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Rachel Neumeier
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Tuyo Kindle Edition

by Rachel Neumeier (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 662 ratings
Raised a warrior in the harsh winter country, Ryo inGara has always been willing to die for his family and his tribe. When war erupts against the summer country, the prospect of death in battle seems imminent. But when his warleader leaves Ryo as a sacrifice -- a tuyo -- to die at the hands of their enemies, he faces a fate he never imagined.

Ryo's captor, a lord of the summer country, may be an enemy . . . but far worse enemies are moving, with the current war nothing but the opening moves in a hidden game Ryo barely glimpses, a game in which all his people may be merely pawns. Suddenly Ryo finds his convictions overturned and his loyalties uncertain. Should he support the man who holds him prisoner, the only man who may be able to defeat their greater enemy? And even if he does, can he persuade his people to do the same?
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  1. Book 1 of 10
    Tuyo
  2. Print length
    415 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    May 20, 2020
  6. File size
    3.6 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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  1. Every man is glad to stop looking for the truth when he’s handed a lie he likes better.
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  2. It is not given to any man to know what will come of his actions, and yet men must act.
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Wow. I was hooked from the very first sentence and enthralled for the entire book." -- bestselling fantasy author Sharon Shinn

"[T]his book totally lived up to my hopes and dreams: there is an EPIC friendship that flourishes despite EXTREME enmity and culture clash." -- bestselling fantasy author Rosamund Hodge, Goodreads review

"I bought a copy of this for my nephew. I am about to buy copies for every young man I know who's aged between ten and 15, because I think if this sense of honour and integrity and utter respect for women were to be spread widely in our culture, the world would be a very, very different place." -- Manda Scott, AccidentalGods.Life podcast

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B088ZQ1YBK
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rachel Neumeier
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 20, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.6 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 415 pages
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 1 of 10 ‏ : ‎ Tuyo
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 662 ratings

About the author

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Rachel Neumeier

Rachel Neumeier

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Rachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student; her first publications appeared in journals such as The American Journal of Botany and and would probably be interesting to a readership in the high dozens. She is confident that her fantasy novels have much greater appeal!

Rachel's first YA fantasy, The City in the Lake, was published in 2008, and was followed by the adult fantasy Griffin Mage trilogy in 2010 and by her second YA, The Floating Islands, in early 2011. She gets her ideas from artwork, from history, from other authors' minor characters, and from just throwing words on the page and seeing what happens.

Rachel now lives in rural Missouri, where, having allowed her hobbies to take over her life, she has a very large garden, a very small orchard, two cats, and many beautiful Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
662 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book captivating with first-rate story and world-building, featuring compelling characters and a fast-paced plot with plenty of action. Moreover, the writing quality is praised, and customers appreciate the believable human relationships, particularly the friendship that develops between characters. Additionally, the book receives positive feedback for its strong characterization, with one customer noting its finely crafted world.

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EnjoymentCharacter developmentWorld buildingWriting qualityPacingRelationship developmentCharacterization
69 customers mention "Enjoyment"69 positive0 negative

Customers thoroughly enjoy this tale, finding it captivating with first-rate story and world-building, and at times thrilling.

"...The two main cultures (Ugaro and Lao) are portrayed so vividly and consistently I could almost swear they must be based on real-world cultures..." Read more

"...In the end, I enjoyed the book but do not feel compelled to continue reading the subsequent books. At least not at the moment." Read more

"...It was poignant and terrifying and felt so real and actually apt for today's weird world...." Read more

"The story was engrossing enough for me to keep going...." Read more

53 customers mention "Character development"53 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the character development in the book, noting steady character building and compelling personalities, with one review highlighting the exciting action between the main characters.

"...It was fun to watch the two main characters (one Ugaro, one Lao) try to navigate each other's culture and deal with the inevitable confusion and..." Read more

"...series and learning more of this fascinating world and its very interesting people." Read more

"...I really enjoyed this book, the characters and the plot. I am looking forward to reading the next book." Read more

"...with appealing characters...." Read more

53 customers mention "World building"53 positive0 negative

Customers find the world building fascinating and highly imaginative, featuring intriguing and believable cultures.

"...There's so much detail about the peoples' ways of life, communication styles, fighting styles, family relationships, magic, livestock, way of..." Read more

"...to reading the rest of the series and learning more of this fascinating world and its very interesting people." Read more

"Beautiful world building and lovely writing. But it was the sorcery and mind control aspects that I liked the most...." Read more

"...I don't want to give away how it is handled, but I think it is very clever...." Read more

27 customers mention "Writing quality"27 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, finding it compelling and well-crafted, with one customer specifically noting the great editing and punctuation.

