Soulbound

A young woman dares to defy the status quo in this first book in the Legacy of Tril trilogy from Brewer (the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series). In Tril, Healers and Barrons fight a secret war against King Darrek and his army of monstrous Graplars. Bound together by magic, Barrons act as warriors, and Healers keep them alive. When Kaya, a 17-year-old Healer, is summoned against her will to train at the Shadow Academy, she is determined to learn how to defend herself. She trains in secret with an enigmatic instructor, Darius, hiding her skills from Trayton, the Barron to whom she has been bonded. Part adventure, part romance, this tale introduces a feisty, admirable heroine, though a stream of almost-profanities (“fak,” “dek”) distracts, as does the characters’ oddly contemporary language given the quasi-medieval setting (instantly smitten with Trayton, Kaya says she’ll “demand a recount” if he isn’t her intended Barron). The light plot is boosted by a cliffhanger revelation with clear consequences for the Kaya-Trayton-Darius love triangle, which is this story’s main draw. Ages 12–up. Agent: Michael Bourret, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (June)