax as Chava's creator comes to New York, intent side, Borlú’s superior assigns him to pursue the
on finding the secret to eternal life. He is discovered investigation in Ul Qoma as a consultant to Senior
to be a reincarnation of the evil sorcerer who trapped Detective Qussim Dhatt, his Ul Qoman counterpart.
Ahmad. Their investigation leads them to Bol Ye’an, an
The City & The City archaeological dig site where Geary was working on
by China Miéville her Ph.D. dissertation. They discover she had
become obsessed with Orciny, a mythical third city
China Miéville’s The City and the supposedly existing in the spaces between Besźel
City, originally published in 2009, is a hybrid of two and Ul Qoma, whose citizens manipulate the
distinct genres—speculative fiction and detective activities in the other two cities. The foundational
fiction—that explores the human susceptibility to text in support of this now-debunked theory is David
fear and the erection of borders as a response to that Bowden’s Between the City and the City, a text she
has read closely and annotated in minute detail. out into the streets. Breach scrambles to contain the
When Geary’s closest friend, Yolanda Rodriguez, situation, which they realize is the opening salvo in a
disappears, followed shortly thereafter by Bowden, unificationist insurrection. Ashil and Borlú follow a
Borlú and Dhatt suspect Breach may be involved. lead to the Sear and Core building, where they find a
Borlú finds Rodriguez hiding out in an abandoned corrupt politician, also involved in Bowden’s
public housing project, afraid for her life she also scheme, attempting to escape. In the confrontation,
believes in Orciny and their mystical powers and is both the politician and Ashil are shot. Amid the chaos
terrified her knowledge of them will get her killed. on the streets, Bowden, who had been in custody,
He promises to evacuate her safely to Besźel. At this escapes. With Dhatt’s help, Borlú tracks him down.
point, even Borlú cannot say unequivocally whether Bowden, deftly navigating the space between
Orciny is real, and he enlists the help of a skeptical borders, intends to walk free out of the jurisdiction of
Dhatt as well as the loyal Corwi to assist him in either police force. Borlú, however, convinces him to
Rodriguez’s rescue. Forged documents in hand, they surrender.
escort Rodriguez to the border checkpoint between
the two cities. As they near the crossing, Bowden The House of Shattered Wings
appears, but just then, shots are fired. Rodriguez is by Aliette de Bodard - Overview
killed, Dhatt is wounded, Bowden is taken into
custody, and the shooter disappears into the crowds. In Aliette de Bodard’s The House of
Borlú pursues the shooter, each of them in Shattered Wings (2015) and Robert Jackson
different cities, Borlú seeing and “unseeing” the Bennett’s City of Stairs (2014) the metropolis used to
shooter at the same time. When his quarry seems be at the center of a wealthy and powerful Colonial
poised to escape, Borlú shoots him across borders, a Empire. With the decline of the empires, both cities
clear violation of breach. Breach avatars swarm out have fallen to ruins. The cities remain effectively
of the shadows and take him into custody. His function as an archive to the past for the characters in
overseer is Ashil, who questions him about Orciny. the novel, and allows them to interact with both the
He realizes that Breach doesn’t know any more than physical and ethereal remains of the past. In both
he does and also fears the existence of the third city. novels, contemporary events force the characters to
The investigation continues with Ashil now, and they uncover the hidden past, which leads to the past
question Bol Ye’an security about possible stolen manifesting itself in the presence. For The House of
artifacts (reputed to be Orciny relics endowed with Shattered Wings the past manifests itself as a Gothic
strange powers). They discover that Geary had been haunting in the form of a spectral tree, while in City
stealing excavated items and leaving them in a of Stairs mythological creatures from the past
“crosshatched” area of the dig site where someone manifest themselves physically and pose an
from Besźel could retrieve them without causing immediate and violent threat. These interactions with
breach. Geary was under the misguided impression the past allow the characters to negotiate the future.
she was helping Bowden find proof of Orciny, but in The metropolis in City of Stairs will be rebuilt while
fact, Bowden is selling the relics to a multi-national Paris in The House of Shattered Wings will remain
corporation, Sear and Core, with the help of unhealed.
politicians and extremist groups. It’s a complex web
of alliances with Bowden at the center, and when The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Geary discovers his plan, he kills her. by Becky Chambers
As Ashil and Borlú piece together the clues,
a sudden commotion rocks Breach headquarters. Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when
Two busloads of refugees have intentionally collided, she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the
scattering migrants unfamiliar with border protocols patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a
bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the against everything she learned at Sinegard and takes
galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her the fate of the war into her own hands.
past. An introspective young woman who learned
early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone Red, White, and Royal Blue
remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including by Casey McQuiston
Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers
Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Red, White, and Royal Blue follows Alex and
Ashby, their noble captain. Henry, the sons of powerful political families, as they
Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy fall in love with each other in the pressure cooker of
exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get the diplomatic limelight. As the novel begins, Alex
extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job Claremont-Diaz, the son of the first female president
of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to of the United States, has a clear picture of his bright
a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep political future, one he has single-mindedly pursued
them comfortable for years. But risking her life since he was a teenager. Across the pond, Prince
wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep Henry, the grandson of the Queen of England, feels
space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of doomed to live his life hiding his sexuality, prevented
unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that from falling in love with another man because of his
force them to depend on each other. To survive, claim to the throne. Both Alex and Henry go on dates
Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this with women for the press, pressured by their families
assortment of oddballs an experience that teaches her or their position to create and maintain a certain
about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t image for the public. Similarly, both have very clear
necessarily the worst thing in the universe. pictures of their career futures, greatly influenced by
their families and by the expectations of the people
The Poppy War in their countries.
by R.F. Kuang When the two become romantically
entangled, everything they each thought they knew
The Poppy War, published in 2018, is a three- about their futures is called into question. As they fall
part novel that follows the story of war orphan Fang in love, the stories they’ve told themselves about who
Runin (Rin). In desperation to escape from her they are begin to fall apart. The central conflict of the
abusive foster family, Rin studies for two years novel concerns the struggle to reject inherited
straight to ace the Keju, an Empire-wide aptitude test narratives and expectations in order to better
which determines which youth are intelligent enough understand one’s true identity and live a more
to be trained in the military academies. When Rin authentic life.
gets in to Sinegard the most elite military academy The inciting incident of the novel takes place
tensions rise between her (a dark-skinned peasant) when Alex and Henry cause an international incident
and the privileged children of military leaders at the royal wedding by toppling Prince Philip’s
attending Sinegard with her. She is taken under the $75,000 wedding cake. The spectacle underscores
tutelage of the Jiang, the Lore master, to learn that, from the first moment they touch each other, the
fighting and the ancient skill of shamanism. In the two begin to upend heterosexual traditions and
second and third sections of the book the Federation expectations represented in this case by the royal
of Mugen invades the Nikan Empire, and Rin must wedding cake. The incident forces them to fake a
join the fight under the command of Altan who as the close friendship in public in order to smooth over the
last of the Speerlie race has a natural affinity for image of American-British relations in the press.
shamanism and an aptitude for fighting.... just like Though Alex finds the ordeal absurd, he goes
Rin. Ultimately, Rin makes a decision that goes through with it, emphasizing that he is willing to
perform intimacy out of duty to his mother and his with Alex and gives him the ring, illustrating his twin
country. Though Alex hates Henry largely based on commitment to stop living by his family’s rules and
his image in the media, their mandatory closeness to enter into a relationship with Alex. After they
quickly reveals to Alex how wrong he was about him, commit to each other, a piece in the press threatens
illustrating how truly fabricated and convincing to oust them, and both go on fake dates to throw the
Henry’s public image is. press off the scent. Despite having faked it for the
When Henry kisses Alex at the White House press in the past, Henry finds the charade horrifying
New Year’s Eve party, Alex experiences a crisis of and is traumatized by it, suggesting how intolerable
sexual identity, further illustrating how incendiary inauthenticity and the performance of romance have
his relationship with Henry is. Though Alex has become for him after experiencing real love.
always understood himself to be straight, when he The climax of the novel comes when Henry
looks back on his life, he understands that he has and Alex’s intimate email correspondence and
been actively repressing is attraction to men. photographs are leaked to the press in a gambit for
Through this reckoning, Alex comes out to himself political power. Being publicly outed is a brutal
and his family and friends as bisexual. From the experience for both men, not because they want to
earliest moments of his relationship with Henry, remain in the closet but because it is a colossal
Alex’s presumptions about himself and his future are violation of privacy. Though the couple fears that
called into question, beginning with his sexual they will be judged and rejected, they are also ready
identity. to stand fully revealed in the global spotlight. For
In coming out to his mother, Alex also loses Henry, the test of this comes when he tells his
his job, which initiates a period of soul-searching grandmother, the Queen of England, that he will no
about his career path. As he falls in love with Henry, longer lie to remain in the closet. The queen
Alex begins to question the kind of life he wants to represents the culmination of Henry’s lineage and the
lead and whether heading into politics is what’s best staunchest proponent of the old guard, so by standing
for him. For Alex, this questioning is closely tied to up to her, Henry rejects the traditions that have
wanting a slower, present-focused life that creates confined him and sets out on a new path that is
space for Henry and him to be together. Henry, who decidedly his own.
has been in love with Alex for years, finds that he is The falling action comes on election night,
afraid when Alex reciprocates his emotions. Their when Alex awaits judgment from Texas, his beloved,
burgeoning relationship threaten to topple his life in traditionally conservative home state. For Alex, how
London, his standing with his family, and years of Texas votes is an indicator of how much his home,
carefully constructed lies and secrets. Though he the place where he first knew himself outside of fame
wants nothing more than to be with Alex, he retreats or ambition, can accept the person he’s grown up to
to London when Alex is on the verge of confessing be. The political fate of the nation is intertwined with
his love. This suggests that he still feels as though he his personal desire to be welcomed home as his
must abide by in his family’s vision for his future, authentic self. When Texas "goes blue" and Alex’s
which involves pretending to be straight to play the mother wins the election, it marks a moment of
role of an heir to the throne. tremendous hope both for the future of the country
The rising action occurs when Alex goes to and for Alex and Henry. In a telling final scene, the
London to confess his love to Henry. Though Henry two leave the public celebration, escape the spotlight,
resists Alex at first, he finds that he’s unable to ask and travel to Alex’s childhood home. Though there’s
him to leave, placing his signet ring on the mantle in a lot of work and some uncertainty ahead, both Alex
a gesture that distances himself from familial and Henry have shed the trappings of other people’s
expectations and legacies. The two have sex, and expectations and arrive home together as their true
afterward, Henry says he wants to be in a relationship selves.
 Children of Blood and Bone identity, Amari slips out of the palace and runs into
by Tomi Adeyemi the bustling market.
There, she collides with Zélie and begs for
Zélie Adebola, a headstrong teenage girl, her help. Zélie is reluctant, but knows she has a
practices sparring with a classmate. Unlike her responsibility to help those who cannot help
classmate, Zélie is a divîner, meaning she has themselves. She helps Amari weave through the
luminous white hair and, in theory, the ability to do guards in the city. Just as they are cornered by guards
magic. In Orïsha, the fictional, West Africa-inspired lead by Amari’s brother—the soldier prince, Inan—
country where this story takes place, divîners are still Tzain leaps the city wall on Nailah, a lionaire, and
suffering from a horrific event that happened more grabs Amari and his sister. They escape and hurry
than a decade ago, when the monarchy, helmed by back towards the coastal city. Zélie is angered when
King Saran, carried out the systematic murder of all she discovers Amari’s identity, but feels she has no
divîners over the age of thirteen. On that day, the choice but to help her. Touching the scroll seems to
group lost their connection to the gods, and with it, awaken Zélie’s powers, too. She feels she may be a
their ability to do magic and Zélie lost her mother, a Reaper like her mother, with power over the spirits
deeply painful memory that still haunts her. Now, of the dead. They consult with Mama Agba, Zélie’s
divîners are feared and reviled, treated by the nobility staff instructor. She reveals that she is a Seer, and that
as second-class citizens. Zélie is fated to carry out a quest to restore magic to
Zélie practices fighting so that she can protect the land. Zélie is reluctant.
her family and herself from the brutal royal guards At that moment, Inan and a group of guards,
who are ostensibly there to protect them, but really, sent by Saran, arrive and set fire to the city. In the
with their crude ways and snow leopanaire- ensuing chaos, Zélie, Mama Agba, Tzain, and Amari
emblazoned armor, are just a threat. Zélie’s older barely escape with their lives. Zélie, Tzain, and
brother, Tzain, bursts into the practice space to tell Amari begin the journey to Chândomblé, a temple
Zélie they need to go home immediately. There, they where they believe they can find help. In hot pursuit,
find their father, Baba, badly shaken after an Inan starts to have strange visions of Zélie, and they
encounter with the guards. They came demanding seem to be able to meet in a field-like dreamscape
payment from households containing divîners. that he has inadvertently created. He worries that he
Levying ever-higher taxes on divîners is just one way has become infected with magic as a white streak
that Saran keeps them under his thumb and unable to appears in his hair.
fight back. Zélie and her brother travel to the capital Zélie, Tzain, and Amari arrive in
city of Lagos, hoping to make a trade that will help Chândomblé where the meet a sentâro, or priest,
them cover the new taxes. named Lekan. He is the last surviving member of his
Meanwhile, Princess Amari sits in Orïsha’s order. He tells the group of the great myths of the
palace enduring her mother’s usual harsh criticisms. gods, stories that remind Zélie of her mother. He also
Amari feels confined and stifled by her life. Her only tells them that the scroll, along with two other
source of solace is Binta, a young divîner serving girl artifacts the bone dagger and the sunstone must be
who is Amari’s only friend. Realizing Binta is brought to a special island and used in a ceremony to
missing, Amari creeps into the throne room only to restore magic on the exact moment of the solstice,
see a strange and horrifying sight: her father’s which is fast approaching. He performs a strenuous
adviser Admiral Kaea forces Binta to touch a scroll, ceremony of his own to awaken Zélie’s magic fully.
which activates her ability to do magic. When Inan and Kaea arrive and attack, murdering Lekan
colorful light begins to pour from Binta’s hands, the but the three escape and destroy a rope bridge behind
king brutally stabs her, killing her instantly. Later, them, leaving Inan and Kaea stranded at the temple.
