Shade's Children

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.

| In the brutal world of the future, an unspeakable fate awaits the human children of the Dormitories when they turn fourteen. It is from this Sad Birthday that Shade's Children'Ella, Drum, Gold-Eye, and Ninde'have escaped. Hunted ceaselessly by savage mutant creatures, they join forces to form a resistance movement. Cunning, clairvoyance, and sheer desperate force of will help them. But ultimately their fate rests with the charismatic Shade, who calls himself their friend . . .

This complex, suspenseful, thoroughly absorbing tale of the future fulfills all the promise of Sabriel, Garth Nix's debut young adult novel.

Praise for Sabriel:

‘Rich, complex, involving, hard to put down, this first novel is excellent high fantasy.' 'Publishers Weekly

‘The action charges along at a gallop'a page turner for sure.' 'Starred Review/Booklist

01 Blue Spruce Award Masterlist (YA Cat.) and 00-01 Tayshas High School Reading List

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“A dynamic page-turner. Fast-paced action and the intensity of the entire situation make for exciting reading.” - ALA Booklist

“A slick, dark, engrossing novel. Grim, unusual, and fascinating.” - Horn Book Magazine

“An exciting read.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Fast-paced, exciting, well-written, and engaging.” - School Library Journal

“The alternate world he [Nix] creates is amply imagined and the twists and turns of the action-filled plot compelling.” - Publishers Weekly

“This pitch-dark, post-apocalyptic thriller will keep you reading and wild-eyed. Fast, brutal and brilliant.” - Scott Westerfeld, author of Uglies