"...There's so much detail about the peoples' ways of life, communication styles, fighting styles, family relationships, magic, livestock, way of..." Read more

"Beautiful world building and lovely writing. But it was the sorcery and mind control aspects that I liked the most...." Read more

"...The writing is tight, as is the characterization. The situation faced by the protagonist is interesting...." Read more

"This book was absolutely captivating! Well and cleverly written. I ordered all the rest of the books after I finished this one." Read more

22 customers mention "Pacing"17 positive5 negative

Customers appreciate the book's pacing, noting its fast-paced action and well-paced plotting, with one customer mentioning it offers a nice change from typical grimdark narratives.

"...Slowed a little but was still mostly well paced. Most of the character development was early on, with later characters getting short shrift...." Read more

"...large they are honorable people doing their best, which is a nice change from grimdark...." Read more

"I loved this novel. It has plenty of action, sorcery and magic, a fast-moving plot, and strong integrity at the core of its characters...." Read more

"...The first is some stuff about the world building. I was really struggling to understand some things about the behavior of the moon and stars...." Read more

20 customers mention "Relationship development"20 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the relationships in the book, particularly the believable friendships and family dynamics, with one customer highlighting the strong bond between Ryo and Aras.

"...peoples' ways of life, communication styles, fighting styles, family relationships, magic, livestock, way of speaking, even the household objects..." Read more

"...follow different values and practices, they are still a noble and honorable people. The world itself is different...." Read more

"...The novel starts with an unexpected act of honor and mercy - one that reverberates through, and sets the tone for, the rest of the story...." Read more

"...my head, but to my relief there was no romance and the friendship that develops feels real, plus Aras does do everything he can to balance things..." Read more

14 customers mention "Characterization"14 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the strong characterization in the book, with one review noting the believable flaws that make the characters feel real.

"...Seldom have I read a fantasy story set in such a finely crafted world. I will say it again: the worldbuilding in Tuyo is incredible!..." Read more

"...while the Lau follow different values and practices, they are still a noble and honorable people. The world itself is different...." Read more

"...story so much, the characters are well rounded and have just enough flaws to feel real without ever becoming unlikable or unsympathetic...." Read more

"...in praise.... lest some other reader miss the notice of its superb quality. BRAVA!" Read more

Indie Fantasy with so many great themes
5 out of 5 stars
Indie Fantasy with so many great themes
This book ticked every box I can think of in an epic fantasy.  Strong character arcs, detailed setting and world building, culture, enemies to friends, family bonds, political motivations, military strategy, magic, and even one super snarky stallion. Ryo is left as a sacrifice and ends up a captive, guest, translator, of the warlord for which he was left.  Ryo experiences a massive amount of culture shock when he is thrown into life with the Lau.  So much of the narrative is Ryo comparing the Lau to his Ugaro people, and it’s just an unbelievable character arc as he learns to judge men by their actions, not their birth.  I loved the grand theme of overcoming cultural differences to fight larger enemies. Aras, the Lau Warlord, is a great character too.  He, in turn, isn’t familiar with many Ugaro customs, and it’s just a very character driven read as the two men, then two nations, learn about their common enemy and forge a working bond.  The friendship bonds are even better! The setting and world are closely detailed as well.  From the frozen mountains and forests of the tribes to the summer lands of the Lau, I thought the author did a phenomenal job tying each group’s culture and legends into the climates that so define them.  To quickly touch on the magic: think psychological warfare on steroids, with some light elemental skills as well. One of my favorite aspects was how she went deep into cultural customs on both sides.  The over politeness and certain rituals of the Ugaro tribes struck me as extremely well thought out, and the Lau had their own norms.  Some of my favorite scenes were the great meetings towards the end, but part of that was how much I just loved Ryo’s family.  Especially his father. Family and honor among friends played a huge role too.  Without going into too much more detail, I will just say again in general that the relationships in the book are so intricately started and built upon, until the end result was something really special.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Annie Douglass Lima
    5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible Book!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    What an amazing story! Having read the author's Black Dog series, I assumed I would enjoy her writing again here, but I was blown away.

