The Naming Song

Berry (The Manual of Detection) probes how it feels to be voiceless in this ambitious fantasy. In a world where the names of people, places, and things have been forgotten, it is the Name Committee’s goal to remember. Working for them is an unnamed courier, who’s responsible for delivering names to the things they identify. But the job isn’t without its dangers: a proudly nameless group attacks the named, and Frost, chair of the Deletion Committee, wants them punished and their existence erased. Since the courier herself is nameless, she’s suspected of working with the perpetrators. When she later finds her boss, Book, dead, the courier is blamed for his killing. Afraid of Frost’s wrath, she flees, setting out on a quest to find her missing sister, Ticket, and together reconstruct their world. Berry’s universe and its linguistics-based magic system feel wholly original, and the mystery of the disappearing words will suck readers in. The threat from the nameless dissidents adds to the tension and propels the story forward, even as Berry takes his time unraveling the plot. Fantasy readers looking for a fresh and exciting new world to explore will be thrilled. (Sept.)