DAUGHTERS OF TITH

In Anderson’s fantasy debut, a queen-to-be braves a harrowing journey across worlds to pull her people out of exile.

Tchardin, the youngest of five sisters, is one of the kandar—a “guardian race” meant to guide humans on the nine Earths. But for several generations, the kandar have been exiled to their planet Derkra. Tchardin will soon be Derkra’s queen, but she questions her ability to effectively rule; during this exile, no kandar has been able to travel to any of the Earths to fulfill the Purpose their Creator gave them. Tchardin differs from her sisters in her curious nature: “The longing for something beyond had come to her early in life, but it had been easy to ignore until lately. Now the feeling pressured her almost constantly.” She indulges her hunger for the unknown by answering a mysterious call while traveling toward the kandars’ long-abandoned city of origin. Surprises ensue, including the rediscovery of the kandars’ ability to “shift” between worlds. An unexpected foe whose nefarious plan involves starting a war pulls Tchardin to one of the Earths. To get back to Derkra, she must traverse the nine Earths—all while fighting an enemy’s interplanetary influence and menacing presence. This epic novel, which launches a prospective series, excels at worldbuilding; in particular, Anderson evocatively describes the planet Derkra, covered by an empty, desolate, seemingly infinite ocean that the kandar appear to fear. The story takes full advantage of its length, fleshing out its characters and ever changing locales. While the cast includes plenty of Derkra’s inhabitants (as well as some humans), the empathetic Tchardin and her multilayered sisters bask in the brightest spotlight. As the author has sequels planned, myriad questions linger, from the fates of various individuals to the particulars of Derkra’s past, including the kandaran war and resultant exile.

This mythical series opener abounds in vivid characters and crisp details.