Sefia is on the run, in possession of a rectangular object with small marks that the group who kidnapped her honorary aunt is searching for. She has vague memories of her late mother showing her such markings and explaining they stand for sounds. Sefia finally decodes them and learns “this is a book.” Reading its stories she especially enjoys ones about Captain Canek Reed, his colorful crew, and their adventures. In a moment of peril, Sefia and Archer, a mute boy she freed from captivity, are rescued by legendary Captain Reed in the flesh. When Sefia finds herself in the book, she understands it’s a living thing, and an object of immense power. Memory and possibility overwhelm her as she realizes her parents died to keep it in hands they trusted. Meanwhile, Lon, the apprentice librarian in a guild striving to achieve peace among the kingdoms of Kelanna, is intrigued by the young woman who is the guild’s Second Assassin. Their work involves both skill and magic. They train intently while defying their teachers by becoming close. Accomplished world-building and rich characterizations distinguish an intricate, action-packed fantasy following several storylines that converge. This first book in a trilogy considers big questions, including how decisions made to serve the greater good may defy their best intentions. Reveals in the final chapters clarify the complex timeframe of a story to be continued. (Age 13 and older)

Instant New York Times Bestseller

A stunning debut set in a world where reading is unheard-of, perfect for fans of Inkheart and Shadow and Bone

Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can help her discover where Nin’s been taken, or if she’s even alive. The only clue to both her aunt’s disappearance and her father’s murder is the odd rectangular object her father left behind, an object she comes to realize is a book—a marvelous item unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society. With the help of this book, and the aid of a mysterious stranger with dark secrets of his own, Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and find out what really happened the day her father was killed—and punish the people responsible.

With overlapping stories of swashbuckling pirates and merciless assassins, The Reader is a brilliantly told adventure from an extraordinary new talent.