Amari secretly steals the scroll, and, concealing her Inan begins to feel his magic more and tries to
suppress it out of fear of the hatred it will bring from carries as a reminder of his father the game piece is
his father. However, he also thinks it may be helpful actually made out of majacite, a special metal that
in his quest to kill Zélie and destroy magic. When burns divîners. As he gets more comfortable, Inan
Kaea sees him attempting to use magic, Inan loses realizes he’s falling for Zélie, and she for him. They
control of his fear and anger, and accidentally kills start to kiss, but Tzain furiously interrupts them. That
her with his newfound powers. night, a massive troop of guard’s attack. Ignoring
Zélie, Amari, and Tzain arrive at a bustling Zu’s attempt at peacemaking, the guards slay the
town in the desert. A massive arena has been young girl, and violence erupts. Sacrificing himself
constructed there, where nobles force divîners to to protect his friends, Kwame, a divîner who can
fight to the death over a mysterious prize. When the control fire, explodes himself and many guards
three learn that the prize is actually the sunstone, they around him in flames.
decide that their only choice is to enter the The next day, Tzain and Amari are in shock.
competition themselves and try to win it. The Their siblings are nowhere to be found, and they fear
competition is incredibly fierce, and Amari is forced Zélie may be dead possibly by Inan’s own hand. But,
to kill, which makes her think of the training her they think she may be captive at a nearby fortress.
father forced her to endure growing up. But They recruit a group of Tzain’s divîner friends to help
eventually, they are victorious, and secure the them free Zélie and join their quest to restore magic.
sunstone, the last artifact they need to perform the Using the scroll, they awaken their powers and plot
ritual. to break into the fortress. Meanwhile, Zélie is
As they head for the coast, Inan catches up restrained painfully with majacite. She thinks that
them and Zélie decides to face him. As the two begin Tzain must have betrayed her and is relieved to find
to fight, Tzain and Amari are captured by masked that he didn’t but hurt in a different way when Inan
divîners and carried off into the jungle. They are says that after seeing Kwame, he thinks magic is too
taken to an encampment of divîners who torture dangerous. He tries to convince her to destroy the
Tzain for information, not believing the remarkable scroll in exchange for her freedom, but she refuses.
tale that Amari tells them. Meanwhile Inan and Zélie Saran enters and begins to torture Zélie for
decide reluctantly to band together to try to save their information. He has his guards carve the word
siblings. As they are devising a break-in strategy, “maggot” into her back.
Inan’s powers suddenly allow him to experience a Just as Inan has secretly taken Zélie out of the
vision of all that Zélie has experienced in her lifetime torture chamber to try to bring her to safety, Amari
her memories of the Raid, her suffering under Saran’s and the group of divîners use their magic to break
oppressive regime, and her fight to bring magic back. into the fortress. They kill many guards instantly.
He is struck with a wave of empathy and affection When Amari catches sight of her father, she has the
and begins to question his father’s policies. urge to strike him down, but decides to wait. Inan
Feeling ill-prepared but desperate, Inan and hands a weakened and bloody Zélie over to Tzain,
Zélie launch their attack on the encampment. They and stays behind as the others leave the fortress.
are surprised when a swarm of divîners, including Privately, he has decided magic must be stopped at
some who can use their powers, begin to fight them. all costs. He tells his father he has an idea. A maji
Suddenly, the fighting is stopped by a young girl, Zu, with power over healing stops the bleeding from
who is the leader of the encampment. Seeing Inan Zélie’s back, but the scars both physical and
and Zélie has made her realize that Amari and Tzain emotional feel like they will be permanent. Even
were telling the truth: they are all allies. She uses worse, Zélie can no longer access her magic. Without
healer powers to help Tzain’s injuries and says that it, there’s no way to do the ceremony. She hides that
she wants to help Zélie and her friends restore magic. from the group, and they decide to make a final
Zélie tells Inan to stop holding on to a pawn that he effort. They head to Jimeta, a port town outside the
long reach of the monarchy. It is free from oppressive streak of brilliant white that has appeared in her hair
rule, but also fairly lawless, full of mercenaries and and a swirl of light magic emanating from her hand.
criminals. When Zélie approaches a group of
mercenaries to ask for their help, she is surprised to The Water Knife
find Röen, a dashing foreigner she met at the divîner by Paolo Bacigalupi
encampment. He agrees to help her because deep
down, he believes in the gods as well. On Röen’s Paolo Bacigalupi’s near-future thriller, The
ship, the heroes make their way to the island where Water Knife, tells the story of Angel Velasquez, a
the ceremony must be performed. At the temple, “water knife” working for the state of Nevada trying
Zélie still can’t feel her magic, but she keeps that to infiltrate and destroy Arizona’s water supply and
concealed, thinking the power of the temple may help investigate rumors of senior legal rights to water
her. Suddenly, Inan and Saran appear, flanked by from the Colorado River. The novel cycles between
guards. With them is Baba. Zélie feels a pang of three points of view: Angel; Maria Villarosa, a Texas
betrayal and fear. Immediately, she hands over the refugee; and Lucy Monroe, an award-winning
artifacts, thinking only of protecting her father. journalist.
As they walk away from the site of the Water is becoming increasingly scarce, and
ceremony, an arrow suddenly embeds itself in Baba’s now individual states in the United States fight each
body, killing him instantly. Fighting breaks out as other for access to it. Dust storms threaten to engulf
Zélie struggles to gather the artifacts and attempt the the US Southwest. States like Texas and Arizona
ceremony. In the fray, Inan manages to trick her into have all but collapsed, forcing those citizens to
using her own magic to destroy the scroll, which become refugees. Other states like Nevada and
contains an incantation she needs to do the ceremony. California battle for a greater share of the Colorado
Saran is proud of Inan until he sees Inan use his own River. State militias murder those refugees who
magic, and then he immediately disowns Inan. attempt to illegally cross the Colorado. Meanwhile,
Amari, meanwhile, starts to fight her father. She does the wealthy can buy themselves housing in new
not want to kill him, but when he slashes open her luxury arcologies, which recycle water and are
back, Amari realizes he is ruthless and will never furnished with lush vegetation, keeping out the harsh
change, and plunges her sword into his heart. Zélie, desert.
meanwhile, is running out of time to complete the Binti: Home
ceremony. Turning to the gods, she realizes she can by Nnedi Okorafor
use Baba’s sacrifice to reactivate and fuel her magic.
Without the scroll, she improvises an appeal to the In 2015, Nnedi Okorafor's wildly
gods, calling on the power of her ancestry and her successful Binti helped launch Tor.com's novella-
connection to all other divîners to feed the ceremony. publishing imprint before winning both the Hugo and
It seems to work, igniting bright lights in the room. Nebula awards the following year. A shape-shifting
Zélie passes out. story of adventure, trauma, transformation and
She has a vision of Oya, her patron god, communication, Binti followed its namesake heroine
comforting her but soon realizes it isn’t Oya at all, from her Himba roots on Earth to faraway Oomza
but her mother. Zélie embraces the peace of death, University, where hundreds of different peoples from
where she will be reunited with her family. However, across the galaxy go to study. In Binti: Home,
her mother says it is not yet Zélie’s time. Although Okorafor sends her heroine back to Earth on a quest
Zélie wants to stay, her mother pushes her back to to reconcile the new, conflicting parts of herself with
consciousness. Zélie awakens on Röen’s boat, her roots.
surrounded by her friends. When she asks if the A year after her cataclysmic arrival at Oomza
ceremony was successful, Amari simply shows her a University, Binti finds herself struggling to make
friends or focus on her studies. Her attempts at Civil Rights Movement touches their lives more and
understanding her edan, the ancient artifact that more. Jacqueline takes in all the ways that she and
saved her life and allowed her to communicate with her family are discriminated against in South
the jellyfish-like aliens called the Meduse, are often Carolina, from Gunnar’s coworkers disrespecting
stymied by violent mood swings she can't control or him to segregated buses. In Greenville the children
understand. She feels powerfully the need to return observe sit-ins in Greenville firsthand.
home and undergo the pilgrimage customary for Mama takes a trip to New York City, leaving
young women of her tribe, and Okwu, her agender Jacqueline and her siblings with their grandparents.
Meduse captor-turned-friend, offers to accompany After a while, Mama returns to Greenville and
her as ambassador to humanity the first Meduse to informs the children and Georgiana and Gunnar that
set tentacle on Earth. she will be moving to New York and taking the
children with her, much to Georgiana’s dismay. The
Brown Girl Dreaming family spends the end of the summer together.
by Jacqueline Woodson Concerningly, Gunnar, a lifelong smoker, develops a
persistent cough. Mama leaves for New York again
Brown Girl Dreaming follows the childhood so that she can find a job and an apartment before
of the author, Jacqueline Woodson, from her birth to bringing the children there. With Mama gone,
around age ten. Jacqueline is born in Ohio, the Georgiana, a devotedly religious woman, encourages
youngest child of three, in 1963, during the height of the children to participate more actively as Jehovah’s
the Civil Rights Movement. Jacqueline and her Witnesses, spending every weekday afternoon
family are African-American. Her father, Jack, is except Friday at Bible study. Gunnar’s cough
from Ohio, and her Mama, Mary Ann, is from South worsens so much he begins to miss work. Eventually,
Carolina. Prior to Jacqueline’s birth and the birth of Mama sends a letter telling them that she will soon
her sister Odella, Mama lost her brother, Odell. be back to take them to New York, and also that she
Mama and Jack fight often, eventually causing is pregnant. At last, Mama arrives back in Greenville
Mama flee to the home of her parents, Georgiana and with the new baby, a boy named Roman. The family
Gunnar, in Greenville, South Carolina with bids Georgiana and Gunnar goodbye and travels
Jacqueline, Odella, and their older brother Hope. together to New York City.
Eventually, however, Jack comes and begs for The family moves into a first apartment, but
Mama’s forgiveness, and Mama and the children quickly moves out because it is decrepit and
return to Ohio. After a second try, however, the uninhabitable. They then move into the apartment
couple fights again, and Mama leaves Jack for good, below Mama’s sister Kay’s apartment. Initially,
taking the children back with her to Greenville. Jacqueline does not like New York City, and misses
The children adjust to life in South Carolina. Greenville. Not long after the family moves in, Kay
They enjoy spending time with their grandparents, dies. The family moves again, to a place on Madison
and become so close with Gunnar that they start Street. Jacqueline and Odella go to the same school
calling him “Daddy.” Gunnar works in a printing and all the children attend services at the local
press and gardens on the side. Georgiana takes up Kingdom Hall (the name of the building where
“daywork” (housekeeping for white families) in Jehovah’s Witnesses attend services). Odella shines
order to make ends meet. Jacqueline enjoys South as a student in their new school, while Jacqueline has
Carolina and spending time with her grandparents. difficulties reading, but loves to make up stories.
Hope, on the other hand, has difficulty adjusting to Jacqueline’s Uncle Robert moves to New York City,
the new climate and life without his father. Mama and spends lots of time with the children. Jacqueline
also seems discontent in Greenville, as most of her begins to feel more at home in New York, but still
friends have moved elsewhere. At the same time, the misses her maternal grandparents.
 Roman gets lead poisoning from eating the poems in which Jacqueline discusses her beliefs and
paint off the walls at the apartment, and so must stay her imaginative writing philosophy, showing how,
in the hospital for an extended period of time. over the course of the memoir, Jacqueline has
Jacqueline, Odella, and Hope go to Greenville for the developed a sense of her gift for storytelling and of
summer, and Mama stays to take care of Roman. herself.
