Beasts Made of Night

In a world where sin can be magically transferred from sinner to “sin-eater” for a cost, a gifted young sin-eater uncovers a dark secret and must rely on his deadly talents to save the kingdom — and his own life — in this thrilling YA fantasy debut that will appeal to fans of Sabaa Tahir and Paolo Bacigalupi.

Seventeen-year-old Taj is the most talented sin-eater indentured by the Guild, a ruthless organization of mages that runs a lucrative trade absolving the rich.

In the walled city of Kos, mages have a dark magic that allows them to call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin beasts — lethal creatures spawned from feelings of anguish and guilt. Every time Taj slays a sin beast, an image of the beast scars his skin while the guilt of committing the sin scars his mind. Most sin-eaters can’t take it, driven mad by the process. But Taj is gifted and cocky and desperate — his family depends on his wages, and he’s willing to risk everything for them.

Until Taj is hired to do a job that even he can’t follow through on. Soon, Taj realizes that some sins should never be eaten. When he stumbles upon a dark plot to destroy the kingdom, Taj must fight to save the princess he loves — and his own life.

Debut author Tochi Onyebuchi delivers a haunting and powerful story of loyalty, survival, and heart-pounding adventure.