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Summary
Summary
What happens when nature will no longer stand by and accept its destruction? A female fire chief discovers an ancient world rooted with secrets that can save--or destroy--in the newest fantasy by Veronica G. Henry, author of Bacchanal .
Beneath the forest floor, they watch...
Syrah Carthan doesn't know why she accepted a job as the first female fire chief at Sequoia National Park, where, decades earlier, a forest fire killed her parents. That day, her brother, Romelo, disappeared, as if pulled into the scorched earth itself. Syrah has always had an uncanny affinity for the natural wonders of the park she protects, but after she sanctions a prescribed burn that goes terribly wrong, she quits her position in disgrace.
However, when another devastating wildfire breaks out, Syrah, reluctantly pulled back into action, discovers an unknown world that has existed underground since the beginning of time. This secret society, built around the forest's complex root system, is now divided into two factions. One is ruled by the Keeper, the giant sequoias' benevolent caretaker. The other by a mysterious undoer, who's determined to wage war on humanity. Through him, nature can retaliate and wipe out the earth's careless ravagers for good.
Torn between human loyalty and preserving the delicate balance of nature, Syrah must make a choice--one that will change both her destiny and that of the world above and below forever.
Reviews (3)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Henry (Bacchanal) turns to climate fiction with a fascinating tale of a mystical world of fierce forest protectors. Despite reservations, Syrah Carthan accepts a position as fire chief in the very national park where, as a child, she survived a devastating forest fire that killed her parents. Haunted by hazy memories and guilt over her brother's disappearance during that fire, Syrah is drawn back to the scene of the tragedy. Little does she know that her brother, Romelo, was rescued by an underground society of hybrid tree-people called the Rhiza, who have nurtured his resentment toward humanity and are devising their own radical plans to protect the forest. The plot gets off to a somewhat slow start, but as the siblings' paths inevitably collide, Henry digs in to themes of family, environmentalism, and the connection between humans and the natural world. Weaving together multiple timelines and giving voice to an ancient forest, this will appeal to fans of The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton and readers interested in fantastical takes on cli-fi. Agent: Mary C. Moore, Aevitas Creative Management. (Dec.)
Booklist Review
Henry's latest (after The Foreign Exchange, 2023) explores the problems caused by climate change from the perspective of the trees and the Rhiza, their humanoid protectors. Set across the recent past of 2014 and near future of 2042, the story follows siblings Syrah and Romelo, who were separated by a fire in the Sequoia National Park. Romelo, adopted by the Rhiza, becomes a rootspeaker, communicating psychically with the trees, expanding the root network across the country with the intention of turning it against humanity. With the help of her godfather, Dane, Syrah was adopted by a California couple, eventually quitting college to pursue a career as a firefighter. Syrah's return to the Sequoia National Park as fire chief leads to a reunion with her brother and his adoptive mother, Taron, though it quickly becomes acrimonious as he launches a civil war within the Rhiza over his intention to wipe out humanity in California to save their forest. Henry adeptly navigates the communication struggles among families and the destructive forces of climate change in this thrilling fantasy.
Library Journal Review
This modern fantasy focuses on real ecological problems and the beauty of nature. Syrah has felt a connection to Sequoia National Park for all of her life. It was her favorite place to be as a child--even after the tragic fire there that killed both her parents and older brother. As an adult, Syrah wants to do what she can to save the forest and joins the park's firefighting unit as their first woman chief, despite pushback from members of her new team. After a brutal and devastating loss in the forest, Syrah is taken into the world "behind the veil" by Keepers, who protect the giant trees. Frightened at first, Syrah opens up and learns more about the world between nature and humanity. She must take her empathy and compassion for the forest and its people and try to convince the Keepers to care for humanity--before the two worlds collide with devastating results. VERDICT Henry's (The Foreign Exchange) near-future fantasy world is interesting and beautiful, with lush descriptions of the forest and the fantastical world hidden within.--Jen Funk