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<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Stefan Raets</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-deathless-one-by-emma-hamm/">https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-deathless-one-by-emma-hamm/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=818599">https://reactormag.com/?p=818599</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-vertical"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/fictions/excerpts/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Excerpts 0"> Excerpts </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/romantasy/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag romantasy 1"> romantasy </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Read an Excerpt From <i>The Deathless One</i> by Emma Hamm</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">A princess murdered at the altar makes a deal with the god of death for vengeance and to save her people…</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&amp;_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/emma-hamm/" title="Posts by Emma Hamm" class="author url fn" rel="author">Emma Hamm</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on July 23, 2025 </p> </div> </div> <div class="quick-access post-hero-quick-access mt-[17px] tablet:hidden"> <div class="flex 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fill-opacity="0.2" /> </g> <defs> <clippath id="clip0_1051_121783"> <rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" /> </clippath> </defs> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-media "> <figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="407" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One-header-740x407.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Cover of The Deathless One by Emma Hamm." srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One-header-740x407.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One-header-1100x605.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One-header-768x422.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One-header.png 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p>We&#8217;re thrilled to share an excerpt from <em><a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Deathless-One/Emma-Hamm/The-Gravesinger-Series/9781668063125" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>The Deathless One</strong></a></em>, the first in a new romantasy trilogy by Emma Hamm, out from Gallery on August 5.</p> <div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <figure class="wp-block-pullquote has-text-align-left"><blockquote><p>Jessamine was raised to be a leader for her people, but when the land is overrun by an incurable plague, she must enter a political marriage to save them all. A union that should have brought hope only brings death as her new husband murders her at the wedding altar and seizes the throne.<br><br>But her death is just the beginning. Her spirit is met by the Deathless One, a god of death yearning to return to the mortal plane, and he needs her help. The two of them make a deal—her life and the return of her kingdom in exchange for his resurrection. But the Deathless One is a known trickster, and a deal with him is one made in blood.<br><br>Jessamine knows the Deathless One is a dangerous ally, but the longer they work together, the more she wants him and the less she can stay away. As their connection deepens, soon she wonders if she even wants this contract to end. Perhaps the more appealing throne is the one by his side, but she’d have to turn her back on her people to get it.</p></blockquote></figure> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p>All her life, she had been told what to do. She should do what someone else said, because they knew best. She should trust that everyone was going to take care of her, because she was beloved by all in the kingdom, including the people who worked for her. She should be polite, poised, and kind, because that was what princesses were.</p> <p>What a load of bullshit.</p> <p>Where had trusting people led her? To a knife at her throat, a debt to a god, and nothing to her name.</p> <p>So excuse the god in front of her, who was clearly sulking as she figured out what she wanted to do. She had read this spell book before, and she knew which spell she wanted to cast. No one was going to tell her what to do. Not anymore. This was her kingdom, her responsibility, and she definitely did not trust the god who sat on the altar.</p> <p>Because Sybil had called her Jessamine. And only this asshole in front of her knew her real name.</p> <p>“Obviously you told her who I am,” she muttered as she placed the book on the floor and smoothed out the pages. “I don’t appreciate that.”