Jacqueline, Odella, and Hope find that Gunnar is The Goblin Emperor
even sicker than before. At the end of the summer, by Katherine Addison
the children return New York, where Roman is still
under hospital care. At last, Roman is allowed to The youngest, half-goblin son of the emperor
come home. For the last few weeks of the summer, has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the
Jacqueline plays with her new best friend, Maria. Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses
Maria’s family is from Puerto Rico, and she lives on it. But when his father and three half-brothers in line
the same street as Jacqueline. During the school year, for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no
Jacqueline continues to engage with writing and choice but to take his place as the only surviving
storytelling, although writing is difficult for her. She rightful heir. Entirely unschooled in the art of court
finds books and poems that inspire her, and decides politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure
she wants to be a writer. knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and
The next summer the children again return to brothers could make an attempt on his life at any
Greenville, including Roman. Gunnar is gravely ill, moment. Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry
and Jacqueline helps attend to his needs. In favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed
Greenville, despite the success of the Civil Rights by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody.
Movement, Jacqueline senses that racial segregation Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of
still exists in practice, if illegally. At the end of the arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown
summer, Robert takes the children back to New York conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must
City. At school that fall, Jacqueline reads more and quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the
makes her first book. A new girl named Diana moves while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single
in next door, and becomes friends with Maria and friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance,
Jacqueline. Jacqueline gets jealous, but is soothed yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that
when, at Maria’s brother’s baptism, Maria refers to threaten him, lest he lose his throne or his life.
her as family.
One day, Mama gets a call that Robert is in The Book of Disquiet
prison. When Robert gets moved to a prison upstate, by Fernando Pessoa
the family goes to visit him. In the spring, Georgiana
informs the family that Gunnar is dying and they all The Book of Disquiet is a collection of
fly to Greenville to say goodbye and attend the reflections by Fernando Pessoa. The book was
funeral. After Gunnar’s death, Georgiana moves to published in 1961 after his death, and it contains
Brooklyn to live with the family. Jacqueline resumes entries that he wrote from 1912 to 1935. He used the
her storytelling hobby, attends school, and continues pen name Bernardo Soares, which is why the book
playing with Maria. Robert is released from prison reads like a diary or journal as opposed to some other
and has converted to Islam. The Black Power format. It deals with the life of an ordinary man
Movement gains momentum, and Jacqueline and named Soares who works as a simple assistant for
Maria imitate the activists in the movement, learning someone in Lisbon. The passages express the
about it from Mama, Robert, and the television. inexpressible feelings one has when introspecting
Jacqueline’s teacher tells Jacqueline she is a writer, about their life, but Pessoa expresses them with a
validating her dreams. The memoir ends with two
simple style. The book’s themes include the author’s from America who spends a summer in the mid-
struggle to understand himself and his world. 1980s at Elio's villa. Elio's parents select Oliver to
Some of Pessoa’s arguments are illogical and live with them for six weeks as part of an annual
seem to make no sense. However, his ideas only fellowship that they offer to young scholars, with the
make sense once we suspend our demand for solid purpose of helping them revise a manuscript for
reasoning and logical thinking. For example, he publication and aiding Elio's father who is himself an
argues that the human heart would stop if it were able academic with his paperwork. The story about
to think. In this passage, he suggests a more obsessive love, the passage of time, and life-defining
emotional life than is usually portrayed by literature memories.
or art. He also mentions that self-inquiry can lead to The novel is told through Elio's first-person
alienation as well as happiness. Pessoa’s reflections narration, recounting his memories of Oliver and
are frequently interrupted, as if he is a Siamese twin. their subsequent relationship. The novel begins with
He equates the fact of existing with suffering from his first memories of Oliver: Oliver's typical
chronic headaches. The universe itself causes him to farewell, "Later!", which Elio finds strange, cold, and
feel this way and think deeply about things that have indifferent. In his first few weeks at the villa, Oliver
happened in his life or the present time. charms and befriends the residents and neighbors of
Some of Pessoa’s vignettes discuss his the villa. Elio, who is introverted and shy, reflects on
favorite writers. His favorites include Shakespeare, the beginning of his infatuation with Oliver,
Milton, Dickens and Dante. Although he admires analyzing all of Oliver's words and mannerisms as he
these authors, he is critical of them as well; in one secretly pines for a more intimate relationship with
passage, he calls King Lear “defective” while Oliver. The desire that Elio feels for Oliver is at once
expressing his love for its creative spirit. He also overwhelming and sublime, a feeling stronger than
discusses his love for the classics of Virgil, Horace any he has felt before, but he finds himself unable to
and Homer. Some less famous writers are more express his feelings or talk about them with anyone,
obscure and include Stéphane Mallarmé, Heinrich for fear of shame and rejection. Oliver's apparent
Heine (a German poet), Paul Verlaine (another coldness and indifference pain Elio, who labors to
French poet) and François-René de Chateaubriand conceal his feelings from Oliver with affected silence
(an influential French writer). Pessoa never intended and indifference on his part. Elio and Oliver find
to create a book when he wrote the fragments. Yet, common interests in literature, music, philosophy,
by binding all of them together into one volume, we and exercise; a friendship blooms between them. Elio
see how they cohesively fit together and tell a story. admires Oliver's confidence and self-possessed
Another irony is that “Pessoa” in English means attitude, taking note of how "okay" he seems with
“person”; yet Pessoa often described himself as many things in his life, including criticism, his vices,
hardly being a person at all. his relationships, and his identity as a Jewish man.
The latter makes a strong impression on Elio, whose
Call me by your name family is also Jewish but who makes a point of
by André Aciman keeping quiet about it in a majority Catholic country.
Oliver's confidence on this matter emboldens Elio
The love story of Elio and Oliver, two young and makes him feel that Oliver could be his soulmate.
men who spend a summer together on the Italian In the days leading up to Elio's confession of
Riviera and develop a bond that shapes their view of his attraction, Oliver begins seeing a neighbor of
love for the rest of their lives. Elio is a precocious 17- Elio's named Chiara. The two share a number of
year-old who spends summers with his family in 'citte': dates, crushes, and mini-infatuations. Elio
their villa on the Italian Riviera. Oliver is a brilliant reflects on his attraction to both Oliver and Chiara
and handsome 24-year-old post-doctoral scholar and looks for signs that their relationship is sexual,
both to his excitement and frustration. When he Oliver returns to the United States and Elio
attempts to talk to Oliver about Chiara, seemingly in returns to his villa. Before departing, Oliver leaves
favor of their relationship and trying to set them up, Elio his billowy blue shirt as a memento. They
Oliver shuts him down, declaring later that he is not promise to stay in contact; over the phone, Oliver
interested in her. At the same time, Elio's parents beg tells Elio that he, too, took a memento from his room:
him to spend more time with friends and enjoy his a postcard depicting Monet's berm. Elio's father
youth; trying to get his mind off of his desire for reveals to him that he knew about the affair and that
Oliver, he begins spending time with a girl his age, he approves. He tells Elio that what he had with
Marzia. Elio and Marzia's dates are sexual but not Oliver was a special, rare occurrence, something he
romantic, and Marzia keeps a wary emotional himself never found in his life. The next year, Oliver
distance from Elio, seeing through his niceties to marries a woman and goes on to father two children.
know that he is not actually interested in her. In the years that follow, Elio continues to reflect on
On a trip to the nearby town of B., Elio his experience with Oliver and sees it as a fulcrum
alludes to his desire for Oliver, and Oliver tells him around which the other romantic experiences in his
that they shouldn't talk about such things. Elio invites life revolve. In vague terms, he mentions that he had
him to his secret solitary spot where he comes to many relationships after Oliver, but none as
read, the same berm where Monet used to paint. memorable and life-defining as Oliver. Elio and
Oliver kisses Elio to appease his desire, but he wishes Oliver cross paths again at a New England college
not to go any further for fear of doing anything that where Oliver teaches, his boys now teenagers; they
would make them feel ashamed. Elio has a hard time share drinks and reminisce.
reading Oliver's intentions, but Oliver conceals his Years after that twenty-years after the events
own desire for Elio out of shyness and fear of getting of his summer with Elio, and after the death of Elio's
his own emotions entangled. The following weeks father Oliver has an overnight stay at the villa en
are witness to much silence and avoidance between route to another Italian city. Elio walks Oliver
the pair, until Elio decides to break their silence. through the villa and they reminisce about his father.
Oliver invites him to his room at midnight and the Oliver tells Elio that he is just like him—that he
two make love, after which Oliver holds Elio's gaze "remembers everything." Elio concludes the novel by
and asks him to call him by his name. After their wishing to tell Oliver that when he boards his taxi the
night together, Elio feels confusion and frustration, following morning, if he truly is like him, he should
unsure where his relationship with Oliver stands or hold his gaze and call him by his name just as he did
where it is going, but Oliver warms up to him and a on their first night together.
romance blossom.
As Oliver's fellowship comes to an end, he The Three-Body Problem
and Elio take a trip to Rome where Oliver will spend by Liu Cixin
his last three days in Italy. There, they spend a
romantic vacation, spending one night with a group It’s the height of the Chinese Cultural
of revelers at a book-release party. The celebrated Revolution, and for college student Ye Wenjie, the
poet makes a speech about the nature of desire as a world is falling apart. Her father, a theoretical
universal human experience. Elio becomes too physics professor named Ye Zhetai, has been tortured
intoxicated and vomits in a square; Oliver helps him to death for his allegedly anti-Communist beliefs,
recuperate, and they sing Neapolitan songs with and her mother, Shao Lin, was among his torturers.
strangers on a street. Elio's memory of kissing Oliver A few years later, Ye Wenjie has been sent to a
on the square becomes his favorite memory of Oliver Mongolian labor camp, where she spends her days
for the rest of his life. cutting down trees. When she befriends reporter Bai
Mulin, Ye learns that humans are rapidly destroying
Earth’s environment. Bai wants to write to the Warring States period to Medieval Europe. But in the
Chinese government and urge them to slow the rate game world, the sun does not rise and set
of their deforestation, and Ye offers to transcribe the consistently. Instead, time is separated into Stable
letter for him. However, the letter backfires, drawing Eras (when the sun is predictable) and Chaotic Eras,
the government’s ire, and a panicked Bai frames Ye when the sun might vanish for weeks or suddenly get
for the entire thing. Ye expects to be tortured for the so close to Earth that everything is scorched. Wang
letter, but to her surprise, she instead is brought to a learns that the goal of Three-Body is to predict the
mysterious mountain called Radar Peak. The peak, sun’s movement by correctly understanding the game
named for the giant antenna on top of it, is home to planet’s solar system.
the Red Coast military base. At Red Coast, scientist Back in the real world, Wang continues to
Yang Weining, one of Ye’s father’s former students, seek answers, befriending Shi Qiang and meeting
greets her. Yang explains that if Ye works as a with Yang Dong’s mother who is none other than Ye
researcher on Radar Peak, she will be spared Wenjie. Ye reveals to Wang that the true purpose of
punishment but once she enters the military base, she Red Coast Base was to try to make contact with alien
can never leave it. Without hesitation, Ye joins Red life, but she claims that no such contact was ever
Coast. achieved, so the base was shut down. Wang logs in
The story jumps four decades. Wang Miao, an to Three-Body again. Having studied the sun’s
expert in a brand-new technology known as movement and having tracked the flying stars that
nanomaterial, has recently received an invitation to sometimes show up in the night sky, Wang concludes
join a secretive group called the Frontiers of Science. that the game’s planet has three suns. However,
Soon after, Wang is summoned to China’s Battle because each of the suns has its own gravity, “their
Command Center. To his surprise, he learns that all movements are unpredictable the three-body
of the nations of the world are working together to problem.” The next day, Wang and Shi meet with Wei
fend off some outside threat. Though the nature of Cheng. Wei tells his life story, explaining that he
the danger remains unclear, it has something to do accidentally came up with a brilliant method of
with a rash of recent suicides in the scientific solving the three-body problem. Now, a famous
community. After being pushed by a rude police environmentalist named Pan Han is threatening him:
officer named Shi Qiang and after learning that a Pan has told Wei that he must stop trying to solve the
respected physicist called Yang Dong has taken her problem or face certain death. Sure enough, when
own life Wang agrees to join the Frontiers as a spy. Wang and Shi arrive at Wei’s house, they discover
The next day, Wang begins to see an that Pan murdered Shen.
