The Delta Codex

A sheltered tween embarks on a perilous quest to save her home in this electric novel by Fagan (A Game of Noctis), which recalls elements of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Young Delta is a codex, one of few gifted children capable of housing a memory of the past, called an echo, in their minds. In the grand city of Danak-Tol, it’s considered an honor to become a codex—to keep the city safe from mysterious hazards beyond its walls by protecting its “most powerful knowledge... but also the most dangerous.” All their lives, codexes keep vows of silence, are forbidden from socializing with others, and must never reveal their echo. But when Delta encounters a rebellious minister’s children and they challenge her to use her echo to help stop the deadly bloodstorms plaguing Danak-Tol, she must choose between following her teachings and listening to her instincts, which insist that something sinister is afoot. Expository dialogue and intermittent flashbacks gradually establish the intricate lore of Danak-Tol. Concise, economical storytelling and steady pacing mold a vast dystopian world whose charismatic leads evoke protective warmth from the jump. Characters are described as having various skin tones. Ages 10–up. Agent: Hilary Harwell, KT Literary. (Apr.)