Merchants of Light and Bone by Erika McCorkle

Sorrow in paradise. A parent’s worst nightmare. When grief drives one to revenge. Living in a tropical paradise with his spouses and kids, Amiere is a merchant of light, a sculptor who carves glowing crystals into spectacular and powerful, demon-killing works of art. When the ground opens up near his idyllic village to reveal a massive supply of crystals, the whole nation of Aloutia celebrates. The merchants are guaranteed money for decades and officials predict Aloutia will be safe from demonkind for generations. But Amiere isn’t rejoicing—when the ground split apart, his seven-year-old daughter fell to her death. Amiere’s grief turns to rage when an old enemy returns to the village with a young daughter displaying signs of starvation and abuse. Having witnessed his own daughter’s death, Amiere cannot bear the thought of watching another child die, especially when he can prevent it. Unable to ask police for help due to the village’s reputation of hostility toward authority figures, Amiere takes matters into his own hands, even at the risk of being exiled and separated from his family forever.

Adult • Diversity Representation/Neurodiversity • Fantasy/Cozy, Low, Mundane, and Slice of Life • Diversity Representation/LGBTQ+ • Fantasy/Dark • Fantasy/Epic and High

Content Warning: This novel is intended for adult audiences and reader discretion is advised. Below is a list of material found in the book that some readers may find distressing: Death, including the death of a child Grief regarding the death of one’s child Discussion of child abuse and depictions of a survivor of child abuse Discussion of rape and sexual assault On-page consensual sex Suicidal ideation Self-harm, including a child self-harming Child abduction Intense violence and torture Gore Cannibalism Discussion of drug use and overdose Slavery, including sex slavery Transphobia Sexism Heavy swearing Vomiting

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