Caitlin Sangster grew up in Northern California, moved to XinJiang when she was eighteen, and has been fascinated with how much she doesn't know about the world ever since. She graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in Asian studies and is the person you avoid at parties because she will probably start talking about Shang dynasty oracle bones. Caitlin lives with her husband and four children in Utah. For more about Caitlin visit her at CaitlinSangster.com, on Twitter @CaitSangster, or Facebook.com/CaitlinSangsterAuthor.
Sev, Tai-ge, and June set out for seemingly unknown Port North in search of a sleeping-sickness cure, not to mention the vague hints that Sev might also find family at the end of her journey. On the way, they meet up with Howl, the object of her hate/attraction, who offers help, but Sev struggles to trust him again. Despite impossible circumstances and a civil war, they must get the cure before the nefarious Dr. Yang finds it and uses it as a political weapon. Detail-oriented Sangster is a master of creativity when it comes to setting and action, and the various characters' ambivalence about trust and hope feels authentic. Moments of humor and warmth add dimension, and dedicated readers will appreciate many, many twists and turns. An author's note indicates inspiration for parts of the book came from historical China. Try this sequel to Last Star Burning (2017) with fans of Julie Dao's Rise of the Empress series or Livia Blackburne's Rosemarked (2017). - Cindy Welch -- Booklist Online * Oct 26, 2018 *