Description

From renowned fantasy author of the Old Kingdom series, Garth Nix, comes a dystopian fantasy perfect for fans of Hunger Games and Divergent.

Imagine a world where your fourteenth birthday is your last and where even your protector may not be trusted….

In a futuristic urban wasteland, evil Overlords have decreed that no human shall live a day past their fourteenth birthday. On that Sad Birthday, the children of the Dorms are taken to the Meat Factory, where they will be made into creatures whose sole purpose is to kill.

The mysterious Shade—once a man, but now more like the machines he fights—recruits the few teenagers who escape into a secret resistance force. With luck, cunning, and skill, four of Shade's children come closer than any to discovering the source of the Overlords' power—and the key to their downfall. But the closer they get, the more ruthless Shade seems to become.

A Gritty Sci-Fi World: A post-apocalyptic landscape where no one lives past fourteen and the dreaded Meat Factory awaits all who are captured. Found Family: Four young fugitives with unique Change Talents must learn to trust each other when they can't even trust their mysterious leader. Morally Gray Mentor: Is Shade a savior, or is he becoming just as monstrous as the Overlords he fights? His own children are beginning to wonder. Action-Packed Survival: A desperate mission to uncover the Overlords' secrets will test their skills, their courage, and their loyalty to the breaking point.