THE ORPHANAGE OF GODS

None of the young people suspected of being gods have ever escaped from the Guard—until now.

Hero, Joshua, and Kestrel are orphans of the rebellion against the gods—a time when humans rose up and killed the gods and those descended from their bloodline. Afterward, all orphans were rounded up: Because of their unknown parentage, they could be gods as well. Under the watchful eye of the Guard, these orphans must wait until their 18th birthdays, or until their gifts manifest and their blood runs silver, whereupon they will be killed. To protect her friends, who have the blood of gods, Kestrel hatches a plan to break Hero and Joshua out of the orphanage, but in the process she is captured herself. Now fugitives being hunted by the Guard, Hero and Joshua nevertheless embark on a journey north to rescue Kestrel from her imprisonment. Along the way, however, they must contend with the consequences of their own powers and the secretive resistance of fugitive gods who have their own power struggles. Though character development is uneven, the plot progresses to ever darker depths and a chilling conclusion. Few references are made to characters’ appearances, although some are dark skinned; one central character has romantic relationships with both a woman and a man.

Dark and atmospheric, though the implications of some themes are left tantalizingly underexplored.