“Lush and compelling, Clarke has created a world that captivates . . . A gorgeous story with a deep heart.”
“A wonderful, creepy quest through a magical, ever-changing wilderness, with the world at stake and love in the balance. More please!”
Available Now / $18.95 / 544 pages
Two sisters, a pregnant aristocrat and a scholar-magician, and themselves at the center of a conflict between the immortal being Decay and the Emperor himself . . .
Orphaned as young women, Celestia and Izara De Malena are land-rich but destitute, with only a failing rainforest acreage, Celestia’s perfect manners, and Izara’s nascent magic to their aristocratic names. With their money running out, Izara summons the Lady of the Seraphine to demand a favor: a husband for Celestia, one rich enough for the sisters to keep their land and restore their family name. But a favor from the river goddess always comes at a cost . . .
Five years later, as war and disease spread across the land, the Emperor calls Celestia’s husband away on a secret mission and the Lady returns to collect her due. Izara is forced to leave the academy where she studies to become a mage; Celestia is pulled from her now-flourishing farm while pregnant with her first child.
Together, they must repay their debt—embarking on an impossible quest that pits them against Celestia’s husband, the Emperor, and a god even more powerful than the Lady of the Seraphine. Gorgeous, compelling, and utterly captivating, The Beholden follows Celestia and Izara as they journey from lush rainforest to frozen desert to find a god who doesn’t want to be found, and prevent the end of the world.
Cassandra Rose Clarke is the author of Star’s End, Our Lady of the Ice, and The Mad Scientist’s Daughter, as well as several novels for young adults. She holds an M.A. in creative writing from The University of Texas at Austin, and attended Clarion West in 2010. Her work has been nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award, the Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice Award, and YALSA's Best Fiction for Young Adults.
Advance Praise for The Beholden
“An atmospheric tale of two sisters, each as formidable in her own way as the gods they must battle, The Beholden is a story to lose yourself in. Clarke’s intricately-designed world of rogue magics and unique powers is a character all its own.” —Louisa Morgan
“The Beholden is a rich enchantment of a novel, dizzying, dangerous, and delightful. I loved it.” —Trent Jamieson
“A dark and gripping fantasy with the atmosphere of a haunted southern evening on the bayou. I loved it!” —Stina Leicht