A girl matches wits with a war god in this kaleidoscopic, epic tale of oppression and the cost of peace, where stories hide within other stories, and narrative has the power to heal... or to burn everything in its path.

In the winding underground tunnels of the Library, the great celestial peacekeeper of the three systems, a terrible secret lies buried.

As the daughter of a Library god, Freida has spent her whole life exploring the Library's ever-changing tunnels and communing with the gods. Her unparalleled access makes her unique - and dangerous.

When Freida meets Joshua, a mortal boy desperate to save his people, and Nergui, a Disciple from a persecuted religious minority, Freida is compelled to break ranks with the gods and help them. But in order to do so, she will have to venture deeper into the Library than she has ever known. There she will discover the atrocities of the past, the truth of her origins, and the impossibility of her future...

With the world at the brink of war, Freida embarks on a journey to fulfill her destiny, one that pits her against an ancient war god. Her mission is straightforward: Destroy the god before he can rain hellfire upon thousands of innocent lives - if he doesn't destroy her first.

A sparkling, thought-provoking new offering from World Fantasy Award-winning author Alaya Dawn Johnson.

About the Author

Alaya Dawn Johnson lives and writes in Mexico City, where she has made her home since 2014.

Johnson graduated from Columbia University in 2004 with a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures, and has lived and travelled extensively in Japan. She has won the Nebula Award for YA Science Fiction and Fantasy, The World Fantasy Award - and recently received her master's degree with honors in Mesoamerican Studies from the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.

With her new band Cananea, she's finally getting a chance to explore her creativity musically, writing and singing songs that are a mix of the personal and the unabashedly speculative, just like her fiction.

The Library of Broken Worlds is Johnson's debut title for Magpie Books.

alayadawnjohnson.com
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Reviews

'A story so immersive it will leave you drunk with visions of strange new worlds and new gods, so compelling you'll be happy to drown in this dizzying brew of technology, lore and world-shaking conflict. Mysterious, sweeping and wholly original.''
Leigh Bardugo, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shadow and Bone

'One of the most haunting tales I've ever read. Modern epic poetry. Wow.' N.K Jemisin, author of the award wining Broken Earth trilogy'

'An ambitious, multilayered, multidimensional exploration of power, selfhood, freedom and love. Alaya Dawn Johnson writes with fluidity and precision about mind-bending ideas and gorgeously imagined worlds, but also with tactile specificity about food and ritual. This novel rewired my brain.'
Malinda Lo, the New York Times bestselling author

Praise for The Summer Prince

'Like leaping into cold water on a hot day, this original dystopian novel takes the breath away, refreshes, challenges, and leaves the reader shivering but yearning for another plunge.'
Booklist, starred review

'With its complicated history, founding myth, and political structure, Palmares Tres is compelling, as is the triple bond between June, Enki, and Gil as they challenge their world's injustices.'
Publishers Weekly, starred review

'An art project, a rebellion and a sacrifice make up this nuanced, original cyberpunk adventure... Luminous.'
Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Praise for Love Is The Drug

'Utterly absorbing'
Kirkus Reviews, starred review

'Equal parts character study and thriller, Love Is the Drug offers a gripping study of identity, sly social commentary, and a chilling glimpse of a dystopia that's just around the corner'
NPR

Book Information
ISBN 9780008612399
Author Alaya Dawn Johnson
Format Paperback
Page Count 448
Imprint Magpie
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 270g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 28mm