That dark infinity

Title:

That dark infinity

Author:

Summary:

"By night, the Ankou is the most fearsome sword for hire in all the Five Lands - a legendary, permanently young mercenary, and its most abiding mystery. But when the sun rises, a dark magic leaves him no more than bones. Trapped in a cycle of death and resurrection, the Ankou wants only to find the final rest that has been prophesied for him, not matter the cost. When the kingdom of Kaer-Ise is sacked, Flora, a royal handmaiden, is assaulted and left for dead. Deeply wounded, heartbroken, and the sole survivor of the massacre, Flora wants desperately to be reunited with the princess she served and loved. She and the Ankou make a deal: He will help Flora find her princess and train Flora in combat, in exchange for her aid in breaking his curse. But it isn't easy to kill an immortal, especially when their bond begins to deepen into something more... Together they will solve mysteries, battle monsters, and race against time in this fantasy novel about sacrifice, love, and healing." -- Publisher.

Audience:

Ages 14 & up. Little, Brown and Company.

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

370 pages ; 22 cm

Genre:

Fantasy fiction.

Subject Term:

Immortality -- Fiction.

Blessing and cursing -- Fiction.

Imaginary wars and battles -- Fiction.

Imaginary places -- Fiction.

Publisher:

Little, Brown and Company,

Publication Date:

2021

ISBN:

9780759557833

Publication Information:

New York, NY : Little, Brown and Company, 2021.

Call Number:

YA PENTECOST

Holds: Copies:

Available:*

Item Barcode	Collection	Call Number	Status	Item Holds
33607003583328	Young Adult	PENTECOST	Searching... Unknown	Searching... Unavailable

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

An immortal monster hunter and a royal handmaiden embark on an epic journey to change their fates in this soul-stirring young adult fantasy novel for fans of The Witcher and The Last Unicorn .

By night, the Ankou is a legendary, permanently young mercenary--the most fearsome sword for hire in all of the Five Lands, and its most abiding mystery. But when the sun rises, a dark magic leaves him no more than bones. Cursed with this cycle of death and resurrection, the Ankou wants only to find the final rest that has been prophesied for him, no matter the cost.

When the kingdom of Kaer-Ise is sacked, Flora, handmaiden to the royal family, is assaulted and left for dead. Wounded, heartbroken, and the sole survivor of the massacre, Flora wants desperately to be reunited with the princess she served and loved. She and the Ankou make a deal: He will help Flora find her princess, and train Flora in combat, in exchange for her aid in breaking his curse. But it isn't easy to kill an immortal, especially when their bond begins to deepen into something more . . .

Together, they will solve mysteries, battle monsters, and race against time in this fantasy novel about sacrifice, love, and healing by Elysium Girls author Kate Pentecost.

Author Notes

Kate Pentecost was born and raised on the Texas/Louisiana border, but has lived in many different places. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children & Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She currently lives in Houston with her dog, Stevie Nyx, and has plans to build her own black caravan, just for the fun of it. Elysium Girls was her debut young adult fantasy novel.

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 6--10--Ankou can't be killed. He suffers a kind of death each day when he decays to skeletal remains before awakening again to his 300-year-old teen body, ready to fight monsters. During his waking hours, Lazarus, as he calls himself, easily heals from mortal wounds caused by the various horrors he vanquishes as he travels the five kingdoms. It is a witch's curse that makes death impossible. Flora is a handmaiden to a princess, brutally raped and left for dead when the kingdom she serves is invaded and annihilated. Ankou finds her and teaches her to survive with a sword and hunting skills. They pick up a third outcast, Dr. Atonais, master of lightning, as Lazarus tries to fulfill the elements of a riddle that could save him from the immortality he suffers. This is an adventure with trials and riddles, battles and tests, as well as a love story. Pentecost has a fine rhythm with descriptions and worldbuilding that make this a satisfying and engaging read with characters worthy of the empathy they evoke. VERDICT Purchase where the author's previous works circulate well and dark fantasy has a following.--Janet S. Thompson, Chicago P.L.

Publisher's Weekly Review

For 300 years, "deathless death" the Ankou, known as Lazarus, has traveled the Five Lands as a mercenary, killing monsters. A lover's curse makes his immortality a prison wherein each day he becomes a skeleton that haunts the space between life and death. When Lazarus, eternally 19, rescues brutalized 19-year-old Florelle Tannett, handmaiden to the royal princess of Kaer-Ise, she becomes his apprentice--and the potential key to a foretelling that could break his curse. Together, the two travel in search of the Kaer-Iseroyal family and a prophesied temple, meeting with extraordinary beasts, automatons, and a lightning mage, and outrunning an ominous disease that threatens to consume Lazarus. Pentecost (Elysium Girls) crafts a robust world with mythological and Oz-evoking influences. Switching points of view between meticulously drawn characterizations of Florelle, assumed white, and olive-skinned Lazarus, Pentecost's absorbing plot moves swiftly as the two meet a series of otherworldly challenges. Instances of sexual violence and mental illness are found in the novel alongside prominent themes of healing and friendship. Ages 14--up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (Oct.)