The Branded

The Branded Season, Book 1

By: Jo Riccioni

Narrated by: Leah Filley

Isfalk is divided into two classes – the Branded, who are vulnerable to disease, and the Pure, who are bigger, stronger and immune. Orphaned twins Nara and Osha are sequestered in the citadel, where their unbranded skin entitles them to a life of privilege, as precious breeding stock.

Nara itches to escape her confines and return to the wilds of the Fornwood where she and her sister grew up, but when she is forced to run, she discovers there's much more at stake than her own life. The Branded are on the rise, and the girls are caught up in their prophecies.

Forced to accept the help of a mysterious southern Brand known only as the Wrangler, Nara discovers the latent power lying dormant in uncanny abilities she's had since childhood. But in a world where women are traded as commodities, who can she trust in the lands beyond the Fornwood? What does the Wrangler know about her forgotten childhood? Two sisters without a past hold the weight of the future in their hands.

Shortlisted for the Small Press Network Book of the Year Award

©2022 Jo Riccioni (P)2023 Bolinda Publishing

Critic reviews

'An outstanding fantasy debut, evocative and thought-provoking.' (Juliet Marillier, author of the Sevenwaters series)

'A rollicking fantasy novel that grounds complex concepts in a pair of fallible, intriguing protagonists and a rich high-fantasy setting that is a genuine pleasure to discover.' (Books+Publishing)

Fantasy Mills and Boon

Awful, just awful. You know those books when the woman absolutely loathes a man but you just know she really loves him? You know those books where the woman has to choose between two men, one apparently good and the other a rogue? Of course the good guy turns out to be a horrible person but the rogue is really a great guy. Yeah this is one of those books except it is set in a fantasy world that isn't a well rounded world. A pity. But this book is just woeful trash.