The Severing Cycle

Veyra has spent her life unseen—a nameless worker in a city that worships harmony while quietly discarding anyone who doesn’t fit its perfect shape. When she witnesses a murder committed by a powerful house, the accusation turns back on her. Branded a liar, condemned without trial, she is cast into the Rivenwild: a vast, forbidden wilderness where exiles vanish and monsters thrive.

But the Rivenwild is not empty.

A hidden settlement called The Gathered has carved out a fragile existence beneath the trees—hunters, healers, and survivors bound by harsh rules and older hungers. Some carry the Deepgift, a dangerous ability born from taking the essence of the dead. Some fear it. Some crave it. And some believe Veyra may already carry its shadow.

As Veyra fights to stay alive, she discovers that the Gifted Lands above are not what they claim to be… and the Rivenwild below is not what she was taught to fear. The truth lies somewhere between—in the hands of people the world has chosen to forget.

But Veyra has been forgotten before. She will not be forgotten again.

A story of survival, found family, buried power, and the cost of becoming more than the world allows. Perfect for listeners of Robin Hobb, Anthony Ryan, and Samantha Shannon.