Somewhere in the Deep

Using the pseudonym Dark Dancer, 17-year-old Krescent Dune is forced to fight monsters in underground gladiator-esque battles to pay off the debts her dead parents left behind. Orphaned at the age of 11, Kress has been determined to earn enough silver to leave the isolated island of Kar Atish and make a new life for herself outside of the shadow of her parents’ nefarious reputation. But when she’s promised her freedom for a steep price—guarding a search-and-rescue mission into dangerous tunnels for survivors of a mine expedition who have been missing for almost a year—she soon uncovers ulterior motives related to zargunine, a precious alloy and the building block of Kar Atish society. With only her hostile crew to watch her back as they encounter mythical monsters, Kress must do everything she can to survive the horrors and the revelations that await her deep in the mines. Berwah (Monsters Born and Made) skillfully examines issues of class, colonialism, and greed via the narrative’s attentively rendered setting in this thrilling, action-packed fantasy. Kress is a fierce heroine whose budding romance with a longtime friend adds hope and levity to dire situations, making for a page-turning adventure. Ages 14–up. (Jan.)