Rohla’s fantasy foray is a rich homage to the power of self-sacrifice, wrapped in Freya’s declaration that she is “a being born to grant wishes” who desires nothing more than helping those in need. “It is these hopes and prayers that gave me life. They whisper in the air, begging me to help them,” Freya explains, as Ellie and Sterling serve as her moral compass, of sorts, arming Freya with the knowledge that not all humans have good intentions. That wisdom plays out when the rulers of nearby kingdoms summon Freya to court—where she is exposed to the evils of slavery underpinning the world she has come to love.
Rohla constructs an elaborate world, notably set in the past, but with a timeless message on the rippling effects of greed. As Freya grows in her power—and comes to realize that humans cause much of the suffering in their world—so, too, does she begin to grasp her limitations, witnessing that her gifts can be manipulated to harm as much as they can to help. Freya’s wholesome desire to unshackle the human world from its evils puts those she loves most at risk, but her ultimate sacrifice delivers a freedom far beyond their wildest imaginations.
Takeaway: A wish-granting god proves the power of self-sacrifice in a clever coming-of-age story.
Comparable Titles: Madeline Miller's Circe, Judy I. Lin's A Magic Steeped in Poison.
Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
n Rohla’s fantasy novel, a god born to grant wishes uses her power to help people who’ve lost hope.
Starfall is a sovereign city-state that rests between two desert plateaus and two kingdoms, making it a “hot spot for trade and commerce.” One day, its citizens’ collective wishes and dreams, quite astoundingly, give birth to a female god. She can hear all of their yearnings and quickly finds 19-year-old Ellie, whose longing is the loudest. The teen is skeptical but mentally expresses her desire for her sickly little brother Sterling to be well again—a wish the god grants. Ellie deems the god, whom she names Freya, a “miracle worker” and ambles through Starfall’s bazaar to track down others with wishes. Freya delights a few locals, including a seller who yearns for a more glamorous stall and Sterling’s doctor, who wants the perfect ring to propose with. It’s hardly surprising when the surrounding kingdoms send royal messengers to invite Freya to their respective nations, but the god prefers living quietly with Ellie and Sterling. Ellie, meanwhile, dreams up weekly “wish fairs” in which Freya grants a limited number of wishes via a lottery system, with the option of turning down anything inappropriate or potentially harmful. Sadly, there are slaves in Starfall, like all of the nurses at a hospital, whose wishes Freya can’t hear, rendering her unable to help them. When Freya realizes the city-state has far more slaves than most people can see, she, Ellie, and Sterling make it their mission to free these captives.
Rohla’s bare-bones prose streamlines the physical details of characters and settings; this approach keeps the narrative moving at a steady clip as it unfolds (for the most part) in Starfall. Descriptions of emotions and temperaments are also effectively concise (“Dread slides its serrated teeth along the back of the god’s neck”). At the same time, the main cast virtually bursts with personality and backstory—Ellie and Sterling’s mother abandoned them, forcing young Ellie to care for her ailing brother on her own. Freya displays several humanlike traits, starting with her naïveté; she has an innate ability to converse with locals but learns many things as she goes along, including social greetings and what a “concubine” is. She’s also not quite as powerful as readers may anticipate, as she can only utilize her amazing abilities (like materialization and teleportation) for so long before she needs rest. The story introduces a handful of curious moral dilemmas, from the horrid treatment enslaved people suffer to a consideration of what, exactly, a dying girl would wish for. As Freya, Ellie, and Sterling slowly gather allies, it’s the villains who truly stand out. Starfall’s sleazy Governor Hensley, for one, drapes himself in flashy garb and laughs obnoxiously loud, and a nefarious, well-organized gang steals water from the poor. These thieving gangsters, along with other diabolical sorts secretly up to no good, ignite the final act as the story builds to a gratifying denouement.
Striking characters, both divine and human, enliven this leisurely story of good versus evil.
