The Evaporation of Sofi Snow Read online

  ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE EVAPORATION OF SOFI SNOW

  “A smart, intriguing adventure of high-tech futuristic gaming. Mary Weber takes readers on an intergalactic journey intertwined with complicated family issues, politics, loyalty, secrets, and betrayal.”

  —WENDY HIGGINS, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  “Mary Weber spins a compelling tale with lyrical beauty and devious twists. The Evaporation of Sofi Snow is the kind of book teens and adults will devour and talk about—endlessly.”

  —JONATHAN MABERRY, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MARS ONE AND ROT & RUIN

  PRAISE FOR THE STORM SIREN TRILOGY

  “A perfect conclusion to this delightfully brave trilogy, Siren’s Song will leave you eager to read whatever falls from the pen of talented author Mary Weber next.”

  —USA TODAY

  “There are few things more exciting to discover than a debut novel packed with powerful storytelling and beautiful language. Storm Siren is one of those rarities. I’ll read anything Mary Weber writes. More, please!”

  —JAY ASHER, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THIRTEEN REASONS WHY

  “Storm Siren is a riveting tale from start to finish. Between the simmering romance, the rich and inventive fantasy world, and one seriously jaw-dropping finale, readers will clamor for the next book—and I’ll be at the front of the line!”

  —MARISSA MEYER, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF CINDER AND THE LUNAR CHRONICLES

  “Intense and intriguing. Fans of high stakes fantasy won’t be able to put it down.”

  —C. J. REDWINE, AUTHOR OF DEFIANCE, FOR STORM SIREN

  “A riveting read! Mary Weber’s rich world and heartbreaking heroine had me from page one. You’re going to fall in love with this love story.”

  —JOSEPHINE ANGELINI, INTERNATIONALLY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE STARCROSSED TRILOGY, FOR STORM SIREN

  “Elegant prose and intricate world-building twist into a breathless cyclone of a story that will constantly keep you guessing. More, please!”

  —SHANNON MESSENGER, AUTHOR OF THE SKY FALL SERIES, FOR STORM SIREN

  “A touching and empowering testament to the power of true love and of knowing who you are, Siren’s Fury is a solid, slightly steampunky follow-up to the fantasy-driven first book that will leave you with a sigh—and a craving for the next volume in the series.”

  —USATODAY.com

  “If you’re looking for your next fantasy series, definitely pick up The Storm Siren Trilogy. The story, the characters, and the writing style impressed me so much, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for her readers next!”

  —LOVE AT FIRST PAGE

  “[Siren’s Song] has many battles and explores the costs that come from fighting evil, whether external powers or the evil within the human heart. This novel will be difficult to follow for those new to the series, but for readers who have cheered Nym and Faelen on, the conclusion will be both painful and satisfying.”

  —BOOKLIST

  “This series comes to a close with an intense pursuit of good by evil, with the fate of all in the hands of teenaged Nym. She is consistently inconsistent in her feelings and fears, truly human in her characterization, and a champion accessible to readers who can identify with her insecurities.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEW, 4 STARS, FOR SIREN’S SONG

  “Weber’s debut novel is a tour de force! A story of guts, angst, bolcranes, sword fights, and storms beyond imagining. Her heroine, a lightning-wielding young woman of immense power and a soft, questioning heart, captures you from word one and holds tight until the final line. Unwilling to let the journey go, I eagerly await Weber’s (and Nym’s) next adventure.”

  —KATHERINE REAY, AUTHOR OF DEAR Mr. KNIGHTLEY, FOR STORM SIREN

  “Mary Weber has created a fascinating, twisted world. Storm Siren sucked me in from page one—I couldn’t stop reading! This is a definite must-read, the kind of book that kept me up late into the night turning the pages!”

  —LINDSAY CUMMINGS, AUTHOR OF THE MURDER COMPLEX

  “Don’t miss this one!”

