The Bones of Ruin (The Bones of Ruin #1)

In a shifting third-person perspective, Raughley (the Effigies series) crafts an alternate Victorian London in which Iris, “a tightrope-dancing African,” dazzles crowds with acrobatic feats as part of the Coolie Company circus. However, Iris is concealing a staggering secret: though seemingly “a girl of seventeen,” she does not age and cannot die. Having arrived on the circus proprietor’s doorstep with amnesia a decade ago, her mission to uncover her past gains greater urgency when she encounters sapphire-eyed, white 21-year-old Adam Temple. A member of the secret Enlightenment Committee, Adam reveals that the world is ending—and that the committee will decide the leader of the upcoming apocalypse through the Tournament of Freaks, a competition in which champions with supernatural abilities fight to the death. Iris agrees to be one such warrior, in exchange for Adam’s help in uncovering her identity. Yet as she becomes enmeshed in the tournament, she wonders at its price. Though a quick pace stymies full immersion, the fantastical premise supports a multilayered plot and vibrant characters. Meanwhile, themes of racial abuse, violence, and rebirth, paired with a wealth of romantic options, add further complexity to this series starter. Ages 12–up. Agent: Natalie Lakosil, Irene Goodman Literary. (Sept.)