Gravemaidens

Gr 9 Up–Kammani dreams of becoming an accomplished healer—the position her father held before he failed to heal the lugal’s son and he and his family were cast down from the privileged class as punishment. While her father drowns the shame of his disgrace and grief over his wife’s recent death with drink, Kammani manages the daily work of treating patients. Her hopes of securing a better life for herself and her sister Nanaea are shattered when Nanaea is chosen for the dubious honor of becoming one of three sacred maidens who will accompany the dying lugal into death. While her sister only sees the opportunity to live briefly in luxury, Kammani knows becoming a sacred maiden is a death sentence. Determined to save her sister at any cost, Kammani embarks on a dangerous mission to sneak into the palace and try to heal the lugal before it’s too late. Coon’s debut is the first book in a fantasy duology set in a non-Western world with nods to ancient Sumer and Rome. Clunky prose and world-building that falls short in explaining rituals or other cultural norms drag down this otherwise interesting premise. Secondary characters stay true to tropes for most of the novel but gain more depth near the end, suggesting fans may find more to appreciate in book two.