inexplicable countdown behind his eyelids. At first, Through all of this, Wang continues to log
Wang believes he is hallucinating, but gradually he into the virtual reality game. He learns that the planet
realizes that the numbers he is seeing really do exist of Three-Body (now known as Trisolaris) is in
he just has no clue what happens at the end of the constant danger of being swallowed by one of its
countdown. In search of answers, Wang visits Shen suns. The Trisolarans have therefore decided to
Yufei, the physicist who introduced him to the abandon their planet and search for another home in
Frontiers of Science. At Shen’s house, Wang meets the galaxy. At Shi’s urging, Wang attends several
her husband, Wei Cheng; he also notices that Shen is meet-ups of Three-Body players. Over the course of
playing a virtual reality game called Three-Body. these meetings, Wang is shocked to learn that
Shen correctly informs Wang that if he stops working Trisolaris is real, and that its residents are actually
on nanomaterials, the countdown will cease. coming to Earth. Even more surprising, however, is
Now even more baffled, Wang logs on to the the fact that Ye Wenjie leads a society known as the
Three-Body website. In the game, players are Earth-Trisolaris Organization (ETO), which aims to
transported to other eras in history, from China’s help these aliens in their conquest. The ETO is
divided into two factions: Adventists, who believe the forests and very few castles to be found. On the
that the Trisolarans should completely destroy edge of one of the bogs found in the rural
humanity, and Redemptionists, who believe that countryside, Axl and Beatrice, an elderly Briton
humans and Trisolarans can work together to form a couple, live together in a communal warren dug into
better world. a hillside. They live alone in one of the back rooms,
Ye explains that at Red Coast, she had far away from the communal fire, and are not
secretly sent a message into space and had received allowed to have candles. Axl is awake and excited
a reply from a Trisolaran pacifist known only as about a decision he has just made, but decides to keep
listener 1379. Though the listener had warned Ye it to himself until Beatrice wakes up. As he waits, Axl
Wenjie that if she replied, the Trisolarans would be thinks about their lives in the warren and wonders if
able to track her location and invade Earth, Ye had they have always lived as societal outcasts, relegated
replied anyway. After all, human beings had killed to the back corners and treated with little to no
her father; what did she owe humanity? Ye then respect. Axl thinks about a problem that everyone
explains how she had partnered with Mike Evans, the seems to be having: they forget things that they
son of an American oil baron, to form the ETO. But should remember, even their own children or people
in recent years, Evans has split off, hoarding who once lived among them.
communication with the Trisolarans on a special ship Finally, Beatrice wakes up and Axl tells her
known as Judgment Day. At Shi’s suggestion, the that he’s decided they should go on a journey to their
generals of the Battle Command Center agree they son’s village. They have not seen their son in many
will intercept Evans’s ship at the Panama Canal and years, and can’t remember the details of why he
then slaughter the ship’s crew, using a net made out chose to leave or even his name. Still, they are certain
of Wang’s nanomaterials (a project they call that he’s waiting for them and that they’ll be able to
Operation Guzheng). live with him when they get to his village. Beatrice
The operation is successful, and the generals agrees and, after talking to the pastor about their
learn the reality of the Trisolaran threat. The plan, they set out on their journey alone. It is
Trisolarans will arrive on Earth in 450 years; to dangerous to walk through parts of the English
ensure that humans cannot fight back, the Trisolarans countryside because of the monsters that still live
have figured out a way to cease all human scientific there, so Beatrice often asks Axl (who walks behind
progress. Specifically, scientists on Trisolaris were her) whether he’s still there. When it begins to rain,
able to create four super-intelligent protons known as they take shelter in an abandoned house. Inside, they
sophons, which could jam up all the particle meet a boatman and an old woman who is about to
accelerators on Earth. These faulty machines then slaughter a rabbit. The boatman hates the woman,
created theoretical chaos and thus prompted all the who has been harassing him since he took her
scientists’ suicides. Before Wang can lose hope husband across the river to an island but left her
entirely, Shi takes him to a small, locust-infested behind. The island is a place where people can live in
town. Shi points out that though humans have better peace forever, but if they go alone then they may
technology than locusts, locusts have nevertheless never run into another person there, even their loved
survived human attacks for thousands of years. Wang ones. Only couples who are bound by true love and
resolves to get back to work. whose relationship is not characterized by anger,
resentment, or indifference can go there together,
The Buried Giant according to the boatman. When the boatman tells
by Kazuo Ishiguro the old woman to “look into her heart” and determine
whether her bond with her husband was really strong
The narrator describes the landscape of enough for them to be taken to the island together,
England at the time of the story, with ogres haunting she refuses to answer him. Beatrice is particularly
interested in this idea and wants to go there with Axl where the well-respected Father Jonus, a monk with
one day after they see their son. a penchant for medicine, might have a cure for her
When the rain stops, Axl and Beatrice leave pain. The group agrees and they set off together.
the boatman and continue their journey until they As Beatrice, Axl, Wistan, and Edwin Walk
reach a Saxon village where Beatrice often does along, they run into a band of Briton soldiers who are
trading. Not only will they stay the night at the guarding a bridge they need to cross. Wistan foresees
village, but Beatrice wants to see a medicine woman danger because he is a Saxon warrior sent on a
who might give her medicine for a pain in her side mission by a Saxon leader to see how Saxons and
she’s been experiencing. When they get there, Britons are getting along. He tells Beatrice and Axl
however, the townspeople are on edge because a to pretend that he is mute and mentally ill, and that
young boy, Edwin, had been kidnapped by ogres. Edwin is his brother in order to avoid suspicion.
Beatrice and Axl watch and listen to the uproar Going up to the soldiers to ask to pass, Beatrice and
around them, taking notice of a haggard-looking man Axl convince the leader, a grey-haired soldier, that
who is at the center of a group of people. they are innocent farmers and are given permission
Eventually, Beatrice notices Ivor, a Briton to pass. Once they are far away from him, Wistan
who serves as mayor of the town, and he tells her that stops acting like a mute and they press on.
the man they noticed, Wistan, is going to lead a group A short time later, they run into a knight
of men out to rescue Edwin. Because the town is so resting near a tree. Although Wistan resumes acting
tense, Ivor invites Beatrice and Axl to stay at his like a mute at first, he soon recognizes the knight as
home instead of having to go to the inn. At Ivor’s Sir Gawain, one of King Arthur’s nephews and most
house, Beatrice, Axl, and Ivor discuss the mysterious trusted knights. Sir Gawain and Wistan start talking
mist that permeates the land and makes everyone about the past, although Wistan clearly can’t
forget. Ivor says he believes the mist has invaded remember all of it. At one point, Wistan tells Sir
because God has forgotten their pasts, and Beatrice Gawain to look at Axl and see if he remembers him.
soon adapts this theory and believes God is ashamed Sir Gawain looks taken aback, but says he doesn’t
of something they did in the past and is willing them remember Axl. They continue talking until suddenly
all to forget what it was. Ivor leaves the house to wait hearing someone coming: it is the grey-haired knight
for Wistan’s return and so Beatrice and Axl can sleep. from before. This time, the knight, who is working
During the night, however, Edwin is found and for the Briton Lord Brennus, confronts Wistan and
returned, but his family turns against him because he they duel. The grey-haired knight asks Sir Gawain
was bitten by a mysterious creature. Ivor sends him for backup, but Sir Gawain refuses and Wistan easily
to stay in a nearby barn until it’s safe. defeats the knight. Sir Gawain agrees to help bury the
When Axl wakes up, he sees Beatrice is still body, but he and Wistan argue over Wistan’s mission
sleeping and feels a rush of tenderness mixed with an of slaying the dragon Querig. Sir Gawain insists that
indecipherable sense of sadness. He pushes the it is his duty because King Arthur would have wanted
sadness from his mind and waits for Beatrice to wake him to, but is unable to get Wistan to promise not to
up. When she does awake, they get their stuff kill the dragon himself.
together and leave Ivor’s house to find breakfast and Sir Gawain accompanies the group to the
prepare to continue their journey. Wistan seems to monastery, but leaves shortly after getting them
remember Axl, but he can’t remember from where, there. Wistan is suspicious of what’s going on there,
and neither can Axl. While they talk, Ivor asks especially when Beatrice is told that she can’t see
Beatrice and Axl if they’ll take Edwin with them Father Jonus yet. As time passes, they discover a
because it’s not safe for him to stay in the village. device that they fear the monks use to torture people.
They agree, and Wistan decides to journey with them This is verified when Father Ninian, a silent monk,
for a little while. Beatrice wants to go to a monastery sneaks them in to see Father Jonus and they discover
that he had been tortured. Father Jonus gives Beatrice only has the spirit of a warrior, but of a tracker, too,
medicine and makes something to treat Edwin’s bite and can lead them to Querig, so they plan to go find
before the group leaves him to rest. Wistan observes and slay her together. On the way, Wistan tells Edwin
to Edwin that the monastery shows evidence of once that once they complete their mission, he needs to
being a Saxon stronghold with traps for Britons, always remember to hate the Britons and that they
proving past violence. That night, the group is woken have a duty to kill all of them, including women and
up by Father Brian, who tells them that soldiers are children. Although Edwin doesn’t understand, he
everywhere looking for them and Wistan. While makes a promise to remember Wistan’s words.
Wistan is left behind in a tower, the rest of the group On the way up the mountain, Axl and
is led to a secret tunnel. Once inside, Father Brian Beatrice run into Sir Gawain, who is also heading up
shuts them in, and they realize they’ve been trapped. to Querig’s lair. He says he is going to slay her and
Fortunately, Father Ninian warned Sir Gawain, who agrees to help Axl and Beatrice, along with the
is waiting for them in the tunnels to protect them poisoned goat, get up there. Once they get there, they
from the monster there. He successfully defeats the discover a giant’s cairn and decide to tie the goat up
monster in the tunnels and the group gets out, but and rest for a while. As Axl ties up the goat, Sir
Edwin runs back to help Wistan. Gawain whispers to Axl that he remembers the past
After their escape from the monastery, Sir and knows Axl made a treaty with the Saxons that
Gawain goes his own way and Axl and Beatrice head King Arthur broke, and he criticizes Axl for yelling
in what they believe is the direction of their son’s at King Arthur over the treaty. Axl doesn’t respond to
village. Following directions from Sir Gawain, Axl this except to say that he wants the memories of his
and Beatrice arrive at a river and convince a marriage back. Sir Gawain sees Wistan and Edwin
merchant there to lend them two large baskets that coming and prepares to fight Wistan.
will help them float down the river and get to their When Wistan and Edwin get there, Edwin has
son’s village faster. At this point, Beatrice is very been compelled forward by a mysterious force and is
weak and Axl is worried about her ability to continue tied up next to the goat. Wistan insists on killing
on the journey. His concerns are made worse when Querig, but Sir Gawain argues against it, saying she
they stop to help a woman in a boat and are attacked should be allowed to live out her life, ensuring
by pixies, who tell Axl to leave Beatrice behind. The continued forgetfulness (and peace) for Britons and
pixies imply that this is what Alx himself wants to do Saxons for a little while longer. Wistan criticizes this
because “there’s no cure to save [Beatrice]” and he idea and he and Sir Gawain duel. Wistan kills Sir
will have to take care of her as she gets sicker. Axl, Gawain and then goes to Querig and slays her, too.
however, fights the pixies off, gets Beatrice, and Afterward, he tells Axl that he remembers him from
escapes to safety. They continue walking and his childhood and knows Axl made the treaty that
stumble upon a house in which three kids are living King Arthur broke. Wistan is beginning to regret
alone. The kids tell Beatrice and Axl that their what he’s done because war will ensue now that
parents have forgotten them, and they plan on killing people’s memories will be restored, and he urges Axl
Querig with a goat that has eaten enough of a and Beatrice to get out of the country as quickly as
poisonous plant that any monster who eats the goat they can. Axl and Beatrice leave Wistan and Edwin
will also die. The children convince Axl and Beatrice with Querig and continue their journey.
to bring the goat up the mountain to feed it to Querig Axl and Beatrice, who is even weaker than
once Querig is dead, the mist will be lifted, and before, find shelter from a storm and discover that a
everyone’s memories will return. boatman (the narrator) who can take them to the
Meanwhile, Edwin has found Wistan, who is island from there. With their memories returning,
injured but alive and tells Edwin he wants to train they agree to take the test to see if they can go
him to be a warrior. Wistan tells Edwin that he not together. The boatman discovers that Beatrice once
had an affair and that Axl had harbored a lot of sense of its history. That Marji’s neighbors and
resentment about it. Frustrated with them both, their fellow citizens actively aid the regime in its efforts
son left home and died of the plague shortly only adds to Marji’s shame. This causes within Marji
thereafter. Axl had refused to take Beatrice to their a growing sense of estrangement from Iran and her
son’s grave when they got word. fellow Iranians. As a young woman under patriarchy
The boatman says he can bring Beatrice to the and a modernist under fundamentalist rule, Marji
island and will be back for Axl, but Axl, who increasingly feels she does not belong. In the end,
remembers what the old woman they met earlier said Iran itself has made belonging to it impossible. The
about being left behind, is suspicious that the story’s climax, when Marji is sent to live in Europe
boatman might be lying. Still, Axl makes sure alone, is the last straw and represents Marji’s final
Beatrice is comfortable in the boat and tells her he estrangement from her country and her family.
loves her before walking back to shore. On his way, Iranian history plays an important role in the
the boatman repeats that Axl should wait, but, story, as represented by the book’s title, Persepolis.
without a word, Axl keeps walking away from him, Persepolis was the name of the capital city of the
having accepted that he and Beatrice will not dwell Achaemenid Empire, or First Persian Empire, of
on the island together. Axl’s true motives in walking ancient Iran, founded around 550 BC. The First
away whether he believed that he and Beatrice were Persian Empire was massive and complex, stretching
never actually going to be allowed to go to the island across present-day Turkey and Northern Africa to the
together, latent and residual anger at her for her past west and into India to the east. The Achaemenid
infidelity, the fact that it was simply not his time to Empire is recognized by historians for its competent
die and go to the afterlife, or something else is and efficient government, its power, and its vast
ultimately unclear. cultural, social, and religious influence on Africa,
Europe, and Asia. In a way, Persia in its heyday was
Persepolis the envy of the world. Persepolis is the symbol of this
by Marjane Satrapi status, and its ghost haunts the pages of Satrapi’s
story.
