First published 2017
Cora and her fellow human captives crash land on Armstrong, a moon they hoped would offer sanctuary from their alien captors. Instead, they find a brutal mining colony controlled by a tyrannical sheriff who forces the teenagers into slave labor. Time runs short as Nok approaches childbirth and Mali and Leon race through space to rescue Cassian. Cora knows their only path to freedom lies in completing the Gauntlet, a grueling test designed to prove human intelligence worthy of liberation. But four alien species stand in her way, each with their own agenda to prevent humanity's success. The Axion, Kindred, Gatherers, and Mosca all want Cora to fail. With no allies she can trust completely, Cora pushes herself beyond physical and mental limits to escape Armstrong and enter the competition. The fate of her species rests on her shoulders, but winning the Gauntlet may cost her everything she has left.
Genres: science-fiction, adventure, action, aliens
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family, race-against-time
Setting: Armstrong, Gauntlet
Period: Future
393 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins
Content warnings: slavery, violence