The paperback release of 2024's astonishing literary scifi coming-of-age novel. In January
2314 Rowena Savalas – a curator of the vast archive of the twenty-first century’s primitive
internet – stumbles upon a story posted in the summer of 2024. She’s quickly drawn into the
mystery of the text: Is it autobiography fantasy or fraud? What’s the significance of the
recurring number 381? In the story the protagonist Fairly walks the Horned Road – a quest
undertaken by youngsters in her village when they come of age. She is followed by the
“breathing man ” a looming presence dogging her heels every step of the way. Everything she
was taught about her world is overturned. Following Fairly’s quest Rowena comes to question
her own choices and a predictable life of curation becomes one of exploration adventure and
love. As both women’s stories draw to a close she realises it doesn’t matter whether the story
is true or not: as with the quest itself it’s the journey that matters.