    Seldom have I read a fantasy story set in such a finely crafted world. I will say it again: the worldbuilding in Tuyo is incredible! The two main cultures (Ugaro and Lao) are portrayed so vividly and consistently I could almost swear they must be based on real-world cultures carefully researched by an anthropologist. There's so much detail about the peoples' ways of life, communication styles, fighting styles, family relationships, magic, livestock, way of speaking, even the household objects they use—and of course it's all mentioned where appropriate in the plot, not dumped on the readers in long descriptions (though even that would have been interesting). And every bit of culture we see is directly and logically tied into the geography and climate of the two distinct regions where the people groups live. As someone who loves culture and travel in the real world, I just couldn't get enough! It was fun to watch the two main characters (one Ugaro, one Lao) try to navigate each other's culture and deal with the inevitable confusion and misunderstandings that arose.

    The actual plot of Tuyo is riveting and made it hard to put my Kindle down, but honestly, that was almost secondary for me. Every time I had to stop reading, I kept longing to step back into the world of the Ugaro and Lao, because it's just so vivid and fascinating.

    Oh, and the book is excellently edited (as a professional editor, that's a deal-breaker for me when it comes to enjoying a book). You won't find annoying grammar errors lying in wait to yank you out of the story.

    I bought the next book in the series less than a minute after finishing this one. I can't wait to dive into a new adventure with the characters I've grown to love!
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Kitt
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read.
    Reviewed in the United States on August 17, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed the first 1/3 of the book the most. Slowed a little but was still mostly well paced. Most of the character development was early on, with later characters getting short shrift. Which is unfortunate as I feel a little more effort might have led to a deeper experience and more concern about the events toward the close of the story. In the end, I enjoyed the book but do not feel compelled to continue reading the subsequent books. At least not at the moment.
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  • Pierre E. Pettinger Jr.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating study of two very different cultures
    Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Full Disclosure: I have served on several panels with the author at Archon.

    I found Tuyo to be a great character and cultural study. The story is told from the perspective of Ryo of the Ugaro, the people of the north, cold country. A war is brewing with the Lau, the people to the south of the river. These cultures are very different and the true subject of the story is Ryo learning that while the Lau follow different values and practices, they are still a noble and honorable people.

    The world itself is different. The two cultures are separated by a river and the weather is radically different on each side. In addition different stars seem to be visible on different sides and the positions and sizes of the sun and moon also vary.

    I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series and learning more of this fascinating world and its very interesting people.
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  • amf0001
    5.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 rounded up
    Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Beautiful world building and lovely writing.
    But it was the sorcery and mind control aspects that I liked the most. It was poignant and terrifying and felt so real and actually apt for today's weird world. How you can fully believe something you know not to be true, but it feels so true and the truth feels pale and anemic and confusing. That aspect was gripping.
    No romance, though there might be in the future.
    I enjoyed this book and will read more in the series.
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  • mynonie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Honourable enemies
    Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    19 year old Ryo, from the cold country, Ugaro is left as a sacrifice, a Tuyo, for the enemy to find; it is a cultural offering, permitting his warring companions to escape.
    The older leader, Aras, the from the hot country, Lau, seems unaware of the reason the young man has been left behind as a sacrifice for them; interviews him and gradually learns of the desperate need for food and the cheating trade system, which lies behind the warring fractions.
    Aras does not kill the youngster, instead takes him back to Lau.

    The cultures are shown to be different, physically and emotionally; Ryo got heatstroke in Lau, and Aras had trouble facing the cold in Ugaro. Aras is relaxed about using magic, while it scares and angers Ryo.

    A mighty Lau sorcerer proves to be behind the troubles ands raises an ensorcelled army. Aras needs Ryo’s help to put a stop to it and it involves magic.
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  • Mags
    4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable, with an anthropological-like focus on culture
    Reviewed in the United States on October 18, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    The story was engrossing enough for me to keep going. It revolved around a young man, thrown out of his own society, who gets thrust into a new society of his traditional enemies. He struggles to reconcile his beliefs, in terms of honour, integrity and attitude towards woman. with those of his captors, especially as he comes to realise that they had their own notion of these things, which were not necessarily inferior. Intertwined with this is a fairly standard story of warring factions, good sorcerer vs. a bad one; wintry, cold climates vs. summery hot climates and so forth. So, not anything new in terms of tropes, but Neumeier's attention to the things that defined the respective cultures was interesting.
    15 people found this helpful
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  • shawn kelley
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow! Thought provoking read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Normally when I read, I tear through the pages like a starving wolf on a bunny. This story I would read then put it down and think about what I had read. I really enjoyed this book, the characters and the plot. I am looking forward to reading the next book.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Hschmeid
    5.0 out of 5 stars I ADORED this book!
    Reviewed in Australia on April 9, 2021
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    What a wonderful way to start a new author! I loved this book. The characters were amazing and it kept me up well past my bedtime. (Literally. I was still reading at 11.30pm because I couldn't put it down.)

