Sabi Perez is the last Diamond Crier, only she doesn’t know it. Not until a crazed ruler from another world comes to collect her priceless tears and won’t take no for an answer.
Living in New York, Sabi’s seen some nasty things, but the lengths to which her captor will go to keep his crown are things found only in the darkest nightmares. Afraid and alone, Sabi finds solace in her cellmate, Anya, and Cabal, a fellow Crier who also has powers, a rare combination that buys his favor from the ruler, only it’s a favor he doesn’t want.
In a fit of rage, power erupts out of Sabi, the same power Cabal has, and a spark of hope ignites. Together they may have a chance at escape, something no other crier has done. Except a ruler hellbent on draining them of every last diamond tear isn’t their only hurdle. If they escape they’ll be hunted to the ends of the earth, if they survive the trek to safety. If they stay the ruler will leech them dry. Sabi would rather die trying than lie down and die, even if that means running away into even more danger.
Assessment:
In this vividly imagined and deftly plotted dark fantasy, 16-year-old Sabina lives in New York City with her parents and little sister until a mysterious stranger arrives and Sabina’s father is forced to reveal the truth: Sabina’s family comes from another world entirely—a world filled with dark magic where she is the last Diamond Crier. The tension of this book would be increased were the author to spend a bit more time developing Sabi’s relationships in New York—that way the reader would understand exactly what Sabi has left behind when she is forcibly taken back to her world. Still, the main character is well-crafted, and the reader will care what happens to her as she wrestles with the reality of her new life and her role in it.
Date Submitted: September 29, 2016