The primary conflict that animates the plot Persia’s auspicious history instills a sense of
of Persepolis is that Marji’s desire to live an pride in Persepolis’s characters and produces a
authentic life, to pursue her dreams, and live strong sense of nationalism within Marji. But this
according to her values in the country she loves is national pride is complicated by the shame Marji
constantly thwarted by the Iranian theocracy and war feels about her country. As the story progresses,
with Iraq. Marji’s journey from bright, optimistic Marji observes the many ways that Iran continues to
youth to disillusioned, adolescent expat is caused by destroy itself and its own citizens, which creates
a steady stream of trauma and pressure from outside disappointment and disillusionment. If the ancient
events. Each time Marji experiences something capital of Persepolis is the promise of the Iran in
terrible or learns a horrifying truth, her faith, Marji’s mind, the present-day Iran represents a
optimism, and sense of belonging is challenged and profound disappointment. This dynamic of
eroded. expectation juxtaposed with the reality about her
Though Marji learns valuable lessons country is the ultimate source of Marji’s
through these experiences that prepare her for disillusionment.
adulthood, the lessons are unnecessarily hard and The first several chapters of the book provide
accompanied by sadness and anger. The fact that historical context for this particular moment in time.
Iran’s own government is the cause of so much After thousands of years of invasion and foreign
suffering is especially galling to someone like Marji, occupation, Iran is ruled by the Shah, who claims his
who has a deep love for her country and a profound position by divine right. In fact, the Shah was
installed by European powers hoping to maintain of going to the US is snuffed out as well. Even worse,
access to Iran’s vast oil reserves. The Shah, therefore, the regime’s fundamentalist policies make it
represents yet another invasion by outsiders. The impossible for Marji to be her most authentic self.
Shah’s illegitimacy, combined with rampant poverty Marji is curious, feisty, and outspoken, and she wants
and the Shah’s own arbitrary and brutal policies, to live as an educated, liberated woman. The regime,
inspires protest from the citizens. When the Shah on the other hand, demands submission and
uses too heavy a hand in putting down the protesters, obedience. The introduction of the veil and the
the demonstrations only gather steam and unify to requirement that boys and girls be separated in
demand his ouster. schools’ forces Marji to live in a way that chafes at
At first, Marji claims to love the Shah her core identity. The restrictions against music and
because he was chosen by God. When her father tells dance and anything regarded as decadent saps the joy
her the Shah’s true history, it is a true coming-of-age from Marji’s life and fosters a growing sense that she
moment for Marji. She faces a difficult truth, but she does not belong.
understands it, accepts it, and folds it into her sense The war with Iraq adds the threat of violence
of self. If the Shah is indeed illegitimate, Marji and death to Marji’s everyday experience and pushes
reasons, then opposing him means defending her Iranian society to the breaking point. People emigrate
country and her fellow Iranians. When the Shah is away from Iran in droves and hundreds of thousands
finally deposed, Marji celebrates with all of Iran. At of young men are sent to die on the battlefield. Iraq’s
this moment, Iran and Marji are both at their most bombing campaign causes a refugee crisis, and the
optimistic and unconflicted. The path forward toward shelves at the grocery stores are bare. Iranians’
a better Iran is clear and there is a unifying sense of resulting stress and anxiety cause them to turn on one
purpose. another. Indeed, the regime relies on informants, and
However, just as the ideal of Persepolis is not neighbors rat out neighbors for cultural infractions.
matched by the reality of Iran, the ideals of the Marji observes all of this, which deeply wounds her
Revolution are not to be realized. The fundamentalist faith and love of her country. How can she love her
coup of 1979 produces an authoritarian theocracy country when the people of her country destroy
that seeks to impose draconian social policies. This, themselves?
combined with the execution of Marji’s beloved The regime’s refusal to accept Iraq’s peace
Uncle Anoush, is the inciting incident of the story, offering and the subsequent death of Marji’s
and it sends Marji hurtling down a path of neighbors in a bombing raid causes something to
disappointment and disillusionment. In an act that finally break inside Marji. She turns to nihilism and
symbolizes Marji’s total loss of faith, Marji casts God rebelliousness. This is especially dangerous in Iran
out of her life for good. because any run-in with the law could mean
Before the Revolution, Marji believed herself imprisonment or execution. Marji’s mother
to be destined for something special. As a small understands the danger Marji faces and this,
child, she thought she would be God’s last prophet, combined with the threat of being killed by an Iraqi
and at ten she has dreams of studying chemistry and bomb at any moment, leads Marji’s parents to make
going to the United States. But when the new Iranian a drastic decision. In the climax and final scenes of
regime launches its Cultural Revolution, Marji’s the comic, Marji is sent to live and study in Austria,
optimism about her future goes up in smoke. The where she can be free and safe. But freedom and
regime’s execution of Uncle Anoush destroys Marji’s safety come at an unbearable cost for Marji. She must
faith in God and the regime’s closure of the live thousands of miles from her country, her friends,
universities precludes Marji’s educational and her dear family. At age fourteen, Marji has
aspirations. When fundamentalists occupy the U.S. become estranged from everything she holds most
Embassy and take Americans hostage, Marji’s dream dear.
 The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Percy arrives at Camp Half-Blood and meets
by Rick Riordan Mr. D, the god of wine, and Chiron, a centaur,
formerly known as Mr. Brunner, Percy’s Latin
The Lightning Thief follows the story of teacher. Chiron and Grover explain to Percy that he
young Percy Jackson, a troubled 12-year-old boy is a half-blood, or a demi-god, meaning that he is half
with a secret unknown even to himself. Diagnosed mortal and half god. Since his godly parent is
with dyslexia and ADHD, while being raised unknown, Percy is assigned the cabin dedicated to
primarily by his mother, his life so far has not always Hermes. At camp, Percy meets Annabeth, the
been easy. Percy is repeatedly kicked out of school daughter of Athena; his cabin counselor Luke, the
due to unexplainable events that aren’t really his son of Hermes; and Clarisse, the daughter of Ares.
fault. While on a sixth-grade field trip to a museum, An altercation with Clarisse allows Percy to discover
Percy faces his strangest event yet. After an argument his father is Poseidon, one of the “Big Three” gods.
with a school bully, his math teacher, Mrs. Dodds, This revelation is cut short when a hellhound attacks
draws Percy aside to punish him. Mrs. Dodds Percy from the Fields of Punishment. Chiron protects
suddenly transforms into a monster and attacks him. everyone at the camp by sending Percy off on a
His favorite teacher, Mr. Brunner, rescues Percy by special quest to save the world.
throwing him a ballpoint pen those changes into a Percy’s Oracle reveals that Zeus has accused
sword. Poseidon of stealing his lightning bolt and requires
Although Percy defeats Mrs. Dodds, when he Poseidon’s son to return it before the summer
reunites with his other classmates, no one remembers solstice. Chiron believes Hades actually stole the bolt
her. In response, Percy acts out and is expelled from to start a war between the gods. Percy chooses
school. Percy overhears a conversation between Mr. Grover and Annabeth to accompany him on his quest
Brunner and his friend Grover regarding Percy’s and together they head west to the entrance of the
impending future, so he seeks answers from Grover Underworld to confront Hades on the missing bolt.
on the bus ride home. After the bus breaks down, Along the way, the three will face several monsters
Percy and Grover notice three old women across the before making it to Hades’ house.
street knitting. One of the women cuts a string, which On one part of their journey, Percy and his
Percy and Grover discuss as signifying death. friends fight the Furies, which causes the bus they are
At home, Percy escapes his dreadful on to explode. After escaping into nearby woods,
stepfather, whom he calls Smelly Gabe, by joining they come across a shop filled with many life-size
his mother, Sally, on a trip to their favorite beach statues. They meet Aunty Em, who Annabeth later
where she originally met his birth father. Forceful identifies as Medusa. Percy defeats Medusa and
winds and an unexpected visit from Grover lead sends her head to Olympus to show that he’s not a
Percy to reveal to his mother the incident that pawn in the gods’ game. Annabeth, Percy, and
happened with Mrs. Dodds. After Percy finishes his Grover take a train to Denver but stop at an Arch
story, Sally instructs Grover and Percy to get into the during a layover where Percy encounters the
car where Percy notices Grover has hooves for feet monsters Echidna and Chimera. He jumps off the
and learns his friend is a satyr. Sally insists that Percy Arch into the river to avoid dying and is met by a
must go to a special camp for his safety. A monster spirit who tells him to go to Santa Monica before
chases after their car as they head in that direction, going to the Underworld.
attacking Percy’s mother, which causes her to
disappear into a golden light. Enraged, and fearing In Denver, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover meet
his mother’s death, Percy defeats the monster and Ares, the god of war, who requests their help in
obtains one of its horns as a souvenir. retrieving his shield in exchange for information on
Percy’s mother. Despite facing a trap placed by
Hephaestus, Aphrodite’s husband, the three informs them of his quest and shares his concerns
successfully grab the shield and return it to Ares who about the mysterious pit, but Zeus dismisses the
tells Percy that his mother is still alive. Ares gives the conversation. He rewards Percy by sparing his life.
trio a backpack of supplies and safe transportation to Before returning home, Percy has a brief
Nevada. conversation with Poseidon about his mother who is
Percy and his friends continue west but lose safely back home. Percy learns that he has a decision
track of time in a magical casino in Las Vegas, which to make regarding a package Poseidon has sent back
leaves them only one more day to find and return the to him. At home, Percy shares the details of his quest
master bolt. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover arrive in with his mother and discovers that the package with
Santa Monica where Percy receives three pearls from Medusa’s head has been returned to him. Before
the same spirit who visited him in the river. The three leaving for camp, he encourages his mother to use it
search for directions to the Underworld and on Smelly Gabe.
encounter a monster named Crusty. Percy defeats this Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood for the rest
monster and finds the address to an entrance to the of the summer. While there, he learns his mother used
Underworld. Medusa to turn Smelly Gabe into a statue as she no
In the Underworld, Percy barters with longer needs to put up with him to keep Percy safe.
Charon, a security officer, to let them in and tries to She sells the statue and uses some of the money to
distract Cerberus, a three-headed security Rottweiler, enroll Percy in a new private school for the fall.
but Annabeth is able to successfully command him. Before the end of the summer, Percy learns that Luke
While on their way to Hades’ house, Grover’s flying was really the one responsible for stealing the master
shoes, on loan from Luke, pull him toward a pit Percy bolt and the Helm of Darkness in order to serve
has dreamed uneasily about. Luckily, the shoes fall Kronos, a Titan and the father of Zeus. After Chiron
off before Grover reaches the pit. Finally, at the tells Percy justice will be restored when the time is
house, Hades accuses Percy of stealing his Helm of right, Percy makes plans to confront Luke the
Darkness as well as the master bolt that surprisingly following summer.
appears in the backpack Percy received from Ares.
