book cover of The Unwilling
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The Unwilling

(2020)
(The first book in the Barrier Lands series)
A novel by

 
 
“Drips with atmosphere and intrigue . . .” this fantasy coming of age novel “is a study in suffering and cruelty but also in determination.” (Publishers Weekly)
 
Judah is an orphaned girl with a secret gift, born at the gates of Highfall castle. Raised alongside Gavin, heir to Lord Elban’s empire, the two share an extrasensory bond—one that is key to Judah’s survival and her possible undoing.
 
Elban—as mighty as he is cruel—plans to use Judah as a pawn to amass greater control. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
 
But beyond the castle walls, a magus, a healer with his own powerful force, has arrived from the provinces. He, too, has designs on the realm, and at the heart of his plans lies Judah . . . The girl who started life with no name and no history will soon discover her own strength. Intriguingly, she does not have to be given power: she can just take it.
 
“Fantasy at its most sublime!” —Erin Morgenstern, 
New York Times–bestselling author of The Night Circus
 
“Brilliantly executed.” —
Vanity Fair
 
“Suspenseful, magical, wonderfully written . . . An essential addition to all epic-fantasy collections.” —
Booklist (starred review) 
 
“A juggernaut of an epic fantasy novel with ingenious, thrilling twists and turns. Put this on the shelf beside Naomi Novik and George R. R. Martin.” —Kelly Link, Hugo and Nebula award-winning author of 
Get in Trouble
 
“A viscerally powerful book.” —Kat Howard, author of 
Roses and Rot
 
"Gorgeously told . . . At once a sweeping epic and an intimate portrait of being trapped in an oppressive regime.” —Gwenda Bond, 
New York Times–bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds


Genre: Fantasy

Praise for this book

"Gorgeously told, The Unwilling is at once a sweeping epic and an intimate portrait of being trapped in an oppressive regime. Meet your new favorite fantasy writer." - Gwenda Bond

"Wow...The characters, the world, the magic and greed and politics and pain--all of it adds up to something wonderful. I love it." - Ellen Datlow

"Kelly Braffet's The Unwilling is a viscerally powerful book. Full of complex and compelling characters, this is the story of the corruptions of power and the strength it takes to resist. This is an incredible, brilliant story." - Kat Howard

"A juggernaut of an epic fantasy novel with ingenious, thrilling twists and turns. Put this on the shelf beside Naomi Novik and George R. R. Martin. Kelly Braffet is a marvel and I'll read anything she writes." - Kelly Link

"Kelly Braffet is extraordinary... Familiar yet entirely unique, The Unwilling is the sort of story that seeps under your skin and pulses there, intimate and vibrant and alive. Fantasy at its most sublime." - Erin Morgenstern


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