First published 2024
Conrad lives as a Low on the floating island of Holmstead after refusing to become heir to his murderous uncle. The sixteen-year-old watches his sick mother die at the claws of gorgantauns. His uncle holds his sister captive. Conrad makes a bargain to free her. He must compete in the Selection of the Twelve Trades. He joins Hunter, the most dangerous trade of all. Conrad endures brutal training alongside manipulative competitors. The Gauntlet awaits as the final test. Skyship crews battle to kill the most gorgantauns for wealth and status. Conrad serves in the lowest position where nobody sees him. He overhears rebels whispering in shadows. All his life Conrad believed nothing existed beneath the toxic black clouds. Now he learns the truth about what lies below the Skylands.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, fantasy, action
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Holmstead, Skylands
416 pages · Hardcover · Peachtree Teen
Content warnings: violence