Hades reveals Percy’s mother to him in a golden light The Mortal Instruments
and says she will be returned once his helm is by Cassandra Clare
retrieved. Percy denies the allegations but after
Hades threatens to kill his mother and unleash the In "City of Bones," Clary Fray's life is forever
dead back into the world, he agrees to find and return changed when she witnesses a murder committed by
the helm. mysterious assailants invisible to others. This event
Percy, Grover, and Annabeth escape the leads her into the hidden world of Shadowhunters,
Underworld and arrive in Santa Monica with the help warriors tasked with protecting humanity from
of the magical pearls. They realize they have been demons. Clary learns that her mother, Jocelyn, has
manipulated by Ares and Percy confronts him about kept her true heritage secret, and she embarks on a
stealing the bolt and the helm. The two engage in quest to rescue her from the clutches of the villainous
battle. Percy defeats Ares after stabbing him in the Valentine. Along the way, Clary discovers her own
heel. Rather than continue fighting, Ares accepts latent abilities and forms bonds with fellow
defeat but points out that Percy has made a new Shadowhunters Jace, Isabel, and Alec.
enemy. The Furies appear and return the Helm of "City of Ashes" sees Clary and her friends
Darkness to Hades while Percy, Annabeth, and confronting new threats as Valentine's machinations
Grover head to Olympus to return the bolt to Zeus. escalate. Jace becomes embroiled in accusations of
Percy returns the bolt to Zeus on Mount treason, while Clary grapples with her growing
Olympus and meets his father, Poseidon. Percy feelings for him despite rumors of their shared
lineage. The group must navigate treacherous with demons, Shadowhunters, and dark secrets,
alliances and face personal betrayals as they race to culminating in a battle for the fate of their world.
stop Valentine from unleashing chaos upon the
world. The Wheel of Time Series
In "City of Glass," Clary and her by Robert Jordan
companion’s journey to the Shadowhunters'
homeland of Idris to confront Valentine once and for In The Eye of the World (1990), the arrival of
all. As tensions rise and loyalties are tested, Clary a mysterious noblewoman to the remote village of
discovers the truth about her past and confronts her Emond's Field in the Two Rivers precedes an attack
destiny as a key player in the struggle against evil. on the town by a force of humanoid monsters called
The novel culminates in a climactic showdown with Trollocs. The woman reveals herself to be Moiraine
Valentine, resulting in both tragedy and triumph for Damodred, one of the Aes Sedai, and warns that the
the protagonists. servants of the Dark One are seeking one of three
“City of Fallen Angels" delves deeper into the young men from the village: Rand al'Thor, Perrin
aftermath of the previous conflicts as Clary and Jace Aybara and Matrim Cauthon. They leave with
face new threats to their relationship and their world. Moiraine and her companion, the Warder Lan
As dark forces gather and old enemies resurface, Mandragoran, and are joined by Egwene al'Vere, in
Clary must confront her own inner demons while whom Moiraine sees a potential Aes Sedai; the
battling external foes. The novel explores themes of gleeman Thom Merrilin; and later the Wisdom
redemption, sacrifice, and the resilience of the Nynaeve al'Meara, a healer who learns she can also
human spirit in the face of adversity. channel the One Power. They are pursued by
"City of Lost Souls" sees Clary and her increasing numbers of Trollocs, led by deadly,
friends facing their greatest challenge yet as they eyeless Fades, and are separated fleeing the cursed,
confront the demonic influence of Sebastian, Clary's abandoned city of Shadar Logoth. At the Eye of the
estranged brother. With Jace under Sebastian's World, a sacred pool of untainted saidin, Rand's
control, Clary must risk everything to save him and defeat of the Forsaken Aginor and Ba'alzamon
prevent Sebastian from unleashing chaos upon the convinces Moiraine that he is the prophesied Dragon
world. The novel explores themes of identity, family, Reborn.
and the nature of good and evil. From then, the story expands and protagonist
In the epic conclusion, "City of Heavenly Rand, as well as the other characters, are frequently
Fire," Clary and her allies must unite against the split into different groups, pursuing different
ultimate threat posed by Sebastian's demonic army. missions or agendas aimed at furthering the cause of
As the fate of their world hangs in the balance, Clary the Dragon Reborn, sometimes thousands of miles
and her friends must make difficult choices and apart. Broadly speaking, the original group of
confront their deepest fears. The novel brings the characters from the Two Rivers make new allies, gain
series to a thrilling and satisfying conclusion as the experience, and become figures of some influence
characters embark on a final, desperate battle for and authority. As they struggle to unite the western
survival. A captivating saga set in a world where kingdoms against the Dark One's forces, their task is
supernatural forces coexist with the mundane, complicated by rulers of the nations who refuse to
blurring the lines between reality and fantasy. The give up their authority and by factions such as the
story follows Clary Fray, a seemingly ordinary Children of the Light, who do not believe in the
teenager who discovers her extraordinary heritage prophecies, and the Seanchan, the people of a long-
and becomes entangled in a web of intrigue, lost colony of Artur Hawkwing's empire across the
romance, and danger. Across six books, Clary and western ocean who have returned, believing it is their
her friends navigate a treacherous landscape filled destiny to conquer the world. The Aes Sedai also
become divided between those who believe the books, The Name of the Wind and The Wise Man’s
Dragon Reborn should be strictly controlled and Fear, with a long-awaited third installment, the series
those who believe he must lead them into battle as he captivates readers with its lyrical prose, complex
did in the earlier war. As the story expands, new characters, and richly woven world.
characters representing different factions are
introduced; although this expansion of the narrative The Lunar Chronicles
allows the sheer scale of the growing struggle to be by Marissa Meyer
effectively depicted, it has been criticized for
slowing the pace of the novels and sometimes The series revolves around Cinder, a teenage
reducing the appearances of the original or main cast lunar cyborg working as a mechanic in New Beijing.
to extended cameos. She lives with her cruel adoptive mother, Adri, and
By the sixth novel, Lord of Chaos (1994), it two adoptive sisters, Pearl and Peony, the latter of the
has become clear that the Last Battle, triggered when two dying of the deadly virus, Letumosis. Her unique
the Dark One is able to exert its influence directly on makeup, combined with her adoptive father's
the world once more, is imminent, as only three Seals invention, allowed her to become the best mechanic
(keys to the Dark One's prison) are intact. Once the in New Beijing at just sixteen. One day, Crown
remaining Seals break, the Dark One will be free to Prince Kaito of the Eastern Commonwealth brought
touch the world. The Last Battle, Tarmon Gai'don, is his former tutor android, Nainsi, for her to fix, and
depicted in the fourteenth and final novel in the while he tried to make light of the subject, it became
series, A Memory of Light (2013). apparent that it was a serious matter. As the prince
and mechanic grow closer, reality sets in. The wicked
The king killer Chronicle Queen Levana of Luna, who wanted Kai for herself
by Patrick Rothfuss in order to become the new empress, exposes her
being cyborg and Lunar, and orders Kai to imprison
A high fantasy series that tells the life story of her. In jail, Dr. Erland tells her that she is the missing
Kvothe, a legendary figure shrouded in both awe and Lunar princess, Selene, Levana's niece, who "died"
tragedy. Framed as a narrative within a narrative, an in a fire when she was three years old, and that she
older, reclusive Kvothe recounts his rise to fame and was the true Queen of Luna.
fall into obscurity over three days to a chronicler. Cinder meets former American Cadet,
Kvothe begins as a gifted child in a traveling troupe, Carswell Thorne, who both escape prison using his
excelling in music and intellect, but his life is stolen ship, the Rampion. Meanwhile Scarlet Benoit,
shattered when his family is massacred by the an eighteen-year-old girl from France, discovers that
mysterious Chandrian. Left homeless, he struggles to the case for her missing grandmother has been closed
survive before gaining admission to the prestigious due to the lack of evidence. Desperate, she seeks help
University, where he studies magic, builds his from a man named Ze'ev Kesly, nicknamed Wolf, a
reputation, and seeks knowledge about the streetfighter who helps Scarlet find her lost
Chandrian. His journey is marked by triumphs, such grandmother. They later join Cinder and Thorne
as his mastery of the lute and growing legend, as well upon the Rampion.
as struggles, including dangerous encounters, Crescent Moon, or Cress Darnel, is an
forbidden knowledge, and an elusive romance with imprisoned Lunar shell working with Sybil to aid
the enigmatic Denna. As Kvothe tells his story, the Lunar ships. Living alone on a satellite and harboring
framing narrative reveals a stark contrast between the an enormous crush on Carswell Thorne, she secretly
mythic hero and the broken man he has become, works to sabotage the wicked Levana, and
exploring themes of truth, storytelling, and the eventually, Cress teams up with Cinder and becomes
weight of one's own legend. Spanning two published entangled in her plot to save Earth. As complications
arise and the crew is separated, they must do hundred years, and Reds have no stake in it except
everything they can to prevent a royal wedding insofar as they provide the Silvers with the human
which would only make Levana the new Empress of fuel to keep their war going. Any Red who is not
the Commonwealth but also put Earth's safety into apprenticed or employed by the age of eighteen
her own hands. All the while, the plague has begun (which is most Reds, because jobs are few and far
to mutate and even Lunars are no longer safe. between, and the school system does not teach many
Princess Winter Hayle-Blacburn of Luna, skills that could win an apprenticeship) is sent to the
Queen Levana's stepdaughter, has lived her entire life war front. Most of them either do not come back, or
in Artemisia Palace and has been raised by her cruel come back severely injured. The Silvers have the
stepmother. All this time, she's seen firsthand how resources to treat many of these injuries, but they
Levana's glamour has turned her into a heartless choose not to invest in doing so, because there is a
tyrant. Winter decided to never use her gift, though steady supply of fresh Reds from which to draw.
the side effects have caused her to slowly lose her The Silvers are able to use the Reds in this
sanity, developing Lunar Sickness, which gives her way because the Silvers’ special gifts to manipulate
horrible visions. Winter's only source of comfort fire, metal, earth, water, and more has given them
from the hallucinations is her guard, childhood enough of an edge over the gift-less Reds to force
friend, and crush, Jacin. Though Winter despises her them into poverty. The Silvers stage Feats every
stepmother, she knows Levana will not approve of month in giant arenas in Red villages, at which Silver
her feelings for Jacin. However, Winter not as weak champions fight one another. The spectacle is
as Levana believes her to be as she's been entertaining, but Mare knows that it doubles as a
undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. reminder to the Reds that they are powerless in the
Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her face of this fantastically gifted ruling class. Still,
allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a when Mare’s best friend, Kilorn, finds out that he is
revolution and win a war that has been raging for far about to be conscripted, she decides that she will do
too long. everything she can to fight back. She goes to Will
Whistle, the man who usually buys her stolen goods
The Red Queen to sell on the black market, and asks if he can
by Victoria Aveyard smuggle her and Kilorn out of the Stilts so that they
might go on the run from the Silvers. Will refuses at
Mare Barrow is born and raised in the first, but then introduces Mare to Farley, a woman
Kingdom of Norta, which is characterized by a sharp who claims to be a first-rate smuggler. Farley accepts
class divide: the Silvers, who have silver blood, live the task of smuggling Mare and Kilorn out of town,
lives of glamor and riches. Reds, who have red blood, but only if Mare pays her two thousand crowns in the
live in poverty in villages like the Stilts. Mare, a Red next two days. This sum is a veritable fortune to
who has grown up in the Stilts, must pick pockets to Mare, but she accepts Farley’s offer, resolving to
support her family. She brings stolen goods home steal the money.
every day to her mother, who disapproves of her Mare gets Gisa, who works in the Silver
daughter’s quasi-profession, her younger sister, Gisa, metropolis where the king lives during the summer,
who has an actual job as an apprentice to a to help her sneak into the city. While Mare is
seamstress, and her father, who uses a wheelchair and attempting to pick pockets in a bar there, a broadcast
an iron lung because he came home injured from war. comes on the television. Mare sees Farley claiming
Mare’s three older brothers, Bree, Tramy, and Shade, credit for a terrorist attack on the Silvers, on behalf
are absent because they, too, have been conscripted of a group called the Scarlet Guard. The Guard is
to act as faceless bodies in the ongoing war. The war allegedly working to advance Red rights. Chaos
has been raging on the border of Norta for over a breaks out in the bar and all over the city as Reds try
to flee and Silvers capture them, torturing them for Silvers’ eyes, she falls through the shield to the arena
information they do not have on the Scarlet Guard. below. Evangeline, terrified, goes on the offensive.
Mare finds Gisa and has almost managed to make it Mare deflects her shards of metal with some sort of
out of the city with her when Gisa decides to pick a electric shield of her own. King Tiberias yells for
pocket. Less adept than Mare, she is caught. As sentinels to seize Mare, and she runs. However, Cal
punishment, a Silver security officer smashes Gisa’s catches her by using his own gift: manipulating
sewing hand. flames.
