10 science-fiction and fantasy releases you’re bound to fall for this February

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Another exciting YA debut hitting shelves this month is A.K. Larkwood’s The Unspoken Name, which will be the first installment in the author’s The Serpents Gates. The concept the novel tackles is a familiar one: what would happen if people knew the details of their deaths ahead of time. Larkwood takes that common plot, however, and turns it on its head.

The book’s main character, Csorwe, knows exactly how she’ll perish: as a sacrifice. Her future sees her venturing up a mountain and into the Shrine of the Unspoken, where she’ll serve as an offering to the gods — at least, unless she goes with a different option presented to her:

"“But on the day of her foretold death, a powerful mage offers her a new fate. Leave with him, and live. Turn away from her destiny and her god to become a thief, a spy, an assassin—the wizard’s loyal sword. Topple an empire, and help him reclaim his seat of power.”"

Readers can probably understand why Csorwe would choose a fate that opposes her faith if it means keeping her life. But even if it serves her in the present, it may just come back to haunt her. Readers interested in that conversation between faith and taking matters into your own hands will likely want to check out The Unspoken Name this February. It arrives on the 11th, and it sounds like it’ll raise questions that will stay with you beyond then.