The Book of Gems - (Gem Universe) by Fran Wilde (Paperback)

About the Book

"It's been centuries since the Jeweled Valley and its magical gems were destroyed. In the republics that rose from its ashes, scientists craft synthetic jewels to heat homes, power gadgetry, and wage war. Dr. Devina Brunai is one of these scientists. She also is the only person who believes true gems still exist. The recent unearthing of the Palace of Gems gives her the perfect opportunity to find them and prove her naysayers wrong. Her chance is snatched away at the last moment when her mentor steals her research and wins the trip for himself. Soon, his messages from the field transform into bizarre ramblings about a book, a Prince, and an enemy borne of the dark. Now Dev must enter the Valley, find her mentor, and save her research before they, like gems, become relics of a time long forgotten."--

Book Synopsis

"A glittering tale of academic jealousy and ancient artifacts, The Book of Gems is a pulse-pounding adventure." --Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor

Some truths are shatterproof...

It's been centuries since the Jeweled Valley and its magical gems were destroyed. In the republics that rose from its ashes, scientists craft synthetic jewels to heat homes, power gadgetry, and wage war.

Dr. Devina Brunai is one of these scientists. She also is the only person who believes true gems still exist. The recent unearthing of the Palace of Gems gives her the perfect opportunity to find them and prove her naysayers wrong.

Her chance is snatched away at the last moment when her mentor steals her research and wins the trip for himself. Soon, his messages from the field transform into bizarre ramblings about a book, a Prince, and an enemy borne of the dark. Now Dev must enter the Valley, find her mentor, and save her research before they, like gems, become relics of a time long forgotten.

More books in the Gem Universe:
The Jewel and Her Lapidary
The Fire Opal Mechanism

Review Quotes

"A creepy and dazzling new page in Fran Wilde's Gem Universe." --Max Gladstone, New York Times bestselling co-author of This is How You Lose the Time War

"A glittering tale of academic jealousy and ancient artifacts, The Book of Gems is a pulse-pounding adventure." --Katherine Addison, author of The Goblin Emperor

"The Book of Gems is a story full of atmosphere and wonders leading us along an unsettling path to ask: how do you see the truth when you are certain you already know it? Fran Wilde brings us there with an adventurous, suspenseful story delivered with compassion and a steady hand." --C.L. Polk, Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winner

"Sparkling with ancient mystery, rediscovered family, and magical history, The Book of Gems is a gripping story. Fran Wilde delivers a tale filled with compassion and dire warnings." --Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author

"Even those new to the series will be swept up in Wilde's inventive worldbuilding. This is a bite-size treat." --Publishers Weekly

"Wilde delivers again. Every facet of this story shines." --Kevin Hearne, author of the Seven Kennings trilogy

"Recommended for fans of moody aesthetic academia or fantasy mystery." --Library Journal

Praise for Fran Wilde's Gem Universe series:

"A splendid tale of courage and transformation in a world as exquisite as Wilde's prose. You will be utterly entranced." --Ken Liu, Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award winner, on The Jewel and Her Lapidary

"Readers who loved Jewel will be delighted by this outing." --Publishers Weekly, on The Fire Opal Mechanism

"A fun adventure, one that's beautifully written." --io9, on The Jewel and Her Lapidary

"[A] sharp, glittering novella about friendship, family, loyalty, and mental instability." --Locus, on The Jewel and Her Lapidary

About the Author

Two-time Nebula Award-winner Fran Wilde's novels and short stories have been finalists for six Nebula Awards, a World Fantasy Award, four Hugo Awards, three Locus Awards, and a Lodestar. They include her Nebula- and Compton Crook Award-winning debut novel Updraft, and her Nebula award-winning, Best of NPR 2019, debut Middle Grade novel Riverland. Her short stories appear in Asimov's Science Fiction, Tor.com, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Shimmer, Nature, Uncanny Magazine, and multiple years' best anthologies.

Fran teaches for the Genre Fiction MFA concentration at Western Colorado University and the Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She also writes nonfiction for publications including The Washington Post, The New York Times, and Tor.com. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and at franwilde.net.