The Pain Merchants by Janice Hardy

The Blurb On The Back:

Nya has a secret she must never share.
A gift she must never use.
A world she must never question.
And a sister whose life depends on her doing all three.

Fifteen-year-old Nya survives on odd jobs and optimism, finding both in short supply in a city crippled by war. Then a bungled egg theft and a stupid act of compassion exposes her secret to two powerful groups – the pain merchants and the Healers’ League.

They discover Nya is a Taker, a healer who can pull pain and injury from others. Unlike the League apprentices, she can’t release that pain into their store of enchanted metal. All she can do is shift it from person to person, a dangerous skill that she must keep hidden from the forces occupying her city.

But when a new disaster strikes, Nya finds that her talent is suddenly in great demand – but at what cost?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

An excellent debut filled with original ideas and strong characterisation. Definitely worth a look.