  —SERENA CHASE, USATODAY.com, FOR STORM SIREN

  “Readers who enjoyed Marissa Meyer’s Cinder series will enjoy this fast-paced fantasy which combines an intriguing storyline with as many twists and turns as a chapter of Game of Thrones!”

  —DODIE OWENS, EDITOR, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL TEEN, FOR STORM SIREN

  “Readers will easily find themselves captivated. The breathtaking surprise ending is nothing short of horrific, promising even more dark and bizarre adventures to come in the Storm Siren trilogy.”

  —RT BOOK REVIEWS, 4 STARS

  “Fantasy readers will feel at home in Weber’s first novel. . . . Detailed backdrop and large cast bring vividness to the story.”

  —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, FOR STORM SIREN

  “Weber builds a fascinating and believable fantasy world.”

  —KIRKUS REVIEWS, FOR STORM SIREN

  “This adventure, in the vein of 1980s fantasy films, has readers rooting for the heroes to smite the wicked baddies. Buy where fantasy flies.”

  —DANIELLE SERRA, SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, FOR STORM SIREN

  “Mary Weber’s debut novel reflects an author sensitive to her audience, a stellar imagination, and a killer ability with smart and savvy prose.”

  —RELZ REVIEWZ, FOR STORM SIREN

  “Between the beautiful words used to create this fairy-tale world, to the amazing power of the Elementals, to the aspects of slavery and war, I’d say this book is a must-read for any fantasy lover. It’s powerful and will keep you turning pages faster than you thought possible. I can’t believe this is Mary Weber’s debut novel. Congratulations!”

  —GOOD CHOICE READING BLOG, FOR STORM SIREN

  THE EVAPORATION OF SOFI SNOW

  OTHER BOOKS BY MARY WEBER

  THE STORM SIREN TRILOGY

  Storm Siren

  Siren’s Fury

  Siren’s Song

  The Evaporation of Sofi Snow

  © 2017 by Mary Christine Weber

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

  Thomas Nelson titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [email protected].

  Publisher’s Note: This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. All characters are fictional, and any similarity to people living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Weber, Mary (Mary Christine), author

  Title: The evaporation of Sofi Snow / Mary Weber.

  Description: Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, 2017. | Summary:

  Seventeen-year-old Sofi battles behind the scenes of Earth's Fantasy

  Fighting arena helping her younger brother, Shilo, and when a bomb destroys part of the arena, she dreams Shilo survives on the forbidden ice-planet.

  Epub Edition April 2017 ISBN 9780718080907

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016058194 | ISBN 9780718080907 (hardback)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Brothers and sisters--Fiction. | Virtual reality--Fiction. | Extraterrestrial beings--Fiction. | Science fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7
.1.W425 Ev 2017 | DDC [Fic]--dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016058194

  Printed in the United States of America

  1718192021LSC54321

  For my siblings,

  Whose individuality keeps life interesting, and loyalty keeps it intimate.

  (And who secretly know I’m always right even if you won’t admit it.)

