Hati perfectly balances plot and character elements in her cli-fi fantasy, exploring the potential for rage and trauma to break the world. . . . This compelling stand-alone fantasy explores both personal and societal costs of reliance on a dwindling resource.” —Library Journal, starred review
“A thought-provoking climate fantasy. . . . And the Sky Bled is already drawing comparisons to the work of N. K. Jemisin and Fonda Lee.” —Paste Magazine
“S. Hati applies her degrees in microbiology and biotechnology to thematically place her novel alongside other great cli-fi works such as The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin, Dune by Frank Herbert, and Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. This eye-opening novel and its complex characters will both entertain and enlighten.” —ScreenRant
“And the Sky Bled is a book that grabs you by the shoulders, stares into your eyes, and does not let go until the end. It’s set in a fascinating, deeply built world that explores extractive colonialism and the resultant environmental devastation, but does so through the very human experiences of its characters. It’s an intricate tangle of histories and relationships—loss, guilt, regret, hope, survival, and the shifting balance of power. It’s a book that asks “What now?” and then answers: “Now we find a way to move on.” —Moniquill Blackgoose, author of national bestseller To Shape a Dragon’s Breath, a Washington Post and NPR Best Book of the Year
“And the Sky Bled is a dazzlingly original, epic, and totally blood-soaked fantasy not for the faint of heart. The dying, dystopian city of Tejomaya and the three intersecting stories of its desperate antiheroes took my breath away. A fresh addition to the fantasy genre! Hati is certainly a writer to watch. —Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Principle of Moments
“The desperation of the characters leaps off the page. A new addition to the genre, this book explores themes of survival and revolution in refreshingly new and interesting ways.” —Marvellous Michael Anson, author of Firstborn of the Sun
About the Book
Amid the chaos of a dying city ruled by colonizers, three rivals—a thief, a slumlord, and an heiress—race to find a hidden cache of magic that will decide the city’s fate.
In the occupied city of Tejomaya, calor—a magical fossil fuel—is found only in the blood rains that fall from the sky. While a six-month drought has brought Tejomaya to a desperate standstill, rumors of a secret stash of magic propel three unlikely treasure seekers to risk everything.
Tenacious and street-smart Zain Jatav has been forced to steal calor for her slumlord bosses for years. Finding the magic reserve might be her only key to freedom. But she’ll have to contend with Iravan Khotar, a slumlord himself and an ambitious revolutionary hoping to use the same magic to save his people from the mysterious illness devastating the slums—and to bolster a fight against their oppressors. Meanwhile, heiress Anastasia Drakos leads the ruling council of Tejomaya from the safety of a nearby island. With the hidden magic, she could finally take full control of the city and crush the slums beneath her unyielding fist.
As Zain, Iravan, and Anastasia draw closer to finding the treasure, their paths tangle, and not for the first time—they met before, a decade ago, in a fire that destroyed each of their lives in different ways. Their reunion might bring the already-weakened city to its knees.
Exploring the devastating mechanisms of power, this searing climate fantasy breathes life into a crumbling world hovering on the brink of total destruction.
Writing Playlist
I’ve always loved when authors share their writing playlists, so if that’s your jam, here’s a collection of songs I’ve written to since I started conceptualizing ATSB, all the way through revisions!
Trigger Warnings
Violence, non-consensual kiss, climate anxiety, child abuse (off-page, implied), death, loss of a child (off-page)
S. Hati 