Ruined History by Claudie Arseneault

Fate and friendship brought Horace, Rumi, Keza, and Aliyah together in Rumi’s sentient self-propelling wagon. They seek the forest haunting Aliyah’s dream, hoping for answers about the elf’s past and unique abilities—but first, they need to traverse a world haunted by Fragments, dangerous shards that can possess travellers and react to Aliyah’s presence. When the Archivists—a mysterious organization that has trailed the crew from the very start—capture everyone but Aliyah, however, their journey grinds to a halt. Still reeling from revelations about themselves, Aliyah must infiltrate the Archivists’ base to rescue their group. The place is half ruined city, half magical wonder—a labyrinth to navigate which will require the help of two unlikely allies: Fragment motes from past citizens willing to guide Aliyah. To confront the Archivists is to uncover more of the inextricable truths between Aliyah and the Fragments. With every new revelation, the fractures in the Wagon crew’s cohesion and Aliyah’s determination widen. Before they can travel onward, they will need to find the strength to bear the weight of their ruined history.

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

Content Warning: Imprisonment, Possession, Brief risk of suffocation