A steep and savage path

A tenacious young heroine drives this stirring romantic fantasy from Harwood (The Thorns Remain). Eighteen-year-old Irina's seven-year-old sister, Catalina, has been in a coma since falling from a tree, and the local witch warns that "her body came back from death. Her soul did not." Meanwhile, a vampire, Stefan, has been preying on their small Romanian village. The town priest says the only way to lay his soul to rest is to grant Stefan a wish from when he was still living, namely by offering him a bride. Irina sees a chance to solve both problems: she willingly marries Stefan hoping to persuade him to be her guide through the land of the dead so she can retrieve Catalina's soul. It's a perilous trek, one neither will survive without the other. Along the way, Irina hopes to learn who the jaded Stefan was in life, how he died, and why no one can locate his grave. As Stefan opens up, Irina sees his more thoughtful side and the pair grow closer--only to be faced with a devastating decision at the end of their quest. The enemies-to-lovers romance and robust action keep the pages turning as Harwood maneuvers courageous Irina through the vividly imagined expanse of the underworld. It's utterly immersive from beginning to end. (Dec.)