A young man looking for death finds purpose in a world beyond our own in this sweeping fantasy from Greg Keyes (The Briar King, Newton’s Cannon).
Errol Greyson hadn’t intended to commit suicide. Or so he told himself. But waking up after his “cry for help” trapped in the body of a wood-and-metal construct magically animated by Aster—the strange girl from school—was not a result he could have imagined.
Aster’s wild explanations about needing help on a quest to find the water of health that would cure her father seemed as unreal as her description of Errol’s own half-dead existence, his consciousness stuck in an enchanted automaton while his real body was in a coma from which it might never wake. And of course, they would need to recruit a girl who had been dead for thirty years—a virgin, no less—to lead them through something called the Pale, beyond which a bunch of magical kingdoms existed. Plus, the threat that Aster could turn him off like a light switch, sending him into a hellish oblivion, was a convincing incentive to cooperate.
It all seemed quite mad: Either Aster was nuts, or Errol was hallucinating. But if it meant a new chance at life, he reckoned it was worth playing along.
Industry Reviews
"Greg Keyes has always been both a skilled storyteller and fine writer of exciting tales. I plan to get my pre-order in early."-New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks
"Keyes is a master of world building and of quirky characters who grow into their relationships in unexpected ways. Fans of his Age of Unreason and his Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone fantasy series will want to get in on the ground floor of the High and Faraway series."-Booklist
"I liked a lot of what Keyes was doing in the novel, in terms of the story itself, the characters, and laying the groundwork for a multi-book narrative. The world where Errol awakens in his new body has a lived-in feel, a world with history and mythology of its own. . . . the story reminded me of Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars."-SFFWorld
"Starts in the realm of normalcy and quickly descends into the favorably bizarre and surprising. . . there was not one character that was uninteresting. The world building is epic. A magical realm that mirrors earth while residing under a curse was not only inventive but enthralling."-Koeur's Book Reviews, 4.4/5 Stars
"A solid choice for any fantasy fanatic."-Orange County Public Library, August Book Selections
"Greg Keyes has always been both a skilled storyteller and fine writer of exciting tales. I plan to get my pre-order in early."-New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks
"Keyes is a master of world building and of quirky characters who grow into their relationships in unexpected ways. Fans of his Age of Unreason and his Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone fantasy series will want to get in on the ground floor of the High and Faraway series."-Booklist
"I liked a lot of what Keyes was doing in the novel, in terms of the story itself, the characters, and laying the groundwork for a multi-book narrative. The world where Errol awakens in his new body has a lived-in feel, a world with history and mythology of its own. . . . the story reminded me of Kate Elliott's Crown of Stars."-SFFWorld
"Starts in the realm of normalcy and quickly descends into the favorably bizarre and surprising. . . there was not one character that was uninteresting. The world building is epic. A magical realm that mirrors earth while residing under a curse was not only inventive but enthralling."-Koeur's Book Reviews, 4.4/5 Stars
"A solid choice for any fantasy fanatic."-Orange County Public Library, August Book Selections
