The Bones of Ruin

An African tightrope walker who can't die gets embroiled in a secret society's deadly gladiatorial tournament in this thrilling historical fantasy set in an alternate 1880s London, perfect for fans of The Last Magician and The Gilded Wolves series.

As an African tightrope dancer in Victorian London, Iris is used to being strange. She is certainly a strange sight for leering British audiences always eager for the spectacle of colonial curiosity. But Iris also has a secret that even "strange" doesn't capture?

She cannot die.

Haunted by her unnatural power and with no memories of her past, Iris is obsessed with discovering who she is. But that mission gets more complicated when she meets the dark and alluring Adam Temple, a member of a mysterious order called the Enlightenment Committee. Adam seems to know much more about her than he lets on, and he shares with her a terrifying revelation: the world is ending, and the Committee will decide who livesand who doesn't.

To help them choose a leader for the upcoming apocalypse, the Committee is holding the Tournament of Freaks, a macabre competition made up of vicious fighters with fantastical abilities. Adam wants Iris to be his champion, and in return he promises her the one thing she wants most: the truth about who she really is.

If Iris wants to learn about her shadowy past, she has no choice but to fight. But the further she gets in the grisly tournament, the more she begins to remember and the more she wonders if the truth is something best left forgotten. (From Margaret K. McElderryBooks)

Sarah Raughley is a fantasy novelistfrom Southern Ontario.Raughley'sYA Effigies series, which includesFate of Flames,Siege of ShadowsandLegacy of Light,drops readers into a world where four young women are imbued with the powers of the four elements fire, water, air and earth and taskedwith protecting the world from the evil Phantoms.

• Sarah Raughley's fantasy YA novel The Bones of Ruin weaves a tale of race and identity in the Victorian era
• 22 Canadian YA books to watch for in fall 2021
• Sarah Raughley recommends 3 historical books that centre Black characters
• 13books for the sci-fi and fantasy lover on your list
• Sarah Raughley on why having superpowers would be super awesome
• If you liked Susan Ee's Angelfall, you'll love Sarah Raughley's YA novel Fate of Flames
• Sarah Raughley shares her secrets to writing a successful fantasy series
• 34 great Canadian books to check out in fall 2021
• 21 books for the sci-fi and fantasy lover on your holiday shopping list

Books by Sarah Raughley

Interviews with Sarah Raughley

20:50Sarah Raughley on her YA fantasy novel The Bones of Ruin

Sarah Raughley talks to Shelagh Rogers about The Bones of Ruin.