MYRACLES IN THE VOID

This debut fantasy follows a brother and sister on globe-hopping missions to find their father—and save the world.

Dyson’s story begins in the middle of an ocean on a floating port called Hop, a deteriorating habitat of rotting wood and repurposed garbage that hasn’t had visitors in many years. Separated from the outside world, the inhabitants of Hop have no idea what has transpired elsewhere on the planet (known as Esa). But for most of them, the dream is to somehow leave Hop for more desirous locales. The father of 15-year-old Gaiel Izz and his sister, Lynd, 12, did just that five years ago when he left on a ship, never to return. The siblings live with their mother, Mape. In a magic-filled world where the forces of destruction and creation are strong (the power can be found in floating particles called spryts), the Izz family has been both blessed and cursed. Gai has the ability to fix things, while Lynd, when she gets agitated, inadvertently destroys what she touches. Knowing that their father—who was rumored to be sick with “Ruin” when he left—may hold the clues to Lynd’s curse, the two siblings begin epic quests to find answers. Lynd touches a red spryt and accidentally rips a hole in space and time, while Gai escapes Hop on the back of a giant sea turtle. Literally packed with nonstop action and adventure on every page, the two siblings’ very different journeys culminate in a jaw-dropping, apocalyptic climax with the very existence of the planet hanging in the balance. While the storyline is impressively intricate—and original—it’s the author’s brilliant worldbuilding and his ability to create a cast of deeply developed and emotionally connected characters that make this such an applaudable tale. Lastly, the novel’s overarching theme is profoundly moving: “We define ourselves.”

An exceptional, must-read adventure written by an exciting new voice in fantasy.