Publisher's Synopsis
Eldergrove is dying. Its once-prosperous fields are overrun by creeping roots, its people vanish into the forest without a trace, and the whispers of the woods grow louder each day. As fear takes hold, the village begins to fracture, with anger and blame pointing toward the forest's mysterious and growing power.
Marta never wanted to be anything more than another quiet villager. When the forest chooses her as its Lantern Bearer, she becomes its voice and its link to humanity. Armed only with a glowing pendant and cryptic whispers in her mind, Marta must walk the line between two worlds-one desperate to survive, the other crying out for retribution.
But tensions within the village boil over as the forest's warnings become more severe. When Marta's attempts to restore the balance reveal long-buried secrets about the village's past betrayals, she must decide whether to stand with her people or with the ancient force that demands sacrifice. With time running out and lives at stake, Marta begins to understand that the balance won't be restored without a cost-and it might be more than she's willing to give.