</p> <p>He had receded back into the shadows, either no longer capable of responding to her or deciding that he didn’t want to play this game. Whichever it was, his silence was enough of an answer.</p> <p>Salt-covered black candle. Match in hand. All she had to do was set the black candle at the base of an altar, and she assumed this one would suffice. Then she had to light the candle while clearing her mind. This spell was very different from the one Sybil had laid out for her. The other had words to say, a ritual to complete, and a list of rules before starting the incantation.</p> <p>But this one? It said to clear her mind of all intent other than speaking with the deity, and then to say their name. Invoking the spirit through will alone would summon them.</p> <p>Of course, that was easier said than done. Jessamine lit the candle, closed her eyes, and forced her mind to reach out. She wanted to talk to him. She wanted him to answer her questions, and he <em>would </em>answer her questions.</p> <p>There was no other option.</p> <p>On a long exhale, she breathed, “Deathless One.”</p> <p>She poured every ounce of her need into it, and she had plenty. So much that she was fairly bursting with it, and then…</p> <p>Holding her breath, she watched for what felt like forever. Then she peeled one of her eyes open, looking around before she sealed it shut again. Maybe she needed to will it a little harder. Focusing on her breathing, she tried one more time. “Deathless One.”</p> <p>“This is almost sad to watch.” </p> <p>Ah, there he was.</p> <p>Frowning, she looked up at the altar to realize he was still seated upon it. Or at least, what little she could see of him was. As always, he appeared to be nothing more than the silhouette of a man, a shadow that had detached itself from a body and left the meat somewhere else.</p> <section class="wp-block-shop-the-book shop-the-book"> <h2 class="shop-the-book-headline">Buy the Book</h2> <div class="shop-the-book-content"> <figure class="shop-the-book-image-desktop image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="The Deathless One" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <div class="flex items-center"> <figure class="shop-the-book-image-mobile image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="The Deathless One" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <h3 class="shop-the-book-title text-h3">The Deathless One</h3> <p class="shop-the-book-author">Emma Hamm</p> </div> </div> <button type="button" class="inline-block px-8 py-4 text-center btn tablet:py-3 text-h6 bg-red text-white shop-the-book-button" id="buy_book" data-trigger="modal" data-target="#modal-1753299283" aria-open="false" aria-label="Buy Book"> <span class="inline-flex items-center button-label btn-label"> Buy Book </span> </button> </div> </div> <div id="modal-1753299283" class="shop-the-book-modal"> <div class="shop-the-book-modal-inner"> <button class="js-modal-close absolute top-5 right-5 z-10" type="button" aria-label="close modal"> <svg class="w-[19px] h-[19px]" width="18" height="19" viewbox="0 0 18 19" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="close" role="img" aria-hidden="true"> <path d="M1 17L17 1" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M1 17L17 1" stroke="black" stroke-opacity="0.2" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M17 17.0809L1 1.08093" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M17 17.0809L1 1.08093" stroke="black" stroke-opacity="0.2" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> </svg> </button> <div class="shop-the-book-modal-content"> <figure class="shop-the-book-modal-image-desktop image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="The Deathless One" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <div class="flex items-center"> <figure class="shop-the-book-modal-image-mobile image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/The-Deathless-One.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="The Deathless One" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <h3 class="shop-the-book-modal-title">The Deathless One</h3> <p class="shop-the-book-modal-author">Emma Hamm</p> </div> </div> <p class="shop-the-book-modal-label">Buy this book from:</p> <ul class="not-prose ebook-links ebook-links-shortcode"><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0DJ5H3XGP?tag=tordotcomgeneral-20" data-book-title="The Deathless One" data-book-store="Amazon"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Amazon</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7992675/type/dlg/sid/tordotcomgeneral/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781668063125" data-book-title="The Deathless One" data-book-store="Barnes and Noble"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Barnes and Noble</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781668063132" data-book-title="The Deathless