The Shiver Tree

Searcy’s run-of-the-mill epic fantasy debut treads familiar terrain, sending a young elf with magical powers on a perilous quest to prevent the destruction of her world. Kiana, daughter of the High Druid Ozmand Paletine, is frustrated by her father’s refusal to prioritize restoring the five Druid Orders that once protected their people. She is convinced that doing so is the only way to save the continent of Amarra from external threats, but Ozmand, who has been training Kiana to be his successor, insists the time is not yet right to do so. Frustrated, Kiana sets off to join her sister Ravaini, who abandoned their family’s magic traditions to join the war against the pirates responsible for their mother’s death. Searcy tosses in a rote romantic subplot alongside predictable escapes from monstrous foes, including the Deep Ones, villains with mind-controlling abilities and “lacking the capacity for kindness or empathy.” Modern language (a combatant notes that Kiara “thinks she’s pretty tough shit”) doesn’t help with suspension of disbelief. There’s little to make this stand out in a crowded market. Agent: Cole Lanahan, Seymour Agency. (Nov.)