Nia is a talented sinsory—a person with heightened senses. Her sense of smell is second to none. But when a new plague takes hold in Yerat, it’s up to Nia to use all of her skills and abilities not only to combat the sickness ravaging the population, but to expose a plot tearing the city apart from within.
Nia has an extraordinary sense of smell. So extraordinary, in fact, that she could receive training with the sinsories—an elite group of people with heightened senses. Sinsories have long used their abilities to stop plagues from destroying the population of Yerat, but they have also been the targets of much violence. As such, Nia has done everything she can to keep her abilities hidden.
This hasn’t been easy to do since Yerat is a veritable breeding ground for plagues, but after the death of her mom, Nia has nowhere to turn. She and her friend Fox eat and drink what little they are able to find. But if the latest plague doesn’t kill them, starvation certainly will.
However, that all changes when Nia picks up the distinct scent of a relative. Nia realizes that her distant aunt is still alive. Moreover, Auntie is ready to take Nia in.
Unfortunately, just as Nia is getting settled in to life with her aunt, a new plague strikes Yerat, and her abilities are discovered. Nia is quickly sent to the Cloister, a school that trains young sinsories to use their abilities.
Nia makes new friends and enemies alike. As the plague worsens outside, Nia knows she has to act. Her teachers tell her that her abilities are only seen once in a generation. Nia knows this doesn’t just mean she’s gifted: It means she has a responsibility to both those she loves and those who hate her.
The devil is mentioned.
Some people think sinsories are witches; Fox calls them sorcerers. People called shiverlings can see the future. Curses, potions and fortune numbers are mentioned. Fox and Nia discuss ghosts. Some people believe that the bones of plague survivors protect the living against plagues and that magic is associated with them. Each plague that ravages Terat is named after a demon. The sick and elderly complete contrition, rituals to atone for their specific sins, before they die. One girl practices a type of hypnosis.
Nia’s Auntie is kind and generous. Several characters in positions of leadership are corrupt.
Gang violence, murder, plagues, robberies and kidnappings are all mentioned. We learn that some sinsories were burned alive. Someone mentions how a boy’s tongue was cut out. A girl says her dad beat her when she told her mom that her dad was having an affair.
A man threatens Nia and her friends with a knife. Another tries to kill Nia but falls to his death. One of Nia’s friends gets injured in a great fall. Nia gets slammed against a glass case during a scuffle over a spear. A woman’s servant tries to pull teeth from a boy’s mouth and cuts the boy across his forehead. Nia knocks the servant unconscious with pliers. She stabs someone else for stealing water from her and her friends.
Nia’s mother dies of some illness. Nia’s father died when she was a baby. Many people die of the plague. Nia and her friends come across many corpses. Fox describes finding his uncle’s corpse. Auntie and others describe horrible plague symptoms and progressions of different diseases, including nosebleeds, which one of Nia’s friends contracts. Elsewhere, a girl bleeds from her nose and begs Nia to save her.
Guards are armed with spears. Characters describe cat attacks. A city burns. There’s a man dresses in bones who seems creepy and threatening.
There are brief mentions of sherry and hookahs, and a man smokes. One of Nia’s new friends tests some wine.
“P-ss” and “d–n” are both used. Cursing is mentioned. Someone calls Nia an “idiot” and a “numbnose.” The insults “stench demon” and “freak” are also used.
A girl at the Cloister talks about kissing a boy. Another girls says she caught her dad cheating on her mom.
Do you have any talents you’re scared to share with others? Why or why not?
Read Joshua 1:9. When was a time when you had to be brave? What helped you be brave?
What types of people are easiest for you to misjudge? What can you do to help yourself see them like God sees them?
A Tale of Plagues and Perfumes is an exciting adventure where characters exhibit great bravery and heroism. However, it is a very violent book, filled with a great deal of death. Many young readers could easily be scared and disturbed by the events and morbid details described.
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Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not necessarily their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book’s review does not constitute an endorsement by Focus on the Family.
Rachel Pfeiffer serves as Editor of Focus on the Family Clubhouse magazine, where she acquires and crafts stories to entertain and disciple children. She graduated from Taylor University with a degree in professional writing and Moody Theological Seminary with an MA in Biblical Studies. When she’s not curled up with a good book, she can often be found hiking the beautiful Colorado Rockies.