One" data-book-store="iBooks"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">iBooks</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781668063125" data-book-title="The Deathless One" data-book-store="IndieBound"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">IndieBound</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=9781668063125" data-book-title="The Deathless One" data-book-store="Target"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Target</span></a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <p>“You were the one who wanted me to summon you,” she muttered, folding her hands carefully in her lap. “I am merely doing what you asked.” </p> <p>“This is not summoning me, witch,” he hissed, and the shadows undulated around him. The more she stared, the more she realized it wasn’t just shadows. It looked like someone had used charcoal to sketch a shadow. There were marks around him, jagged edges and crude smudges that made him look almost like a painting.</p> <p>“Is it not?” she asked, then smiled as though this wasn’t bothering her in the slightest. “You’re here. You’re talking to me.”</p> <p>His voice changed into a mocking tone, mimicking her. “I was here. I was talking to you.”</p> <p>Her jaw snapped shut with an audible click. Through gritted teeth she muttered, “I intended to control the conversation a little more than you insulting me.”</p> <p>“The only reason for this spell is to commune with gods. It’s used to speak with a patron, not to give the wielder any sort of power.” He sighed. “A patron, my dear gravesinger, is a god that you worship directly for power. In case you didn’t know.”</p> <p>“I know what a patron is,” she snapped. “That was the point. I’m trying to talk to you without you lying to me.”</p> <p>All the hairs on her arms stood up at his low snarl. Some part of her mind whispered that she was a tiny little mouse, and he was a massive cat. If she said something wrong, moved in the wrong direction, he’d snap his jaws around her and that would be it. But then she reminded herself those fears weren’t true. According to this spell, she was in control of this encounter. That gave her a little more power than she had before.</p> <p>Narrowing her eyes on him, she refused to flinch or show any fear. “Why do you want me to summon you?”</p> <p>“I have been dead for centuries, witch. Do I need a reason other than that? I desire to be real again. I desire life.”</p> <p>It made enough sense, she supposed. “Why do you keep calling me ‘witch’?”</p> <p>“Because you are one.”</p> <p>“I’m not a witch,” she replied. Jessamine clutched her hands together in her lap, trying not to let him see how hard they were shaking. “I’ve read a lot of books on witchcraft, and I’ve studied the nature of the beast for most of my life. It’s a fascinating fairy tale, but I am not a witch.”</p> <p>“You are a gravesinger, to be more accurate.” He hopped off the altar and began to circle her slowly. “Do you know what a gravesinger is?”</p> <p>“No.”</p> <p>“It’s a particular kind of witch. The kind I’ve been looking for. There used to be countless of your kind, natural-born witches who could connect directly with a patron. In the old days, I had twenty gravesingers at my beck and call.” His cold breath fanned over the sweat at the base of her neck. “Now I have only you.”</p> <p>“How disappointing.” </p> <p>“You have no idea.”</p> <p>It made little sense, though. Jessamine had never practiced magic in her life. And didn’t witches show signs? Magical… happenings started around them when they were very young, didn’t they? Either way, she couldn’t be who he wanted her to be. She wasn’t sure she wanted to be his gravesinger even if she could.</p> <p>The Deathless One circled behind her, the dark shape of him undulating and changing forms in the window’s reflection. “You are certainly a disappointing witch, but you can be shaped. Molded into what I wish.”</p> <p>Everything in her clenched at his words and then darted out of her lips. “No!”</p> <p>The word echoed. If he had a face, she supposed she might see surprise on his features as he stared down at her on her knees. “No?” he repeated, his tone utterly shocked. “What do you mean, no?”</p> <p>“I mean you will not shape me. I cast the spell to speak with you, not the other way around. No one will ever shape me into what they want again.” She glared up at him, her hands curled into fists. “No one will tell me who or what I am. Not even a god.”</p> <p>“Ah, there’s the feral creature who bartered for her life. A life that I gave back to you as the benevolent god that I am.” He continued circling, then crouched in front of her, a hulking beast prickling with thorns. “Now, tell me again why you think I will not control every action you take from here on out.”</p> <p>Confidence surged through her veins. She tilted her chin up, watching as he stood again and meandered behind her. Circling again like some great bird of prey. “Because I summoned you only to speak, Deathless One. You cannot touch me, just as you cannot control me until I give you physical form.”