Format: 400 pages, Hardcover
Release Date: July 7, 2026
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Dark Fantasy
Publisher: HarperCollins US
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult, Dark Fantasy
How does one kill the unkillable?
Sparrow and her companions have been left with an impossible task: slay the immortal Deathless King, whose magic siphons the very life of the world to sustain himself.
The answer may lie deep in the past, when those who would become Deathless Kings stormed the sanctuary of the goddess of Fate, in an attempt to remove their threads from the Weave and become immortal. They broke off a piece of the goddess’s loom and hurled it to the earth, where it still lies at the center of a dangerous wasteland called the World Scar.
For any chance against the Deathless King, Sparrow and her companions must brave the World Scar and reach the loom, which would grant the power of a goddess. But the journey is fraught with danger, and the powerful Deathless King determined to find them.
And if the loom is reached—what will the power of a goddess do to a mere mortal? Sparrow has no choice but to find out.
Sparrow and her companions have been left with an impossible task: slay the immortal Deathless King, whose magic siphons the very life of the world to sustain himself.
The answer may lie deep in the past, when those who would become Deathless Kings stormed the sanctuary of the goddess of Fate, in an attempt to remove their threads from the Weave and become immortal. They broke off a piece of the goddess’s loom and hurled it to the earth, where it still lies at the center of a dangerous wasteland called the World Scar.
For any chance against the Deathless King, Sparrow and her companions must brave the World Scar and reach the loom, which would grant the power of a goddess. But the journey is fraught with danger, and the powerful Deathless King determined to find them.
And if the loom is reached—what will the power of a goddess do to a mere mortal? Sparrow has no choice but to find out.
Julie Kagawa's Deathless is the second installment in the author's Fateless series. Deathless picks up with former thief Sparrow confronting the consequences of her identity as the Fateless—someone who can unravel the fates and destinies of those she touches, yet has none of her own—while facing an immortal threat that is draining the world itself.
Sparrow and her companions (Kysa, Halek and Raithe) face an impossible charge: stop the Deathless King, an immortal whose magic sustains him by siphoning life from the land. The path forward leads into the past and a perilous journey toward a fragment of the goddess of Fate’s loom, hidden in the deadly World Scar—a lava-covered wasteland where even the air is poisonous.
Reaching it could grant goddess-level power, but the risks to a mortal (and the pursuit by the Deathless King) are immense. Sparrow travels with Scarab Clan warrior Kysa, the carefree Fatechaser Halek (on their giant flying rock beetles), and the assassin Raithe, whose budding romance with Sparrow grows more complicated, including a visit to his mystic homeland.
The group crosses dangerous territories, meets allies and foes, and navigates twists that keep the stakes high. The narrative balances the larger quest (confronting immortality and cosmic-scale threats tied to the Weave of fate) with personal costs, nightmares stemming from prior events, and interpersonal dynamics. Twists are deftly placed to maintain momentum through the Dead Lands and beyond.
Notably, the book incorporates necessary background from Fateless smoothly enough that new readers can follow, while rewarding series fans with deeper exploration of the lore around the Deathless Kings, the goddess Maederyss, and the Tapestry/Weave. As a middle book in a trilogy, it escalates the conflict effectively and ends on a cliffhanger designed to heighten anticipation for the finale.
Sparrow remains a compelling lead: a resourceful former thief grappling with power, responsibility, identity, and the absence of a predetermined path. Her emotional arc receives solid development alongside the action. The supporting cast shines—Kysa’s warrior perspective and cultural ties, Halek’s lighter, windswept Fatechaser philosophy providing contrast and humor, and Raithe’s enigmatic assassin background adding tension and depth.
Building on the desert city of Kovass, the Dust Sea, ancient Deathless Kings, the Thieves Guild/Circle, and the theological framework of Maederyss weaving the Tapestry of the World, Deathless expands into new regions like the World Scar, the Dead Lands, and Irrikah. Unique elements—giant flying rock beetles as mounts, poisonous wastelands, blood magic/undead forces tied to the immortal king, and cultural details of groups like the Scarab Clan—create an immersive, distinctive setting that blends high fantasy with post-imperial decay and mythic stakes.
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