The Unwilling (Barrier Lands #1)

Description

Suspenseful, magical, wonderfully written... An essential addition to all epic-fantasy collections. --Booklist, starred review

An epic tale of greed and ambition, cruelty and love, this deeply immersive novel is about bowing to traditions and burning them down.

Judah is an orphaned girl with a secret gift, born at the gates of Highfall castle. Raised alongside Gavin, heir to Lord Elban's empire, the two share an extrasensory bond--one that is key to Judah's survival and her possible undoing.

Elban--as mighty as he is cruel--plans to use Judah as a pawn to amass greater control. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

But beyond the castle walls, a magus, a healer with his own powerful force, has arrived from the provinces. He, too, has designs on the realm, and at the heart of his plans lies Judah... The girl who started life with no name and no history will soon discover her own strength. Intriguingly, she does not have to be given power: she can just take it.