The Welkin Duology Series by Jeffrey Hall

Irtha Vimbi is trapped. For years she has been stuck living off the river that runs beneath the city of Mohii, hiding from those who hunt her brother, a boy with magic capable of reshaping the world. Her only escape is the motherseed, a drug that puts her in the mind of an animal and gives her the freedom to explore the nearby jungle in safety... at a cost... moreIrtha Vimbi is trapped. For years she has been stuck living off the river that runs beneath the city of Mohii, hiding from those who hunt her brother, a boy with magic capable of reshaping the world. Her only escape is the motherseed, a drug that puts her in the mind of an animal and gives her the freedom to explore the nearby jungle in safety... at a cost. But when her brother's power is released and the city of Mohii is left in ruin, Irtha and her brother set out to find a new home in the City of a Thousand Faces, a place that can fulfill anyone's dream so long as they are willing to pay its price. With a lucrative bounty placed on their heads, they must stay one step ahead of their hunters on a road through a jungle where unimaginable predators lurk, plants can speak, and the canopy grows so densely that even daylight cannot find a way through. It's a long, dangerous path, but if they survive it, Irtha might be able to find what she has been looking for all along... a way to defeat her addiction and keep her brother safe. A way to finally be free. Brimming with originality, action, and memorable characters, the City of a Thousand Faces is the first book in the Welkin Duology, a series set in Chilongua, a unique fantasy world inspired by the abundant life and terrors found in the jungle. less

Betrayed. Hunted. On the run. Irtha Vimbi and her brother have once again been forced from the safety of civilization in order to find acceptance elsewhere. Now their only salvation may lie in the Nation of Madness, a land ruled by lunatics and shadow. To reach it they must outrun a group of trained killers across the Deep, an expansive jungle where no man goes for fear of the strange magic that lurks inside and the creatures who call it home... moreBetrayed. Hunted. On the run. Irtha Vimbi and her brother have once again been forced from the safety of civilization in order to find acceptance elsewhere. Now their only salvation may lie in the Nation of Madness, a land ruled by lunatics and shadow. To reach it they must outrun a group of trained killers across the Deep, an expansive jungle where no man goes for fear of the strange magic that lurks inside and the creatures who call it home. With the help of a dangerous group of outcasts, they must navigate the treacherous landscape and not only escape their enemies, but defeat their own demons to finally find their freedom. The Nation of Madness is the second and last book in the Welkin Duology, a series set in Chilongua, a unique fantasy world inspired by the abundant life and terrors found in the jungle. less