Stone Feather Fang

A.G. Rodriguez astonishes with a consuming debut. 

In a world of lost magic and absentee gods—known as the Cemi—a young priestess named Hildy is asked to perform a religious ceremony called the Telling, as a means to connect to these gods. Despite the lack of interest from their island nation and her persistent stutter, she agrees. Meanwhile, her sister, a royal leader on the island, plots to dismantle the church, making this the last Telling.

Hildy, with the support of her best friend, Isadore, dazzles the community with the story of her ancestor Jenaro, who had the ability to commune with the cemi, for better or for worse.

The novel alternates between Hildy’s story in the present and Jenaro’s story in the past. As Jenaro, alongside his own best friend and confidant, Agostin, comes of age, he embarks on wild and wondrous adventures with magic lurking around every corner.

As their two stories unfold, tensions deepen in both eras. Political, religious, and magical conflict wrought with potential come to a powder keg in an ending that makes you thirsty for another installment.

With the larger than life cemi, beautifully crafted history, and vibrantly detailed cultures, this is a masterclass in world-building. It is refreshing to see high-fantasy based in Taino mythology and Puerto Rican culture, with Latinae characters at its center. We don’t get this enough. But Rodriguez delivers.

TreVaughn Malik Roach-Carter

Fiction Editor