KLARA'S JOURNEY

A sex worker with a tragic past discovers her inner strength and self-worth in Wright’s debut fantasy novel.

In a fantastical, sprawling, rural land divided into kingdoms of clans composed of divergent races, a young woman named Klara provides drink, sustenance, and sexual services to the patrons of an alehouse. One evening, she’s offered an unlikely opportunity by a tall, dark-haired foreigner. Waywyrd, a wizard, seeks a cook to join a traveling party, and he convinces her to accept his offer. Months pass before his return, and Klara’s dream of escape from her hated circumstances fades, but Waywyrd and his party, members of the Keltoi clan, show up as she is busy servicing a particularly loathsome customer. Her fortunes soon improve. The Keltoi appreciate having someone who can serve a tasty meal after months of enduring their own cooking. Eventually, Klara becomes thought of as the seventh member of the Keltoi party. As Karn puts it, “I don’t think of you as a whore that I could pay for pleasure as I wanted it. You’re a member of the company and I’d like to think we’re friends.” But being the only female in the group creates complications; Thorn and his nephew Karn both take a shine to Klara. She discovers that they are both royalty in need of future heirs. Unfortunately, there are those in the party who would sabotage any relationship between a Kelt and a commoner. In her debut novel, Wright does a masterful job of portraying Klara’s journey. The Klara that the reader first meets is guarded and cut off from emotion. After she joins the Keltoi, she begins to open her heart to the possibilities of family and love, though her growing trust proves to be dangerous. Wright also ably develops the rough-hewn Keltoi into distinctive, enjoyable characters. Wright has created an enthralling new series lead, so here’s hoping Klara hangs on until the second book.

A woman’s striking metamorphosis and pain drive this compelling debut.