</p> <p>Again she felt his cold presence leaning over her, the whisper of his words chilling her ear. “Are you so sure about that?”</p> <p>She froze as a ghostly hand wrapped around her throat from behind.</p> <p>No, not ghostly. It was an actual hand. Long, thick fingers, scarred tips brushing against her pulse as he tightened his grip. By the gods, he could nearly encircle her entire throat and his fingers would touch. How big was this man?</p> <p>“You aren’t supposed to be able to touch me,” she whispered, her voice trembling.</p> <p>“Gravesingers are connected to their gods. Any god, really. All you need is a deep feeling. One that sometimes you cannot control.” Again his voice whispered in her ear, sending waves of ice through her veins. That deep growl seemed to hum with desire. “Hate is a strong enough emotion. I can work with hate. Even though I would entertain you if it was something more… pleasurable for the both of us.”</p> <p>“This isn’t real,” she croaked.</p> <p>His hand tightened. There was no real threat, just the feeling of his fingers around her neck and the slightest pressure as he lifted her. Her spine bumped against a strong figure, the sensation of muscles and heat pressed against her in a decidedly sinful way.</p> <p>She should have been afraid. She should have wriggled in his grasp and told him to unhand her because he would leave bruises like Leon. But that wasn’t how she felt.</p> <p>All she could focus on was the hand around her throat, how those fingers so carefully held her. Then she could only hold her breath as his other hand slid across her belly, lingering where her stomach had hollowed at his touch. His words inspired ice, but his touch made her burn.</p> <p>His hand suddenly tightened around her throat as his gravelly voice ground out, “Tell me this doesn’t feel real to you. If you want, I could seduce you. I could reach into your thoughts and play out all your deepest desires. If you wish for me to service you when I return to life, I will do so. Have you ever wanted a god to worship you, Jessamine?”</p> <p>Images of what that might look like flickered in her mind. She almost wanted him to get on his knees for her. What would it feel like to have that much power over someone brimming with magic?</p> <p>This wasn’t real, she told herself. It was an illusion. Because he wasn’t here. She had to have faith in the spell she had cast, so no matter how hard he squeezed, no matter how much it felt like she had to hold her breath, it wasn’t actually happening.</p> <p>“You’re not here,” she wheezed. “This is… all in my head.”</p> <p>“Is it?” Every muscle in her body clenched, and that strange heat seared through her as his lips brushed against the seashell of her ear and his voice rumbled. “Then perhaps we should see how far I can go before this dream turns into a nightmare.”</p> <p>Should she let him? That hand on her stomach flexed, his fingers brushing down until they touched one of her hips, his pinky hovering over the other. He was so much <em>larger </em>than her. She hadn’t realized it until this moment, when he’d almost consumed her. Enveloped her. Dragged her deeper into this darkness that whispered, <em>You want this</em>.</p> <p>She’d wanted to feel powerful, hadn’t she? Bending a god to her will would do that. Making a god service her, telling him exactly what she wanted and where she wanted him to touch.</p> <p>All it would take was a single nod. She just had to let him know, and she knew those wicked fingers would slide between her legs. He would touch her, finding her wet and waiting for him to bring her to that pleasure that no man had managed before. But surely a god…</p> <p>He’d inspired madness—a seed of insanity in her mind—because this was not her. She’d never had thoughts like this before. Gasping, she wrenched herself free of his grip. She had to get away from him, from what he would do…</p> <p>From how he made her feel.</p> <p>Rioting emotions turned her head upside down and inside out. She didn’t know what he wanted from her, or what she wanted from him. The strange heat wouldn’t let her go, not even when she knocked over the candle and scrambled away from him.</p> <p>Her back hit the altar hard enough that the slab groaned, shifting on its base even as he strode toward her. “You’re not real. All of this is an illusion you’ve cast,” she muttered.</p> <p>The Deathless One paused in front of her, waiting for her eyes to trail up his impossibly tall form before he growled, “You and I are bound, Jessamine. Have you forgotten that? I gave you life. No spell can keep me away from you. Not even you can control that.”</p> <p>But then a gust of wind blew through the shattered window, and his form disappeared on the tail of it.