Iraxi is the last of the 'nims,' who have a magical connection to the sea, but their power is no longer revered. It has been 1,743 days since the land flooded and became uninhabitable. Iraxi lives with the remnants of humanity on a ship, helplessly floating on the sea surrounded by the dual threat of tentacled monsters from below and 'razorfangs' from above. All rights reserved Review by Library Journal ReviewĭEBUT Dark fantasy and horror work in tandem, gently overlapping at first, before violently colliding in this captivating and disquieting novella. Agent: Roseanne Wells, the Jennifer De Chiara Agency. Still, the constant threats of life on the water present just enough tension to keep this novella afloat. Rocklyn conjures Iraxi's precarious position in fluid, lovely prose, though the tight focus on her pregnancy causes the narrative to feel stagnant at times, as the ark lacks direction both literally and metaphorically, and the world that came before is only hinted at. As Iraxi's due date comes ever closer, a darker fear takes root: that her baby may be something other than human. But Iraxi questions the morality and purpose of bringing life into such a disastrous environment: razorfangs circle in the water, the refugees scrape by on a dwindling supply of rosehip water and beans, and interpersonal conflict abounds. Now Iraxi, who had been a commoner on land, is in the final days of a pregnancy, and many on the ark view her unborn child as a sign of hope. Iraxi and her community have survived at sea for 1,743 days, refugees of a flooded, highly stratified kingdom. Rocklyn's lyrical gothic fantasy debut considers how life can persist in a world of rot, death, and destruction. James' The Children of Men, and Octavia Butler's 'Bloodchild.' From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. This novella will whet the appetite of fans of classics like Ira Levin's Rosemary's Baby, P. Her rage and search for vengeance propel the plot. Iraxi is an irascible yet sympathetic narrator, caught up in a struggle much bigger than herself and moving with forces that she may not understand. It feels like a taste of a much larger world that has a long and awful history. Does she even want her baby, or is it yet another burden she will be saddled with? What will happen when she finally gives birth? Will Iraxi save the world-or destroy it? This debut novella combines the physical anxiety of pregnancy with dystopian desperation and urgency. Iraxi, an outcast, is pregnant with a child who might not live past infancy. The land is dying, and the inhabitants of the world are barely surviving on a boat with dwindling rations. Flowers for the Sea is about a desperate attempt to keep a people alive.

Flowers for the sea by zin e rocklyn