Lute

Lute and its inhabitants are blessed, year after year, with good weather, good health, and good fortune, despite the war that rages all around them. So it's only fair that every seven years, on the day of the tithe, the island's gift is honored.

American Nina Treadway is new to Lute: she became a Lady through her marriage to Lord Treadway, whose family has long protected the island. Nina's heard about the day, of course, but she thinks it's all superstitious nonsense. Stories told to keep newcomers at bay and youngsters in line.

Then the Day begins. And it's a day of nightmares, of grief, of reckoning. But it's also a day of community. Of survival and strength. Of love, at its most pure and untamed. When the Day ends, Nina—and Lute—will never be the same.