</p> <p>She was left alone in the dark room with a guttering candle lying on its side and the scattered remains of a spell that hadn’t worked. Or maybe it had worked too well.</p> <p>She stood, shook herself off, and closed the spell book like its pages were the cause of all this. Feeling stripped and hollow, she ran her shaking fingers through her hair. What had that been? How had he made her feel like that?</p> <p>Carefully gathering the spell book, she clutched it to her chest and made her way to the door. She knocked on it, hesitant in her hope that she wouldn’t have to spend the night in here until she finally decided to free the Deathless One.</p> <p>“Sybil?” she called out. “Can I please come out now?”</p> <p>Silence from the other side made her stomach twist with nausea. Was this the plan? Were they going to lock her in here, starving her in the hopes that she would eventually give in?</p> <p>Torture wasn’t something she thought she could survive. Though she was strong, she’d never really suffered in her life until recently, and… ending that suffering was all too tempting. Look at how easily she’d trusted a kind stranger just because Sybil had promised her a safe place to sleep.</p> <p>Maybe she was alone here. This would be her prison and her tomb until she did what they wanted her to do.</p> <p>Sighing, she thudded her forehead against the door. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” she whispered, sending the words out to anything that might help her. “I’m no longer a princess. No longer a daughter. I’m not a witch. I am nothing and no one, and I do not know what to do.”</p> <p>The lock clicked and the door eased open slowly, drawing her head with it until she had to stagger forward into the hall beyond. Her eyes caught first on the moss at the edges of the floor where it met the walls, emerald green and dotted with tiny white flowers. Then she dragged her gaze to the woman on the other side of the door, her dark features creased with worry.</p> <p>Sybil held out her arm, gesturing that Jessamine should walk ahead of her. “A witch is never alone.”</p> <p>With a snort of disbelief, Jessamine staggered down the hall. “I find that hard to believe. Why is she never alone? Because other witches are always going to be with her?”</p> <p>“No. Because any witch worth her salt has a patron, and that patron is always with them. Strengthening them. It is a gift as much as it is a… burden.”</p> <p>She heard the weight in that last word. Turning, she made eye contact with Sybil and watched as the other woman’s eyes drifted down to her throat.</p> <p>“What?” Jessamine found herself asking. “Did he make the scar worse?” </p> <p>“No,” Sybil muttered. “But I did not think what he left behind was possible, considering you aren’t part of our coven.”</p> <p>What could possibly happen now? She lifted a hand and touched her throat, gently stroking the scar there as though it might hurt to touch. But when she drew her fingers away, she was surprised to find them smudged with black.</p> <p>Like charcoal. She rubbed her fingers together, letting the darkness smear from finger to finger. So it had been real. He hadn’t been lying to her. </p> <p>He’d been in the room with her. The Deathless One had touched her, pulled her against his warm muscles and held her throat like he owned her. Like he had a right to touch her however he wanted, and she…</p> <p>Hadn’t minded?</p> <p>No, that definitely wasn’t how she felt. She minded very much. She didn’t like that he’d touched her at all, and that was the story she was sticking to. Even if it gave her a certain thrill to know that she must have a black handprint around her neck.</p> <p>Sybil caught her hand, holding Jessamine’s fingers out to look at the substance still clinging to her. “Magic,” she muttered. “He left a magical residue on you.”</p> <p>“What does that mean?”</p> <p>“I don’t know.” The witch looked perplexed before she narrowed her eyes on Jessamine. “What happened in there?”</p> <p>Jessamine quickly ran through what she had done, stammering her explanation for why, as though it made a difference. “I don’t want anyone to tell me what to do anymore. I have lived that way my entire life, and for once I just want to make my own decisions.”</p> <p>The troubled expression never left Sybil’s face. “We need to teach you more spells. If he’s going to be like this as your patron, then you need to learn how to protect yourself. The gravesingers I knew centuries ago could connect with multiple patrons if they wished, but he is a dangerous one to choose. The longer you are with him, the tighter your bond will tie you. Do you understand?”</p> <p>“Like a noose?”</p> <p>Sybil flinched, but then gave her the smallest of nods. “You will want to avoid that fate.”</p> <p>“Isn’t he your patron as well?”</p> <p>The stiff silence was enough of an answer.</p> <p>Jessamine turned her hand in Sybil’s grip, holding on to the witch now with what she hoped was surprising strength. “How can you stand to serve a god like that?”