Heartseeker

Gr 4–6—Only Fallow has a unique gift: she can see lies as a shimmer of color around the teller. Telling a lie of her own, however, brings unimaginable pain. She is warned by her family to keep this power a secret, but soon the king learns of her ability and sends his men to bring Only to his castle. When she arrives, she learns just how wide the seeds of discord within the kingdom have been sown and how deeply fixed their roots have become. It is her job to help the king identify friends from foes. As Only becomes further embroiled in the castle intrigue, she determines the only way to save herself and her family is to stay in the service of the king. With enemies who have their own particular cunning, Only has the truth to protect her—and the truth to do her harm. In this stunning debut novel, Beatty crafts a world rich with its own mythology and filled with strong heroes.