At fifteen, Sanyel is as good as dead. In defiance of strict tribal and religious law, Sanyel's shaman father has been covertly training her in the secret knowledge and rituals of the medicine man, sacred practices prohibited to females. Betrayal by her best friend leads to Sanyel's banishment to the unforgiving Desert of Bones, the equivalent of a death sentence. The savage desert cruelly tests Sanyel's will to survive and she begins to question her father's belief in portents surrounding her birth. He had told her these signs indicated a destiny that included leading her people in a time of great trouble. Sanyel has secrets. She possesses unusual talents known only to her and her father. She will need those abilities, for beyond the desert's edge lies a culturally and politically complex world she did not know existed. When soldiers of a brutal, expansionist people attack and enslave Sanyel's tribe, she vows to free the friend who betrayed her. With the companionship of Javen, a boy of undeniable physical attractions, along with Brilna, an unfocused yet invaluable fountain of knowledge, and the remarkable Izzy, a one-armed girl of intimidating presence and deadly skill, Sanyel will rise from desert exile to embark on a mission both perilous and deeply personal. Along the way she will find unexpected love and form stalwart bonds of friendship, uncover intriguing mysteries of an advanced, long vanished culture, and unearth clues that suggest she holds a more unique and powerful status in the world than she ever imagined.
About the Author: Michael Puttonen is a Minnesota native and writer of action/adventure novels with a touch of fantasy. He honed his craft writing short stories and tales for young children before expanding into writing full-length adventure novels for a young adult and adult readership. Always an avid reader, his tastes include an eclectic variety of genres and styles that encompass storytellers both past and present. As a writer, he feels an affinity for action and adventure, and loves fantasy for the freedom it offers in creating alternate worlds. His direct influences include the pulp fantasy of E.R. Burroughs and the historical fiction of Bernard Cornwell. His SANYEL series features the adventures of a young, gifted female shaman as she confronts a male-dominated world. This ongoing series currently includes the books SANYEL, DISRUPTER, and CIRCLES AND STONES.