</p> <p>With a wince, Sybil pulled herself free. “We all do foolish things for a taste of power, do we not?”</p> <p>Jessamine found herself unsettled by the truth of that statement. As they walked away, she cast one more glance back toward that room of power and knew she would do more foolish things. Likely soon.</p> <p>Because the mark of his power on her skin had only created more questions. And Jessamine wanted answers.</p> <div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p class="has-sm-font-size">Excerpted from <em>The Deathless One</em>, copyright © 2025 by Emma Hamm.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-deathless-one-by-emma-hamm/">Read an Excerpt From &lt;i&gt;The Deathless One&lt;/i&gt; by Emma Hamm</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-deathless-one-by-emma-hamm/">https://reactormag.com/excerpts-the-deathless-one-by-emma-hamm/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=818599">https://reactormag.com/?p=818599</a></p>

<p class="syndicationauthor">Posted by Christina Orlando</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/book-review-somadina-by-akwaeke-emezi/">https://reactormag.com/book-review-somadina-by-akwaeke-emezi/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=818458">https://reactormag.com/?p=818458</a></p><post-hero class="wp-block-post-hero js-post-hero post-hero post-hero-vertical"> <div class="container container-desktop"> <div class="flex flex-col mx-auto post-hero-container"> <div class="post-hero-content"> <div class="post-hero-tags font-aktiv text-xs tracking-[0.5px] font-medium uppercase"> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/articles/books/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag Books 0"> Books </a> </span> <span class="mr-3"> <i class="inline-block w-2 h-2 rounded-full mr-[5px] bg-blue"></i> <a href="https://reactormag.com/tag/book-reviews/" class="inline-block link-no-animation" aria-label="Link to term or tag book reviews 1"> book reviews </a> </span> </div> <h2 class="post-hero-title text-h1">Akwaeke Emezi’s Much Anticipated Return to Young Adult with <i>Somadina</i> Absolutely Delivers</h2> <div class="prose post-hero-description prose--post-hero">In a magical West African world, a teen girl must save her missing twin while learning to navigate her own terrifying new powers.</div> <div class="post-hero-wrapper"> <div class="post-hero-inner"> <p class="post-hero-author text-xs font-aktiv uppercase font-medium [&amp;_a]:link-hover">By <a href="https://reactormag.com/author/helen-rhee/" title="Posts by Helen Rhee" class="author url fn" rel="author">Helen Rhee</a></p> <span class="post-hero-symbol relative top-[-2px] hidden tablet:block">|</span> <p class="text-xs uppercase post-hero-publish font-aktiv"> Published on July 23, 2025 </p> </div> </div> <div class="quick-access 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11.7513C4.78371 10.1926 2.89605 9.41364 0.678713 9.41431V6.41431C2.21205 6.41431 3.64538 6.70197 4.97871 7.27731C6.31205 7.85264 7.47471 8.63597 8.46671 9.62731C9.45805 10.6186 10.2414 11.781 10.8167 13.1143C11.392 14.4476 11.6794 15.881 11.6787 17.4143H8.67871Z" fill="currentColor" fill-opacity="0.2" /> </g> <defs> <clippath id="clip0_1051_121783"> <rect width="17" height="17" fill="white" transform="translate(0.678711 0.414307)" /> </clippath> </defs> </svg> </a> </li> </ul> </div> </details> </div> </div> </div> <div class="post-hero-media "> <figure class="w-full h-auto post-hero-image"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="407" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/review-Somadina-740x407.png" class="w-full object-cover" alt="Cover of Somadina by Akwaeke Emezi." srcset="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/review-Somadina-740x407.png 740w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/review-Somadina-1100x605.png 1100w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/review-Somadina-768x422.png 768w, https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/review-Somadina.png 1400w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /> </figure> </div> </div> </div> </post-hero> <div class="wp-block-more-from-category"> <div> </div> </div> <p>Sọmadịna and her twin brother, Jaiyeki, have always known they were different. Sharing a connection in mind and spirit—even in a village full of people endowed with magical abilities—was a bond unfathomable to many. This difference shields them from the glares and whispers of the villagers and even at times from their own mother, who has grown more distant with the departure of their older sister, Nkadi. But when their magic finally manifests, they learn that this difference was not just in their bond, but in their immense power. </p> <p>To understand their power, we must understand where they come from. Before the twins were born, war