That night, feeling that she has betrayed her Mare wakes to find that Queen Elara has
family by getting Gisa into this mess, Mare sneaks invaded her head using her talents as a “whisper”
off to some bars on the edges of the Stilts. She does who can read and control minds. Elara and the king
not go to drink, but rather to steal from the patrons. seem threatened by Mare. They tell her that from
The last person whose pocket she picks catches her. now on, they will conceal her identity as a Red by
Instead of getting angry, he gives her a silver coin, peddling the story that she is a Silver whose parents
walks her home, and gives her a second silver coin. died in the war during her infancy; she was raised by
He introduces himself as Cal, and says that he works Reds who concealed her identity from her until now.
at the palace. Mare does not think she will ever hear She will marry the second-born prince, Maven, and
anything from him again, but in the morning, security live the rest of her life as a Silver.
officers and a royal servant show up at the Barrow Mare does not feel like she is living a fairy
house to escort Mare to the palace. At first, she is tale, but rather like she is a prisoner. As she learns the
terrified that she is about to be tortured for ropes of life at the royal court, she constantly looks
information on Farley. However, she soon finds that over her shoulder, sure that she is going to be
Cal has arranged for her to have a serving job at the betrayed by someone close to her. Despite her
palace. mistrust of them, she feels alternately drawn to both
Mare’s first task as a royal servant is to serve the princes. She eventually decides to trust Maven,
the Silver crowd at an event called Queenstrial, at who claims to work with the Scarlet Guard and desire
which the eligible young silver noblewomen equality for Reds and Silvers. Mare herself joins the
compete for the two princes’ hands in marriage. Mare Scarlet Guard and becomes party to a terrorist attack
runs around a stadium similar to, but far more ornate at the palace. In the aftermath of the attack, however,
than, that in which she has seen the Feats every she feels unsure that she should have trusted Maven.
month in the Stilts. When the royal family enters, Cal, by contrast, is willing to maintain the unjust
Mare feels shocked and betrayed to find that the status quo, but his objections to murder seem more in
crown prince is Cal. As she reels from this discovery, line with Mare’s views. Throughout the novel, as
she observes the young women competing in the Mare attempts to learn who she is and what her
depressed arena below, separated from the crowd by values are, she remains unsure of who her actual
a vast electric shield. It strikes her that the Silvers are friends are, apart from the direct family members she
more powerful than she ever thought. The last is no longer allowed to see.
contestant, Evangeline Samos, seems favored to win, Finally, Mare decides that Maven’s radical
although her power of manipulating metal does not views are the only pathway to true justice. She
impress Mare as much as some of the others’ powers. chooses him over Cal, both politically and
Evangeline then makes the entire arena begin to romantically. Mare makes one final appeal to Cal to
collapse in on itself. Mare falls over the edge and has convince his father to be a more just ruler, but Cal
resigned herself to dying upon collision with the declines. Just when Mare feels sure that she has
electric shield. When she collides with it, however, it chosen the right brother, Maven reveals that he has
is not Mare but rather the shield that suffers the most been in league with his mother, Queen Elara, the
damage. She seems to burn through it. Before all the whole time. They have been planning a coup, not to
instate a more just regime that treats Reds as equal Cassie his teddy bear before leaving. Cassie’s father
citizens, but rather to put Maven on the throne for sensed trouble and helped her procure a M16 rifle.
personal gain. Queen Elara controls Cal’s mind, One day, more soldiers led by Vosch came to the
forcing him to kill the king, his father. She then camp and killed everyone, including Cassie’s dad,
immediately yells out in shock and grief so that with Cassie herself barely escaping.
sentinels rush in and believe that Cal and Mare are Now on her own, Cassie believes she can’t
the traitors. trust anyone if she wants to survive. This leads to her
The novel ends with Cal and Mare on a train using her rifle to shoot the Crucifix Soldier, a young
with members from the Scarlet Guard, who have man she thought was pulling a gun but was actually
snuck them out of the capital. Mare finds out that the reaching for a crucifix. At one point, she gets pinned
Silvers have kept from her an additional secret about down near a highway by a sniper, taking a wound to
her identity: she is not the only Red who displays the leg. She takes shelter and eventually ventures out
Silver talents. Silvers have been keeping on into the snow, where she passes out. Cassie wakes up
lockdown that there is an entire subset of citizens and doesn’t know where she is at first. She learns that
with red blood who also have the genetic markers of she’s in the farmhouse of Evan, a handsome young
these magical gifts. Mare finds out that her brother man who helps nurse her back to health from her leg
Shade, who she thought was executed for injury. Cassie doesn’t trust Evan, but she doesn’t
involvement with the Scarlet Guard, is in fact alive know whether he’s actually dangerous or if she’s just
and one of them. Mare decides that she should not being paranoid. At one point Evan kisses Cassie and
trust any one person, but that the work the Scarlet says she’s his reason for living, but Cassie is still
Guard is doing to organize a Red resistance confused about how she feels.
underground is the work she wants to do as well. She Meanwhile, Zombie is a boy who seems to be
could never be romantically involved with Cal, she dying of the alien plague. His real name is Ben—the
decides, because they have betrayed one another too same Ben who used to know Cassie. One day, he gets
many times. However, she knows that they share a taken from his refugee camp to Camp Haven, where
goal moving forward: both of them have a vendetta he recovers in the hospital and is promptly enrolled
against Maven. If they ever get close to him, they will in boot camp to train for war against the aliens. He is
kill him. told that aliens have infected many humans and that
The 5th Wave the only way to tell them apart is to use a special
by Rick Yancey eyepiece to look for a green glow around the head.
Despite the cruelty of drill sergeant Reznik, Ben gets
Cassie believes she might be the last person stronger and bonds with his squad mates like Ringer
last alive after aliens came to earth to exterminate and Nugget (who is actually Sammy and was brought
humans. There have been four waves so far, to the same camp after being taken away from
including a bomb that knocked out electricity, an Cassie).
attack on a fault line that caused massive tidal waves, Ben becomes the leader of his squad, and they
a virus spread by birds, and attacks by aliens (the head out on their first mission. Things go badly, with
Others) who have disguised themselves as humans. one of them dying, and Ben struggles to keep control
She used to be a normal teenager who lived with her of his squad mates. Ringer notices that there is
mom, dad, and younger brother, Sammy, and she had something unusual about the mission and convinces
a crush on a boy named Ben. But during the Ben to remove the chip implanted in each of their
apocalypse, her mom died, and she ended up at a necks. They discover that the sniper who has been
refugee camp with her dad and brother. At the camp, firing at them during this mission is none other than
soldiers came to take all of the children, including Reznik, their drill sergeant, and they manage to kill
Sammy, to a nearby military base, and Sammy gave him before he can shoot back. Ben and Ringer realize
that they are the 5th Wave: the aliens’ plan is to get Thomas. When the elevator comes to a halt, the doors
the last surviving humans to kill one another. Ben’s open and Thomas finds himself surrounded by
surviving squadmates go on the run, but Ben fakes an around fifty teenaged boys. Their leader, a boy in his
injury so that he can go back to Camp Haven and late-teens named Alby, welcomes him to the Glade.
rescue Nugget/Sammy, who had to stay behind Surrounded by extremely high stone walls covered in
because he didn’t graduate from training. thick ivy, the Glade is a large square piece of land
Around the same time, Cassie too decides with a few wood and concrete buildings. In each of
that she needs to break into Camp Haven to rescue the surrounding four walls, there is a narrow opening.
Sammy. Evan insists on coming with her. Cassie is Over the course of the next few days, Thomas
unsure about accepting help, and she begins to learns that behind the walls is the Maze a labyrinthine
distrust Evan even more when she finally learns that structure full of Grievers. Grievers are violent
he is actually an alien and the very same sniper who mechanical creatures that only come out at night.
shot her leg. Evan promises that he will give up on Since the openings to the Maze, what the Gladers call
his assignment to exterminate humans and says that Doors, close at night, the Grievers cannot get into the
he was always in favor of trying to coexist Glade. During the day, a few of the boys, the
peacefully. He gives Cassie intel about Camp Haven Runners, navigate the Maze in order to find an exit.
and reveals that Vosch is not just the leader of the On the same day every month, the elevator brings a
camp but the alien who spearheaded the whole new male arrival. But on the day after Thomas
invasion strategy. Cassie begins to trust him, but she arrives, the elevator returns with a teenaged girl in a
insists on going into Camp Haven alone. coma.
Ben and Cassie each make it into Camp The next day Alby and Minho, a Runner, go
Haven and come to rescue Sammy at the same time. into the Maze to investigate a report about a dead
Sammy has to jump in the middle to prevent the two Griever. A few minutes before the Doors close,
of them from accidentally shooting each other, but Thomas sees Minho dragging an unconscious Alby
once Cassie and Ben see each other, they recognize towards the Door. With no one else around to help,
each other as former schoolmates. They team up to Thomas enters the Maze right as the Doors close
try to get Sammy out of the base but are captured by behind him. Inside, Minho tells him that a Griever
Vosch and his men. With some help from Evan, who stung Alby. Thomas and Minho lure a group of
disobeyed Cassie’s command to stay back and Grievers away from Alby and towards the Cliff – a
instead snuck into the camp, they manage to escape place in the Maze where the path ends and overlooks
with Sammy, although Vosch himself gets away. an empty expanse. As the Grievers charge at them,
While the group is escaping the camp, Evan the boys dive out of the way, causing the Grievers to
goes back to blow the whole place up and doesn’t disappear off the Cliff.
return. Cassie, Ben, and Sammy narrowly manage to It’s morning and the Doors are open by the
escape with some help from Ringer, who also time they are able to return to Alby’s location. Newt,
disobeyed orders not to help. Cassie, Ben, and Alby’s second-in-command, cures Alby by giving
Sammy regroup with Ben’s surviving squad him the Grief Serum, which causes him to go through
members, and Cassie and Ben watch the sunset as the Changing. Newt tells Thomas that the Changing
they contemplate what to do next. is a painful side effect of the Serum that makes
people recall some of their memories. In the
The Maze Runner following days, the girl, whose name is Teresa,
by James Dashner wakes up and tells Thomas that the Maze is code. The
sun also suddenly disappears, which causes the
In the dark of an elevator, a teenaged boy awakes Doors to remain open at night. On the first night the
with no memories other than that his name is doors stay open, the Grievers come into the Glade
and carry off a boy named Gally into the Maze. The her group fights to save children from their
Gladers hope that the Grievers will only take one boy experiments. They bring the Gladers to a safe-house
per night. and give them a place to eat and sleep in peace. The
The following day, Thomas uses the maps novel ends with an email by the Chancellor of the
that the Runners made of the Maze to figure out that Maze Trials, Ava Paige. She writes that the “rescue”
the Maze’s shifting walls have been spelling out the was a good finale and that after the group gets a good
phrase, “Float. Catch. Bleed. Death. Stiff. Push.” To night’s sleep, phase two of the experiment will begin.
understand the code’s meaning, Thomas
purposefully gets stung by the Grievers so that he can The Golden Compass
go through the Changing and recover some of his by Philip Pullman
memories. After the Changing, Thomas remembers
that to escape the Maze, they must put the code into An 11-year-old Lyra and her dæmon, Pan,
a computer that is inside an invisible portal. To get to sneak into the Retiring Room at Jordan College so
the portal, they must jump off the Cliff. they can see what the Scholars do in there. She sees
After convincing them to follow his plan, something that shocks her: the Master poisons wine
Thomas helps lead an armed band of Gladers into the intended for her beloved but terrifying uncle, Lord
Maze. At the Cliff, a group of Grievers are waiting Asriel. When Lord Asriel himself appears, Lyra
for them. Thinking that they will only kill one person shows herself and warns him. He allows her to stay
a night, Alby sacrifices himself to the Grievers. But hidden and watch his presentation about something
his sacrifice fails and the Gladers must attack the called Dust, which he's studying in the North. He
Grievers as Thomas and Teresa make their way into shows a photograph of the northern lights and a city
the portal. Inside, Teresa plugs in the code, which in the lights. She doesn't understand most of what he
shuts down all the Grievers. and the Scholars say, but they mention something
The surviving Gladers meet Thomas and called the panserbjørne and someone who, oddly,
Teresa in the portal. They find a slide that brings doesn't have a dæmon. In private later, the Master
them to a giant facility where they meet the creators tells the Librarian that he was trying to protect Lyra
of the Maze. A woman with the word WICKED from Lord Asriel and from her destiny, which is to
stitched into her lab coat and a man in a hood unwittingly lead someone to their sacrifice.
approach the Gladers. The woman congratulates Lyra spends her time running wild around
them but says there is still one more test. The man Jordan College and Oxford with her best friend,
takes off his hood, revealing himself as Gally. Roger. Her idyll comes to an end with the Gobblers,
Seeming to be mind-controlled, Gally throws a knife who begin stealing poor children and shipping them
at Thomas, but a fellow Glader, Chuck, jumps in north by luring them in with a glamorous woman
front of the knife. As Thomas cradles Chuck’s lifeless named Mrs. Coulter. The narrator explains how she
body, a group of men and women come into the tricked a boy named Tony Makarios. Lyra is obsessed
facility and shoot the woman. The Gladers follow with the Gobblers but is terrified when they arrive in
them onto a bus and they all drive into the night. Oxford and steal a gyptian boy named Billy Costa
On the bus, the unnamed leader of this group and, possibly, Roger. That night, the Master invites
tells the Gladers that in the world outside the Maze, her to dinner with him and with Mrs. Coulter. Mrs.
there has been a devastating ecological disaster that Coulter is enchanting and Lyra is thrilled when she
has caused a widespread outbreak of disease. learns that she's going to go live with her. In the
WICKED hoped to raise children in the harsh morning before she leaves, the Master gives Lyra a
environment of the Maze so that they would be better device called an alethiometer and tells her to keep it
prepared to face the challenges of the real world. The secret. Lyra is extremely confused.
leader says WICKED’s actions are inhuman and that
 Lyra is happy until one night that Mrs. Jerry, assures her that Pan will eventually settle in a
Coulter throws a cocktail party. Mrs. Coulter loses form and that settling is a good thing Lyra will know
her temper when Lyra insists on wearing a purse who she is when Pan settles.
containing the alethiometer in the house, and Lyra In Trollesund, Farder Coram takes Lyra to
and Pan realize that Mrs. Coulter’s dæmon a golden visit Dr. Lanselius, the consul for the witches. Farder
monkey is spying on them. At the party, Lyra realizes Coram saved a witch 40 years ago and she offered
that the Gobblers are actually the General Oblation him a favor in return. Dr. Lanselius shares that there's
Board, the organization that Mrs. Coulter runs. She a company in town that secretly imports children and
also overhears that the panserbjørne armored bears takes them inland. He then asks Lyra about the
have imprisoned Lord Asriel. Horrified, Lyra runs alethiometer. While she's outside playing, Dr.
away. Tony Costa (Billy’s older brother) and the Lanselius tells Farder Coram that Lyra is destined to
gyptians rescue Lyra from kidnappers and his save the world. He also suggests that the gyptians
mother, Ma Costa, decides to take her to the fens with engage Iorek Byrnison, an armored bear. When they
them for a gyptian meeting. They keep her hidden, as meet Iorek, Lyra finds him disturbing, as he doesn't
the police are looking for her. have a dæmon. He agrees to work for the gyptians if
At the meeting, the gyptian king, John Faa, they can get him his armor back. That night, Lyra gets
says that they need to keep Lyra safe and announces up in the middle of the night to look at the Aurora and
a plan to rescue the kidnapped children. After the sees the city. The witch Serafina Pekkala's goose
meeting, he and an old man, Farder Coram, speak to dæmon, Kaisa, interrupts her. He tells John Faa and
Lyra privately. She tells them everything she knows Farder Coram how to get to Bolvanger, the terrifying
about the Gobblers, Mrs. Coulter, and Dust. She also place where the children go. He says it's connected to
shows them the alethiometer. Farder Coram tells her “Dust,” and mentions that Lord Asriel wants to use
that the device tells the truth, and suggests that she Dust to build a bridge between this world and other
might need to take it to Lord Asriel. They also tell worlds, something that's politically complicated.
