The Roots that Clutch – Sands of Theia Book 1

A young woman finding her way in a world of heat, sand, and magic.

Theia is an unforgiving world, one of sand and heat. There are no rains, and what water there is trickles from dying springs and wells. Those who control the waters control all. They are the god-kings. These tyrants of the last remaining city-states have shackled their subjects and depleted world, enslaving all by the might of their false divinity. Above all, they control thaûma—Theia’s magic.

For anyone on the desert planet unfortunate enough to possess the ability to wield thaûma—called thaumaturges—only indoctrination and servitude await them at the hands of the god-kings.

This is Tirzah’s curse. Tortured by a sadistic older sister and kept locked from sight by her sycophant father, Tirzah’s life is one of shame and cruelty. Even the awakening of her thaûma brings her no respite, as she is soon “gifted” to the God-King Hovilan as his newest bride. But when her new mentor Bariah, a member of the insurgent thaumaturge order known as the Shadow Collective, comes to her rescue, Tirzah finds a new life among the outcasts of Theia’s wastelands.

Yet the deserts are no place to hide, and before long Tirzah’s old life, and the brutal realities of her world, poise to shatter her fragile freedom, and drag her back into the shadows of the god-kings themselves.

*Content Note: Please be aware this work contains depictions of abuse, violence, and death/dying.

★★★★★
The Roots that Clutch by A.E. Bross is a fantasy novel that balances heartbreak and hope in a skillful way and immerses the reader in a beautifully constructed world of sand, sun, and oppressive heat.

amazon review

★★★★★
This book had me, refusing to let me go. I started the sequel the moment I finished, not wanting Tirzah’s adventure to end. This is the first of a planned five books, but it stands well on its own. If I could give it more than five stars, I would.

amazon review

★★★★★
If you like fantasy with a twist; epic reads with treachery, assassins, magic, and fighting; tales of broken families filled with betrayal and revenge; or just want a book you can’t put down, I highly recommend The Roots that Clutch.

amazon review