Finnikin of the Rock, by Melina Marchetta
Fantasy
First line: “A long time ago, in the spring before the five days of the unspeakable, Finnikin of the Rock dreamed that he was to sacrifice a pound of flesh to save the royal house of Lumatere.”
Booktalk: When Finnikin is nine years old, he dreams that he will have to sacrifice a pound of flesh to save the kingdom of Lumatere. Not long after, the entire royal family is brutally murdered, and a curse is placed upon the entire country, trapping half of its citizens outside its borders – and the rest inside, with no way out.
Ten years later, Finnikin – who was trapped on the outside – is still searching for all of the Lumateran exiles, and trying to find a new home for them somewhere on the continent. But his plans change when he receives a message about a girl named Evanjalin, who makes an unbelievable claim – that the heir to the throne is still alive, and she is the only one who can find him and lift the curse on their country.
Now Finnikin must make a choice: continue on his chosen path, or follow this mysterious girl on a dangerous mission that will lead him back to the home he thought was lost forever.
Similar titles: Graceling (Kristin Cashore), Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo)