In this "strikingly imaginative" sequel to The Waterborn, an emperor's daughter flees into the wasteland, pursued by an angry god (Kirkus Reviews).

The daughter of the emperor, Hezhi has been blessed with untold strength: powers that could change the world. Fearful of this teenage upstart, the god known as the River demands that she be brought in line—or put to death, as all who challenge the River must be. He sends an assassin to follow her, but with the help of a barbarian named Perkar, Hezhi fights back—and nearly destroys the River altogether.

She flees the city, striking out into the wilderness in hopes of finding a safe haven beyond the reach of the River's agents. But no matter where she goes, Hezhi cannot find peace. When she meets the River's brother, the trickster known as the Blackgod, he offers a way to destroy the River at the source. Caught between two warring deities, Hezhi must learn to master her power—or watch as the world is consumed by water.