Lyra that Lord Asriel is her father and Mrs. Coulter They discuss the bears and their role in the conflict
is her mother, while Ma Costa nursed Lyra as a baby. and Lyra insists that they need to help Iorek get his
Three days later, the gyptians reconvene and begin to armor back.
plan their expedition. John Faa refuses to take Lyra. In the morning, Lyra joins the gyptians in a
Lyra attaches herself to Farder Coram and discovers cafe and a balloonist, Lee Scoresby, tips Lyra off to
that if she concentrates, she can read the the fact that she needs to help Iorek get his armor
alethiometer. One afternoon as she puzzles over it, an now, before the townsfolk move it. She runs off but
injured man returns from a spy mission and Lyra stops when she gets close to Iorek, too afraid to
realizes that the alethiometer was trying to tell her approach. Pan turns into a badger to try to pull her
about it. Because of this, John Faa decides to take closer, which physically hurts, but he succeeds. Iorek
Lyra. explains that his armor is his soul and he needs it to
Lyra has to hide as the gyptian men take her be whole. Lyra tells him where his armor is and when
north, where they'll get a ship to Trollesund. Farder Iorek emerges wearing it, he's formidable and seems
Coram allows her outside one evening after Lyra whole. The gyptians, Iorek, and Lee Scoresby move
again can't interpret the alethiometer, but they out that afternoon. During a rest, the alethiometer
quickly realize what it was trying to tell her when two tells Lyra about a "ghost" in a nearby village. John
"spy-flies" attack Pan. They capture one and Faa agrees to let her check it out. In the village, Lyra
ascertain that Mrs. Coulter sent them. Farder Coram discovers a horrifying sight: Tony Makarios, who has
seals the captured one in a tin. Lyra soon decides that been severed from his dæmon. Lyra brings Tony back
she loves the sea. Pan loves it too and experiments to the gyptians, but he dies a few hours later. Later
with being a dolphin. This worries Lyra, but a sailor, that day, Iorek and Lyra discuss souls and Iorek
shows her that bears can't be tricked. He suggests that discovers the spy-fly tin and the creature flies in her
they have a different way of knowing things, and it's face. Lyra runs away, sets the kitchen on fire, and
the same kind of knowing that allows Lyra to read the then leads kids away from Bolvanger. Iorek saves
alethiometer. them from the Tartar guards and eventually, the kids
Not long after, Tartars ambush the gyptians reach the gyptians. There, Mrs. Coulter attempts to
and kidnap Lyra. They don't know who she is, so kidnap Lyra and Roger again, but Lee Scoresby
Lyra tells them her name is Lizzie. The Tartars take rescues the children and takes them up in his balloon
Lyra to what she assumes is Bolvanger. Sister Clara with Iorek. The witches pull them towards Svalbard.
lets Lyra keep the alethiometer, and Lyra sneaks the As the balloon travels, Lee Scoresby and
spy-fly into her bag. The girls in Lyra's dormitory tell Serafina Pekkala discuss the ethics involved in
her that the doctors test them for Dust and, one by destiny. Serafina says that they're all subject to
one, children disappear and never come back. They destiny but, in order to feel in control, people must
also mention that Mrs. Coulter is coming in two days. act like they have free will. Later, she and Lyra
The next day, Lyra finds Roger. They pretend to discuss what makes a bear susceptible to trickery.
ignore each other until lunchtime, when a girl says Serafina suggests that bears can be tricked when they
that she was with Tony Makarios when they took act like humans. Not long after, cliff=ghasts
him. They told him he was going to undergo a "little (aggressive flying creatures) attack the balloon and
cut." When Lyra finds Billy Costa later, she shares Lyra falls out. Two bears find her and take her to
that the gyptians are coming, and Roger points out Iofur Raknison's palace, which reeks and is covered
that kids can get into the ceiling to hide. A doctor in bird droppings. The alethiometer tells Lyra that
announces that there will be a fire drill later. Iorek is coming, and an imprisoned Scholar tells Lyra
The doctors test Lyra for Dust that afternoon. that if Iorek comes, Iofur will kill him. Lyra
During the tests, the fire alarm goes off. They agree remembers that what Iofur wants most in the world
to let Lyra wear the furs she came with. Outside, Lyra is a dæmon. When a guard comes to deliver food, she
incites a snowball fight so she, Billy, and Roger can uses this knowledge to get to Iofur and privately tells
look around secretly. Kaisa joins them and helps Lyra him that she's actually Iorek's dæmon, but he can win
break into an outbuilding, where she finds the ghostly her for himself if he fights Iorek in single combat.
dæmons of severed children. He rescues the dæmons Iofur agrees immediately. When Iorek arrives, Lyra
and Lyra rejoins the kids. tells him what she's done. Iorek is thrilled and
Mrs. Coulter arrives as the doctors are getting impressed that Lyra could trick Iofur. He uses this to
children back inside. One girl tells Lyra that Mrs. his advantage, tricking Iofur into losing in their fight.
Coulter usually speaks to the doctors in the He begins to dismantle the palace and then agrees to
conference room. That night, Lyra crawls into the take Lyra and Roger to Lord Asriel.
ceiling and listens in on Mrs. Coulter's conversation. At his house, Lord Asriel is frantic when he
She and the doctors discuss a new device for severing sees Lyra, but relaxes when he sees Roger. That
children and the escaped dæmons. When Mrs. night, he tells Lyra that the Magisterium believes that
Coulter leaves, the doctors discuss how cruel she is. Dust is proof of original sin, and Mrs. Coulter
Lyra involuntarily cries out and they discover her. believes that separating a child from their dæmon
They decide to perform intercision on her to keep her will keep them from experiencing original sin. Lord
quiet, but just before they perform the procedure, Asriel doesn't think this takes things far enough; he
Mrs. Coulter walks in and rescues Lyra. Mrs. Coulter wants to harness the energy created when a child is
pretends to be concerned about Lyra, comforts her, severed from their dæmon to cross into the other
and tells her that Dust is bad. She wants the universe. He insists that he doesn't need the
alethiometer, says that Lord Asriel shouldn't obtain alethiometer, which confuses Lyra. Lyra wakes up in
it, and believes that it's in Lyra's pack. In the pack she the middle of the night and learns that Lord Asriel
took Roger to use in his experiment. Iorek carries her Galbatorix) and his dragon, Thorn, capture Nasuada,
up the mountain in pursuit. They stop briefly so that the leader of the Varden. In her absence, the Varden
Iorek can fight Mrs. Coulter's cronies, but Iorek name Eragon their leader.
ultimately has to let Lyra go on her own. At the top Eragon decides to find the Vault of Souls to
of the mountain, Lyra is unable to stop Lord Asriel as see if he can discover a means of defeating
he attaches a wire to Roger's dæmon, which lights up Galbatorix, whose magic is more powerful than any
the Aurora and rips open the sky to reveal a bridge to other in the Alagaësia. He visits Solembum the
another universe, killing Roger in the process. Mrs. werecat and learns that his search for the Vault is part
Coulter arrives and she and Lord Asriel kiss, but she of a werecat prophecy. Solumbum tells him how to
refuses to go with him. Lord Asriel walks over the find the Vault on the island of Vroengard, but they
bridge. Alone, Lyra and Pan decide that Dust must must learn their True Names before entering. They
actually be a good thing. They decide to cross the do, and once inside, Eragon and Saphira find
bridge too so they can find the source of Dust. hundreds of hidden dragon eggs guarded by a large
store of Eldunarí (sentient jewels in which dragons
The Inheritance Cycle can store their consciousness after they die). Eragon
by Christopher Paolini and Saphira learn that Galbatorix's incredible powers
come from the many Eldunarí he has stolen. Several
Inheritance (2011) is a young adult fantasy Eldunarí agree to accompany them into the fight
novel by Christopher Paolini. The fourth installment against Galbatorix, but others stay behind to guard
in Paolini's Inheritance Cycle (which includes the eggs. As they leave the Vault, the Eldunarí wipe
Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr), the story follows the memory of the dragon eggs from the minds of
Eragon, the teenage farm boy turned Dragon Rider, Eragon and Saphira so that Galbatorix cannot use
and his dragon, Saphira, as they attempt to defeat the magic to obtain the information from them.
evil king, Galbatorix, and free the land of Alagaësia. Eragon and Saphira meet up with the Varden
The series was originally intended as a trilogy, but at the city of Urû'baen, capital of the Empire and the
Brisingr ran so long that Paolini split it into two ruling seat of Galbatorix. Along with some Elvin
books. A film adaptation of Eragon was released in spellcasters, Eragon enters the citadel and must
2006, however, it performed so poorly that the rest of navigate a series of traps in order to reach
the series was canceled. Galbatorix's chambers. A battle ensues, during which
Inheritance opens in the middle of a battle Galbatorix announces that he knows Ancient
over the strategically located city of Belatona. Language, which is used to regulate magic, and thus
Eragon Bromsson, now known as the Shadeslayer, can control anyone whose True Name he knows. He
and Saphira, the dragon bonded to him, are fighting forces Murtagh to fight Eragon, but Eragon defeats
alongside the Varden, a rebellion group, in an attempt him by stabbing him with his magical blue sword
to take the city from Galbatorix's control. The Brisingr.
Varden's next step in their campaign is to free the Murtagh's wound is not fatal. In fact, the
land of Alagaësia from the tyranny of the evil king. encounter changes his True Name, which frees him
Saphira is nearly killed in the battle, but the Varden from Galbatorix's control. He attacks the king, using
are successful. The next step is to capture the city of a spell called the Name of Names to temporarily stop
Dras-Leona. Hoping to secretly infiltrate the city, him from casting magic. Seizing the opportunity,
Eragon leads a team into the sewers. However, it is a Eragon calls on the power of the Eldunarí to cast an
trap, and they are captured. The Varden come to their empathy spell on Galbatorix, which makes him feel
rescue, and a battle ensues in which the Varden the full weight of all the pain and suffering he has
successfully take the city, but Murtagh (Eragon's caused. Crippled but not yet defeated, Galbatorix
half-brother who is enslaved by magic to fight for uses magic to try to invade Eragon's mind, but he is
stopped by Murtagh, allowing Eragon to stab The Eldunarí return the memory of the hidden
Galbatorix in the stomach. Galbatorix would rather dragon eggs to Eragon and Saphira, who prepare to
kill himself than be defeated, and so he attempts one oversee a new era of Dragon Riders (the eggs will
last effort to destroy his enemies as well: he unmakes only hatch when they are touched by their chosen
himself into energy and explodes. Eragon again uses Rider). Eragon rewrites the spell that governs the
the power of the Eldunarí to shield his comrades from bond between dragons and Riders so that it includes
the blast, saving their lives. Urgals and dwarves along with humans and elves.
After the battle, Eragon and Murtagh This helps to facilitate peace between the various
reconcile, acknowledging each other as a brother. races in Alagaësia. However, Eragon and Saphira
Thorn speaks to Eragon and Saphira for the first time soon realize that there is no safe place to raise their
to wish them well, and then he and Murtagh fly north fledgling dragons and Riders in Alagaësia. Loading
into self-imposed exile. Nasuada becomes the new the eggs and Eldunarí, into a boat, they sail east to
queen of the empire. look for a new home. At first, Eragon mourns the loss
of his homeland and his love, Arya (the Elvin queen
who chose to stay in Alagaësia because of her duty to
her people). But in the end, he looks forward to a new
life of adventure, "a life with dragons and Riders."