Drayden (The Prey of Gods) crafts a tangled, fantastical African society as the setting for her spellbinding sophomore novel [...] Drayden takes speculative fiction in an exciting direction with a harrowing and impressive tale of twisted prophecy, identity, and cataclysmic change. - Publishers Weekly (starred review) [Drayden] excels at making every twist and turn of the plot meaningful to the story. Moreover, the world-building is deliciously lush and complex. - Booklist (starred review) A thrilling and thrillingly weird book. - Vulture (The 10 Best Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of 2018) It feels real in the ways of the best speculative fiction, as if we're looking at ourselves in a funhouse mirror, noting the skewed beauty, the blemishes, and all. - B&N Sci-fi & Fantasy Blog Drayden is an amazing writer and deft plotter. The twists are unexpected and never feel contrived, just as the novel explores real-world issues without sounding preachy. - Library Journal Temper soars precariously, like a skyscraper made of playing cards, presenting a fast paced -- if occasionally messy -- reading experience. - Nerds of a Feather