Nahia

A sweeping epic set in the wild and dangerous world of prehistoric Europe!

Spain, 8,000 years ago. As Headwoman's daughter, eighteen-year-old Nahia was born to lead. But when she speaks aloud a forbidden truth--that her people are facing a growing threat of invasion--her expectations are shattered when she's punished with exile and apprenticed to the enigmatic shaman Eneko instead.

With her sister Izara made the new heir and her world upended, Nahia is sent away with a young man she barely knows. Deep in the wilds, however, she uncovers a shocking talent for divining messages from the spirits and channelling their turbulent powers. But these visions come to show her that her people are in terrible danger. . . and they need her. Nahia will have to use every advantage she has to save her beloved people--and her sister.

In this powerful upper YA with crossover appeal, archaeologist Emily Jones transports us to a rugged world of pine forests, frothy beaches, and wild magic, and masterfully depicts passionate first love, looming conquest, green sorcery, the unbreakable bond between sisters, and untamed, unashamed female power.

Pairing the epic scope of prehistory with a fiery coming-of-age story, Nahia is an amazingly fresh successor to Clan of the Cave Bear. Utterly unique and shockingly good, this is a knockout debut, perfect for fans of Adrienne Young, Chloe Gong, Claire M. Andrews, Elana K. Arnold, and Rachel Griffin.

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

"BREATHTAKINGLY, BRILLIANTLY NEW... I couldn't put this one down!"--Claire M. Andrews, Daughter of Sparta

"TREMENDOUS. Combines archaeology with masterful storytelling."--Dr. William Taylor, Curator of Archaeology at the UColorado Museum of Natural History

Author: Emily Jones
Publisher: Holiday House
Published: 04/15/2025
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.25lbs
ISBN: 9780823458356
Audience: Young Adult


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 01/13/2025

About the Author
Dr. Emily Jones is an archaeologist and a professor of anthropology at the University of New Mexico. She studies the connections between people, food, and the environment in prehistory, particularly in Southwest Europe. Her work has been published in Antiquity, Science, Quaternary Research, and many other journals, and she is the author of a nonfiction academic book, In Search of the Broad Spectrum Revolution in Paleolithic Southwest Europe. She has been a Fulbright scholar in Spain and a Chateaubriand Fellow in France. Nahia is her fiction debut. Emily enjoys baking, hiking, gardening, yoga, and beekeeping.