A land destroyed by war. An army of giants on the rampage. Can a broken girl heal the world before it dies?All 16-year-old Khaidu ever wanted was her own hunting eagle. Her ten brothers laugh at her. After all, the rule-bound world of the Gumiren nomads has no place for a girl hunter, much less a crippled one. But Khaidu has a secret. Mastering the ancient magic of eagle-binding, she captures the largest eagle her tribe has ever seen. Except her eagle isn't an eagle at all. She's a dying queen under an enchantment. Khaidu's binding unlocks an ancient curse of blood and loss. As the curse turns Khaidu's people against each other, the bond between eagle and hunter shatters. Desperate to find her lost eagle, Khaidu will brave monstrous beasts, face an army of shape-shifting giants, and cross the known world?only to be faced with a terrible truth. If Khaidu cannot save the queen in time, the world itself may die with her. Inspired by the Russian fairy tale "Finist the Bright Falcon," The Heart of the World features complex characters, gorgeous magical landscapes, and unexpected plot twists.