THESE VENGEFUL GODS

After Crow’s uncles are arrested, he must fight in the Tournament of the Gods for a chance to save them from execution.

Transmasculine Crow is a Deathchild, descended from the god Death and blessed with abilities ranging from manipulating shadows and sensing others’ physical weaknesses to adjusting his own hormone levels. But Deathchildren are persecuted in Escal, and Crow has been surviving in secret in the poverty-stricken Shallows. When his uncles are transported to the wealthier Midlevel by Enforcers to await trial for smuggling Deathchildren to safety, Crow, with the help of his sponsor, the minor god Chaos, joins the televised Tournament, which takes place on Midlevel. If he wins, the gods will grant him a favor, and if he doesn’t, at least he’s nearer his uncles and can try to figure out another plan—if he can survive the Tournament without being outed as a Deathchild, that is. Though lacking the tonal clarity and originality of The Hunger Games, the story follows in its footsteps as a critique of artificially stratified communities that use violence as both a tool of suppression and as a source of entertainment. The emphasis on the loss of the Deathchildren’s culture and the creative mythology that characterizes this world help set it apart, as does the frequent, overt inclusion of characters with diverse gender identities. Crow and Chaos are brown-skinned.

A familiar story made fresh with compelling details and social commentary.