As She Rises. Before Honour's Stand, #1

FAMILY. FANTASY. EX-HUSBANDS. MONSTERS. KNIVES. AND GRIEF. Join a grieving mother, an orc with a toddler, an ex-husband, a crippled mage, and a faulty seer as they band together to overcome a force much more terrifying than any fantasy villain: the unexpected loss of a child. But doing so won't be easy, and this ragtag group of adventurers must be willing to answer questions no one ever wants to hear: How does a parent survive the death of a child? How do you keep living when your reason for living is gone? And most importantly: where does all that love go, when you have nowhere left to put it?AS SHE RISES is intended for book clubs and parents of all ages, with a specific focus on mothers with sons.
It has fantasy elements but leans more towards drama, despite the 'high-stakes' and 'epic-fantasy' plot occurring as a backdrop to a story about regret, grief, and the impossible quest of being a good parent. It is recommended for fans of the efficient, rhythmic prose of Ursula K. Le Guin's The Other Wind, as well as those interested in an unflinching exploration of grief and loss similar to what can be found in Jodi Picoult's Sing You Home, Rosie Hewlett's The Witch of Colchis, and Benjamin Alire Saenz's Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World.