That Dark Infinity

Gr 6-10–Ankou can’t be killed. He suffers a kind of death each day when he decays to skeletal remains before awakening again to his 300-year-old teen body, ready to fight monsters. During his waking hours, Lazarus, as he calls himself, easily heals from mortal wounds caused by the various horrors he vanquishes as he travels the five kingdoms. It is a witch’s curse that makes death impossible. Flora is a handmaiden to a princess, brutally raped and left for dead when the kingdom she serves is invaded and annihilated. Ankou finds her and teaches her to survive with a sword and hunting skills. They pick up a third outcast, Dr. Atonais, master of lightning, as Lazarus tries to fulfill the elements of a riddle that could save him from the immortality he suffers. This is an adventure with trials and riddles, battles and tests, as well as a love story. Pentecost has a fine rhythm with descriptions and worldbuilding that make this a satisfying and engaging read with characters worthy of the empathy they evoke.