Zoraida Córdova (Labyrinth Lost) weaves a high-stakes tale of palace intrigue and deception in Incendiary, a YA fantasy set in a world inspired by Inquisition-era Spain.
The Moria are a magical race forced to "hide our magics, our bodies, our everything" from the Fajardos, the genocidal royal family of Puerto Leones. Renata Convida is the rarest and most feared of the Moria: a memory thief capable of draining others' recollections until they are lifeless shells known as "Hollows." As a child, Renata was taken to the palace of Andalucía "as a guest of the king and the justice," where she was used to massacre thousands of her own people. Seven years later, Renata searches for redemption as one of the Whispers, a group of Moria rebels who oppose the crown. But many of the Whispers do not trust Renata, who they see as "the reason that their father is gone, their sister is dead, their child was taken." When Dez, leader of the Whispers and Renata's secret love, is captured by Castian--the infamous Bloodied Prince--Renata returns to the palace to complete his mission: the theft of a weapon capable of stripping all the Moria of their powers. As she infiltrates the royal court, risking her life, Renata discovers that the Moria may be in even graver danger than she realized.
A strong cast of supporting characters, including Renata's allies in the Whispers and at court and the enigmatic Castian, add color to the rich world of Puerto Leones, while Renata's quest to "right the wrongs I committed" leaves her facing one impossible choice after another. Although the pacing sometimes lags, Renata's lively voice and search for her own identity while "every memory I've ever stolen" lives in her head make Incendiary a compelling read. --Alanna Felton, 19