Appalachian teen Rowan Slone has left her dysfunctional, violent past behind. She's ready for her senior year in high school, she has a new job that she loves, and a safe place to call home. Rowan is close to achieving everything she's ever wanted—a sense of family, a sense of purpose, and a sense of self.
But there are cracks in Rowan's new life as relationship issues threaten to send her future crumbling to the ground, including managing self-harm impulses. When her long-held secret is discovered, Rowan must find the courage to fight for the most important thing yet—herself.
A firebird is reborn on the borders of Russia, a gate to a world of monsters and magic is breaking, and only a reluctant, untrained shaman stands in the way of a flood of supernatural darkness...
Anya is still reeling from the death of her grandfather when a strange encounter with the Finnish God of the Dead changes her life forever: Her family has been guarding the gates to the Russian otherworld on their farm for centuries, and she's the new gatekeeper. Worse, if she doesn't awaken her magical abilities and assume her new role, the gate will break, unleashing a flood of monsters and dark gods into their world.
As Anya struggles to make sense of her changing world, she can't deny the strange encounters. She'll need to accept her fate and work with the legendary firebird if she hopes to survive—and protect humanity.