    It's not often I go on an author-hunt because of something I've read blind. It's happened about four times in my life. This makes a fifth. I am going to at least try *excerpts* of this author's other books. (Well, most of them. One series sounds like a horror; no.)

    I did find the overt fantasy elements a surprise. I could accept the soft hammer of the gods, the cold that comes on so fast that it snap-freezes anything unwise enough to be caught out in it, when it occurred out of nowhere. I had more of a problem suddenly accepting that sorcery existed in the story, but after a few pages I came to grips with that and loved that aspect too - if I hadn't the book would've been in trouble, as it's kind of the lynchpin of the conflict... anyway. The jackal-headed woman right at the end... that, I think, was one step too bizarre. However, her role is tiny and it CERTAINLY isn't enough to diminish the enjoyment!

    And it's CLEAN. So often, fantasy authors seem to think that they have to include explicit sex in order to appeal. This one doesn't have any of that, and it's so much better for it.

    Much recommended.
    Report
  • Gylzcy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great character-driven fantasy
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    If you like beautifully written character-driven fantasy and strong worldbuilding I would highly recommend this book.

    Aras is a Lau, a lord of the summer country. Sent to deal king with an outbreak of violence along the border with the Ugaro of the winter country, he defeats the warriors of one of the troublesome tribes, the inGara. Overwhelmed, the inGara warleader leaves his younger brother as a tuyo, or sacrifice - the custom being that in return for the sacrifice the inGara will be allowed to escape, while the victors will take revenge for their losses by torturing and killing the tuyo. However, on finding that the young tuyo Ryo speaks the language of the summer country fluently, Aras decides it would be more useful to keep him alive.

    The culture clash is fun, but the developing friendship between Aras and Ryo is the heart of the book. The Ugaro are (at first sight) a rather typical fantasy warrior culture. The Lau on the other hand seem more "civilized", though they are quite as capable of brutality as the "savage" Ugaro. Naturally, however, everything is not as it seems, and the revelation of Aras' true nature confounds these preconceptions.

    I thought the two men developed something of a father/son relationship, with each being protective of the other. Ryo is a great character, a tough fighter brought up under the harsh discipline of a warlike tribe, but also very intelligent and perceptive (he realises Aras' secret nature, for example, whereas his Lau guards do not). Aras is a well-loved commander who is also both fallible and capable of absolute ruthlessness.

    There's a fair amount of humour derived from the contrast between the two very different cultures (I liked Ryo walking through the house of a Lau man he dislikes, silently planning the best way to burn it to the ground). I loved the vivid descriptions of Ryo's winter country and the phenomenon of the fengol, as well as the battle scenes in the snow and the power of the singers. Even the most minor characters in the book are very well drawn and memorable, and the enemy is particularly vile and easy to hate. The story is told from Ryo's point of view, which adds an interesting twist to their long cross-country journey when Ryo's mind is poisoned against Aras.

    I did think the ending was perhaps a bit too neatly tied up, but all in all this was a thoroughly enjoyable read.
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  • Shane
    5.0 out of 5 stars Unconventional fantasy in a very good way
    Reviewed in Canada on January 23, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Really fun, had me sick with feeling and then floating. I'm feeling all kinds of things about Ryo and Aras.
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  • Booklover130
    4.0 out of 5 stars Original world with interesting characters
    Reviewed in Australia on May 31, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    An enjoyable fantasy read with strong characters and a well-created, interesting fantasy world to become immersed in.
    Report
  • Kristi
    4.0 out of 5 stars Gripping character-driven novel
    Reviewed in Canada on June 18, 2020
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    I am gererally a fan of Neumeier's books and this is one of her better ones. A character study of a rather straightforward, decent (and polite!) young man caught up in a complex war that he isn't as ill-equipped to deal with as may appear.

    I am dubious about some aspects of the worldbuilding (the Ugaro, the protagonist's culture of noble warrior hordes, are a bit too monolithic for one) but there are some nice twists and I couldn't put it down. It stands alone perfectly well, but I am hoping for a sequel!
    Report

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