by Amanda Foody
First published 2022
The bloodstained tournament that has plagued Ilvernath for generations finally shows cracks. The magical barriers separating the deadly arena from the city collapse completely. Reporters flood the battlegrounds where champions once fought in secret. A boy who died in the previous trials walks among the living again. The surviving champions watch as a newcomer joins their ranks, someone determined to shatter the curse permanently regardless of the cost in human lives. Each remaining fighter must decide their path forward. They can work together to dismantle the tournament systematically, or they can return to the original rules and battle until only one survives. The curse grows weaker with each passing day, but its collapse threatens everything the champions thought they understood. Old partnerships crumble under the pressure. The bonds between allies snap as survival instincts take hold. Hearts shatter as brutally as bodies. In a story built on violence and sacrifice, no one expected a gentle ending.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, action, young-adult
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: found-family, survival, violence
Setting: Ilvernath
480 pages · Hardcover · Tor Teen
Content warnings: graphic-violence, violence