EVER

Kezi, the talented daughter of a palace official, is willing to sacrifice her life to save her beloved aunt from the wrath of the god Admat. Olus, the Akkan god of winds, has come to live among mortals to ease his own loneliness. Deeply in love with one another, Olus’s discovery of Kezi’s imminent doom causes him to urge her to consider a way out of her predicament: Why not become a goddess instead? Separately these lovers must pursue their own quests—she to the land of the warkis, he to the god of wisdom on Enshi Rock—if they wish to remain together, and soon it becomes clear to Kezi that even immortality doesn’t mean knowing all the answers. Levine strikes a somber and more contemplative note with this book than in previous outings, pondering the nature of faith alongside her usual romancing. It makes for a quieter novel than her readers may be used to, but one that will suit those who stop to think about their own mortality once in a while. Strong and good. (Fiction. 12+)