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.

• Found Family: Four young escapees—a telepath, a precog, a powerhouse, and a conjurer—must learn to trust each other when even their enigmatic leader, Shade, might be their greatest threat.
• Cyberpunk Elements: Led by a man who is no longer human, these teens fight back against a technologically superior enemy with scavenged tech, raw courage, and their own emerging abilities.
• High-Stakes Survival: In a world where no one lives past fourteen, every day is a battle. Escape the Dorms, evade the monstrous creatures, and pray you never see the inside of the Meat Factory.
• Gritty YA Dystopia: Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner who love dark, action-packed adventures where the heroes are outgunned, on the run, and fighting for the future of humanity.