“On my seventh birthday, my father swore, for the first of many times, that I would die face down in a cesspool.”
–from Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg
Well. If that doesn’t catch your attention, then I’m not sure what would.
Welcome to the Lighthouse Duet, comprised of Flesh and Spirit and the sequel, Breath and Bone. Berg is a great fantasy author, and I wish her books were better known.