  And for Robert Perez,

  Who impacts the world of teens & old-ish people far more than he’ll ever know

  CONTENTS

  ADVANCE PRAISE FOR EVAPORATION OF SOFI SNOW

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  THE PLANET

  1 SOFI

  2 MIGUEL

  3 SOFI

  4 MIGUEL

  5 SOFI

  6 MIGUEL

  7 SOFI

  8 MIGUEL

  9 SOFI

  10 MIGUEL

  11 SOFI

  12 MIGUEL

  13 SOFI

  14 MIGUEL

  15 SOFI

  16 MIGUEL

  17 SOFI

  18 MIGUEL

  19 SOFI

  20 MIGUEL

  21 SOFI

  22 MIGUEL

  23 SOFI

  24 MIGUEL

  25 SOFI

  26 MIGUEL

  27 SOFI

  28 MIGUEL

  29 SOFI

  30 MIGUEL

  31 SOFI

  32 MIGUEL

  33 SOFI

  34 MIGUEL

  35 SOFI

  36 MIGUEL

  37 SOFI

  38 MIGUEL

  39 SOFI

  40 MIGUEL

  41 SOFI

  42 MIGUEL

  43 SOFI

  44 MIGUEL

  45 SOFI

  46 MIGUEL

  47 SOFI

  48 MIGUEL

  49 SOFI

  50 MIGUEL

  51 SOFI

  52 MIGUEL

  53 SOFI

  MY PLAYLIST OF THANK-YOUS

  DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  AN EXCERPT FROM

  STORM SIREN BY MARY WEBER CHAPTER 1

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Dear Reader,

  These pages contain a cast of characters with diverse backgrounds, heritages, strengths, and motivations—all in honor of people in my own life. In Miguel, you’ll see my husband’s relatives and dear friends; in Sofi and her mom you’ll find homage to my grandmothers, as well as my mama, and their unwavering power as women. And in Shilo you’ll get a peek at my siblings. I hope you enjoy them, pull your own strength from them, and find yourself celebrating in the immense beauty that is community and, ultimately, our inimitable humanity.

  THE PLANET

  THE ICE-PLANET ARRIVED IN THE DUSKY HEAT OF SUMMER TWILIGHT during Earth’s Fourth World War. Just when the moon’s jeweled fingers were slipping through that one broken slat in the barn roof that Papa always said he’d fix but never did. The same slat through which he’d pointed out Ella’s favorite star to Sofi and her brother, Shilo.

  As if everything within Papa’s wrecked heart was trying to keep their focus off Earth’s brutality by reminding them of their half sister’s spot in the heavenly skies. As if their forsaken little hearts needed any reminding of where her spot—or their mother’s—should be.

  “Shh.” Papa put a finger to his lips and beckoned Sofi over to watch the planet settle in place. “I won’t let anyone harm you. See how it’s moving across the moon?”

  Six-year-old Sofi mimicked him to her brother, putting her own finger to her lips. “Shh. They’re coming, Shi, but we won’t let them harm you.” To which baby Shilo spit and giggled before swatting at a firefly.

  Sofi pulled his tiny hand into hers as the sinister globe stopped a good distance beyond the moon—and uncomfortably too close to Earth. To them. To their little broken-slatted barn that sat planted like a patch of sumac right on the decimated border of Old North Carolina and the rest of the starving, war-ravaged world.

  “Planet Delon” the broadcasters had called it.

  “The Delonese Death” was what her expatriate neighbor, Mr. Watte, was calling it.

  “The blasted planet from the pit of you know where” was what Sofi had decided to call it . . .

  That had been years ago.

  Eleven to be exact.

  But now here she was . . .

  Standing in the same place, same barn—just missing a few walls—with Shilo.

  Still calling it that.

  A sudden rustling emerged from the overgrown bushes, causing Sofi to glance around.

  “You think it’s the tech buyer?” Shilo’s twelve-year-old voice cracked mid whisper.

  She peered into the dark. “I don’t know, but if I tell you to run for the hover, you run.”

  He looked insulted. “And ditch? More like I’ll kick whoever’s sorry bu—”

  A boy emerged. Two boys in fact, each barely older than she was. Clearly drugged up. Skin and bones. Like many in the populations being “overseen” by the United World Corporations.

  The bigger kid held out a broken-tipped knife and Shilo slid in front of Sofi—never mind she was half-a-head taller than her brother.

  Sofi scowled. She shouldn’t have let him coerce her into bringing him. Especially for the thrill of earning a few extra bucks off her old tech devices.

  “We only want food,” the boy said. “Just give it to us and we’ll leave.” He brandished his half knife again, wider, before doubling over in a coughing fit.

  Sofi nudged around Shilo and reached down into her pack to pull out a sandwich. Then tossed it to them and watched the taller boy fall on it like a starved animal. The shorter boy took one bite, then slumped down and stared up at the sky. Sofi’s gaze softened. Food wasn’t going to fix them.

  “Are you guys from out here or from the child black markets?” she asked gently, but the boy’s hacking up of phlegm cut her off as he squatted by his friend, and Sofi’s handheld buzzed.

