First published 2013
Malencia Vale turns sixteen and graduates in a world still recovering from war. Her community selects her as a candidate for leadership training, sending her away from everything familiar. Cia must travel to Tosu City, where the government will test her abilities and determine her future role in society. The process promises to identify the next generation of leaders who will guide their civilization forward. But Cia quickly discovers that the testing involves more than academic challenges. Romance complicates her focus as she forms connections with other candidates. Meanwhile, the evaluation process reveals a darker side that puts all the young people at risk. Cia faces choices that will determine not just her own survival, but her willingness to become the kind of leader her world needs. She must navigate deadly challenges while holding onto her moral compass in a system designed to break down everything she believes about right and wrong.
Genres: science-fiction, dystopia, adventure, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Tosu City
Period: post-war
352 pages · Kindle Edition · Clarion Books
Content warnings: violence