The Kingdoms Beyond Death

The Dead Have Stopped Crossing. One Girl Came Back.

For generations, the ferrymen of Bellweather have carried the dead across the River Veil, guiding each soul through three sacred bells: recognition, release, and surrender.

Then every bell in the city rings at once.

The river reverses. Empty funeral boats drift upstream. The dead vanish before reaching the other side.

Inside one returning boat, apprentice ferryman Tavian Grey finds Elara Senn-a girl buried three days earlier.

Elara remembers almost nothing about her death, but she carries a warning: thousands of souls are trapped between worlds, the true names of the dead are being stolen, and something beneath Bellweather has awakened.

To uncover the truth, Tavian must cross into a forbidden kingdom with a resurrected girl who may have chosen to die, a disgraced priest with a sword he cannot draw, a fearless smuggler, and a mysterious creature that feeds on ghosts.

Their journey leads to Lament, a breathtaking city built from unfinished dreams, abandoned loves, and words the dead never spoke. There, grief can become a monster, forgotten names can be turned into weapons, and death itself hides an impossible secret.

Death is not a natural law. It is an ancient agreement-and someone is breaking it.

Worse, Tavian's connection to the mystery began ten years ago, on the night his mother disappeared into the river.

The Ferryman of Silent Bells is the first book in The Kingdoms Beyond Death, a sweeping spiritual fantasy adventure filled with astonishing realms, dangerous mysteries, sharp humor, unforgettable companions, and heartbreaking sacrifice.

• His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
• The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
• The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
• Emotionally powerful fantasy about death, love, found family, and the worlds waiting beyond our own