ravaged their land. Water and livestock were poisoned by their enemies and many people starved to death. To save their people from the Starvation War, the dịbịas—spiritual healers and intermediaries to the gods with multiple magical abilities—decided to create the “Split” and break the earth open to separate themselves from their enemies. But breaking the earth, one of the deity’s bodies, has a price. Ala forced her magic onto everyone left standing; if the magic was too much to bear they would die, leaving only those able to withstand and hold onto the power of a deity. After the Split, everyone in the village was born with a special power, a “gift” from Ala. For the rare few that were born with more than one magical ability, they left home to train as a dịbịa, just as Nkadi did. But Sọmadịna and Jaiyeki belonged to Ala. They were little gods.</p> <p>When their powers manifested together, Sọmadịna realized their gifts were as opposite as they could be. Jaiyeki’s was full of life and light; hers was death and destruction. At this realization, Sọmadịna feels a growing distance between her and Jaiyeki. It’s disorienting and frightening, and her fear only grows as a hunter in blue begins to appear in her dreams. She does not know who he is, but she knows that he is evil. Sensing and craving their power, a hunter kidnaps Jaiyeki. Sọmadịna finds herself alone for the first time of her life. Agonized by this separation and with unwavering conviction, she sets off to find her brother with Nkadi, her older sister turned dịbịa, and Ụwafụlamiro, her and Jaiyeki’s childhood best friend.</p> <p>As Sọmadịna, our complicated “abomination” of a heroine, embarks on a hero’s journey to save her brother, she also begins her journey of self-discovery. We witness her face rejection from her own people, including her mother, and how it deeply affects her self-worth and identity. To feel unsafe and unwanted in the place you were born, the place of your people and ancestors, can not only be isolating, but incredibly painful—a feeling Emezi knows well as an openly queer and trans person. Through Sọmadịna, they explore this pain and trauma, as well as the resilience and strength that emerges. She alone holds the power to destroy and she alone has the strength to wield it, to fight against it, to use it… for good. And it is in her darkness that Sọmadịna finds her strength.&nbsp;</p> <section class="wp-block-shop-the-book shop-the-book"> <h2 class="shop-the-book-headline">Buy the Book</h2> <div class="shop-the-book-content"> <figure class="shop-the-book-image-desktop image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Somadina.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Somadina" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <div class="flex items-center"> <figure class="shop-the-book-image-mobile image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Somadina.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Somadina" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <h3 class="shop-the-book-title text-h3">Somadina</h3> <p class="shop-the-book-author">Akwaeke Emezi</p> </div> </div> <button type="button" class="inline-block px-8 py-4 text-center btn tablet:py-3 text-h6 bg-red text-white shop-the-book-button" id="buy_book" data-trigger="modal" data-target="#modal-1753299283" aria-open="false" aria-label="Buy Book"> <span class="inline-flex items-center button-label btn-label"> Buy Book </span> </button> </div> </div> <div id="modal-1753299283" class="shop-the-book-modal"> <div class="shop-the-book-modal-inner"> <button class="js-modal-close absolute top-5 right-5 z-10" type="button" aria-label="close modal"> <svg class="w-[19px] h-[19px]" width="18" height="19" viewbox="0 0 18 19" fill="none" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" aria-label="close" role="img" aria-hidden="true"> <path d="M1 17L17 1" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M1 17L17 1" stroke="black" stroke-opacity="0.2" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M17 17.0809L1 1.08093" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> <path d="M17 17.0809L1 1.08093" stroke="black" stroke-opacity="0.2" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" /> </svg> </button> <div class="shop-the-book-modal-content"> <figure class="shop-the-book-modal-image-desktop image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Somadina.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Somadina" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <div class="flex items-center"> <figure class="shop-the-book-modal-image-mobile image-cover"> <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="450" src="https://reactormag.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Somadina.