One girl links beasts with humankind. She has the power to save them both. Or to destroy them.
Erin's family have an important responsibility: caring for the fearsome serpents that form the core of their kingdom's army. So when some of the beasts mysteriously die, Erin's mother is sentenced to death as punishment. With her last breath she manages to send her daughter to safety.
Alone, far from home, Erin soon discovers that she can talk to both the terrifying water serpents and the majestic flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill gives her great powers, but it also involves her in deadly plots that could cost her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war? Or must she face the terrible battles to come?
Nahoko Uehashi is a writer of fantasy titles, whose books have sold more than a million copies in her native Japan. She has won numerous awards, including the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award, which she received for her contribution to children's literature throughout her life. She has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and has studied indigenous peoples in Australia. She lives near Tokyo, Japan.
I picked up this book on a whim, thinking the cover art was INCREDIBLE, and being fascinated with the synopsis and the fact that is translated from Japanese. I figured I'd give it a shot, and decide whether to continue. I am SO GLAD I did...it's such a beautiful, fascinating, amazing story. I love the characters - and that includes the Royal Beasts - and Elin feels like an actual human. Her attempts to do the right thing, her confusion at whether she really is, her strength and weaknesses by turns - I admired her, frankly. This is a fairy tale, wrapped up in strange and beautiful creatures, and packaged with the best and worst of humanity. It's a book I would read again, and it's one I highly recommend.