  “And there she is,” Shilo groaned. “Tell her we’re getting tattoos.”

  Sofi snorted and swiped the screen to see their mother’s face looming.

  “Sofi, where are you? What have you two done? FanFight III starts tom—”

  Sofi clicked her off. As if the woman will even be at the Games. “Time to go,” she said to Shilo, then turned toward the impoverished boys, only to find the shorter one’s foggy breath had stopped and his gaze fallen still. It was fixed in a frozen stare on the ice-planet.

  She tossed the bigger one the few tradable coins she had in her pocket. He took them and turned without a word.

  The next moment Shilo slid his oversize hand into hers, his voice quiet. “Sofi, sometimes I hate all the death. It makes my soul tired.”

  1

  SOFI

  HER FIRST TIME AT THE FANFIGHT GAMES, SOFI LOST PART OF herself to a boy the rest of the world hailed as a god.

  The second time she’d nearly lost her brother, Shilo.

  The third time . . . This time . . .

  Sofi pursed her lips and slipped her fingers over the threaded owl necklace at her throat. Then dropped it and reached back to retuck loosened strands of hair into her long, dark ponytail. The hair band snapped hard against her thumb.

  This time they wouldn’t lose.

  She inhaled the ready room’s quiet, surrounded by its bare gray walls, gray floor, and the single door, beyond which stood her team at their stations in the bare gray gaming room with its giant window overlooking the live arena. Waiting for her.

  She wet her hands at the sink beside the commode, then quickly wiped away the tiny sweat beads assembled on her forehead, earned by helping Shilo defeat the arena’s catacombs amid the other players fighting for the same.

  She hardly glanced in the mirror. On to the next round, girl.

  Stepping to the door, she pulled out her phone and swiped a finger over the handscreen. It brought up a pic of her and Shilo and Papa back on the same farm she’d made an
unapproved visit to last night. It sat a few hundred miles away and what felt like as many years gone. She enlarged Papa’s face. Try seven years gone.

  After tapping her finger over his dead heart for good luck, she straightened her shoulders and reached for the door just as a news feed scrolled across the top of the picture.

  FanFight Games see biggest turnout in their 18-month, 3-time history. Over 10,000 in the stands & a million more watching across Earth.

  The screen blinked and the news spread out to display shots of online spectators around the world. All with intent faces and hands on their teleconsoles, ready to weigh in on upcoming votes and arena changes. But what Sofi most noticed were the backgrounds behind the faces. Some elegant, some in dirt hovels or hostel rooms, and even more in tech dorms with geek equipment lining the walls. At least three-quarters were accompanied by friends or family members who’d likely taken the week off to hover over the four-day event of thirty players and their teams competing in five levels of elimination.

  The news clip was trailed by a reminder. The United World Corporations cordially invite you, Sofi Snow, to attend their party this coming Saturday in celebration of the winning FanFight team.

  Attend or Decline? Sofi snorted as a knock on the door brought her focus up.

  “Sofi, you’re about to be back on.”

  She tapped Decline, then yanked the door open. “Let’s do it,” she muttered to Heller as the crowd’s roar blasted into her.

  “FanFight! FanFight! FanFight!” Their screams rocketed through the room’s acoustics.

  Sliding her phone into her pocket, she nodded to Luca and the triplets at their stations. “You guys good?” Then she strode to her black gaming platform facing the window.

  “Nothing to report yet,” Luca said. “They just released the players into the round’s final segment.”

  Her stomach squeezed. “And Shilo?”

  “Three players ran ahead of him, but he’s leading the rest.”

  Of course he is. Her breath eased.

  Sofi pulled on her tech gloves and reopened her holoscreens from the flat computer-desk. Shilo’s blip was there. Good. Then she peered up through the floor-to-ceiling window in front of her to the massive outdoor Colinade just as the stadium’s background music took over. Big. Expansive. Thrumming waves of epic splendor to drown out the noisy crowd seated in what looked like a Roman coliseum.