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Somadina" /> </figure> <div class="grow shrink basis-0"> <h3 class="shop-the-book-modal-title">Somadina</h3> <p class="shop-the-book-modal-author">Akwaeke Emezi</p> </div> </div> <p class="shop-the-book-modal-label">Buy this book from:</p> <ul class="not-prose ebook-links ebook-links-shortcode"><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0D9JBCHM5?tag=tordotcomgeneral-20" data-book-title="Somadina" data-book-store="Amazon"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Amazon</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.anrdoezrs.net/links/7992675/type/dlg/sid/tordotcomgeneral/https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9780593309070" data-book-title="Somadina" data-book-store="Barnes and Noble"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Barnes and Noble</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9780593309094" data-book-title="Somadina" data-book-store="iBooks"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">iBooks</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780593309070" data-book-title="Somadina" data-book-store="IndieBound"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">IndieBound</span></a></li><li><a class="btn" target="_blank" href="https://www.target.com/s?searchTerm=9780593309070" data-book-title="Somadina" data-book-store="Target"><span class="inline-flex items-center button-label text-h6 text-white font-aktiv">Target</span></a></li></ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </section> <p>Emezi once again shows their mastery at exploring identity and the intricate layers within it through Igbo culture, history, and spirituality. Navigating between the physical world of forests with springs of clear water and a river filled with crocodiles, to the spiritual one which holds a terrible power that feels like a “gourd full of ashes” and “maggots crawling out of muddy gold eyes,” the world Emezi builds is vibrant, beautiful, but also perilous. In this world, magic not only exists but it is an integral part of life. However, while magic is embedded in the everyday fabric of the community, this does not make it an understanding one. There is still a bias and discrimination against any magic that falls outside of the norm. Even the dịbịas, a fundamental but rare pillar of society, are exiled to the Sacred Forest for their training and service. They are revered, but they are also feared. Speaking to the gods is not for the faint of heart, nor is it possible for the common man. With a traumatic history of the Split and their refusal to speak about it, it is understandable that fear runs deep in this village and that they fear the little gods, the “abominations”.</p> <p>Inspired by the Biafran Genocide (or the Biafran war, depending on who you talk to), the mass starvation of Nigerian civilians it caused, and the code of silence that was mandated by the government, the Split is a fantastical reimagining of what would’ve happened if the Biafrans successfully seceded from Nigeria. It would have resulted in a separation, but not without violence, trauma, and pain that would last generations. This political and historical backdrop is important to note when reading <em>Sọmadịna </em>because it provides context to the mindset and behavior of Sọmadịna and her people. The village’s refusal to speak about the past may have numbed their pain, but the wound is deep. We see how the reverberations of that trauma are felt for generations, but we also see how wounds, both collective and personal, can start to heal. Generational curses can be broken and trust can be rebuilt. </p> <p><em>Sọmadịna</em> is a young adult fantasy, but the message is universal. It is a novel that can and should be read by anyone who has ever felt different, rejected, and broken in their life—a novel that will remind you that you don’t have to be perfect or whole or good to matter. In the end, Emezi shows us that there is no light without the dark, and that there is darkness in all of us. And because of it, because of the dark, broken things we hold inside, we absolutely deserve to feel safe, seen, and loved.[end-mark]</p> <div style="height:5px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <p class="has-sm-font-size"><em><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/664029/somadina-by-akwaeke-emezi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Somadina</a></em> is published by Knopf Books for Young Readers.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://reactormag.com/book-review-somadina-by-akwaeke-emezi/">Akwaeke Emezi’s Much Anticipated Return to Young Adult with &lt;i&gt;Somadina&lt;/i&gt; Absolutely Delivers</a> appeared first on <a href="https://reactormag.com">Reactor</a>.</p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/book-review-somadina-by-akwaeke-emezi/">https://reactormag.com/book-review-somadina-by-akwaeke-emezi/</a></p><p class="ljsyndicationlink"><a href="https://reactormag.com/?p=818458">https://reactormag.com/?p=818458</a></p>