First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if, instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

The Rules:

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page.
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first.
• Finally… reveal the book!

First Lines:

“Maman lied when she told me there were ghosts in the ocean. Cold water pressed at my ears, the breath in my lungs warm and taut as a paper lantern. Shapes appeared in the murk below, towers rising out of the darkness. Strands of kelp swayed back and forth between broken stone and rotting wood with the ceaseless rhythm of breathing. There ere no ghosts down here — just the pitted, pockmarked bones of a long-dead world. I forced myself to stay calm, to make my breath last longer.”

I love how vivid the writing is, it makes me feel like I’m right under the waves with this character.

Do you recognize the lines?

Here’s a hint:

This is an upcoming start to a fantasy series.

Still not sure? Here’s another hint:

It’s written by Andrea Stewart.

The First Lines Friday book is:

The Gods Below.

About the Book:

• Title: The Gods Below
• Author: Andrea Stewart
• Series: The Hollow Covenant #1
• Page Length: 517 pages
• Publication Date: September 5, 2024
• Publisher: Orbit

Synopsis:

The Gods Below begins a sweeping epic from fantasy’s newest master worldsmith Andrea Stewart, a story of magic, betrayal, love, and loyalty, where two sisters will clash on opposite sides of a war against the gods.

A divine war shattered the world, leaving humanity in ruins. Desperate for hope, they struck a deal with the devious god Kluehnn: He would restore the world to its former glory, but at a price so steep it would keep the mortals indebted to him for eternity. And as each land was transformed, so too were its people changed into strange new forms—if they survived at all.

Hakara is not willing to pay such a price. Desperate to protect herself and her sister, Rasha, she flees her homeland for the safety of a neighboring kingdom. But when tragedy separates them, Hakara is forced to abandon her beloved sister to an unknown fate.

Alone and desperate for answers on the wrong side of the world, Hakara discovers she can channel magic from the mysterious gems they are forced to mine for Kluehnn. With that discovery comes another: Her sister is alive, and the rebels plotting to destroy the god pact can help rescue her.

But only if Hakara goes to war against a god.

Links: Goodreads     

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you if you purchase through my links.