Recommendations based on "The Branded"

What would you do to save someone you love?Time is slipping away. . . .Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to the middle of nowhere for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying--and she's helpless to change anything.Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?Victoria Scott's breathtaking novel grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let go.

Lyra. Lucy. Percy. Once in a generation, a hero emerges whose story enthralls readers worldwide.Fireborn is an epic quest, perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials and The School for Good and Evil series, that will spin readers into a magical world like no other—and introduce them to an unforgettable new heroine named Twelve.Ember is full of monsters.Twelve gave up her name and identity to train in the art of hunting them—so she says. The truth is much more deadly: she trains to take revenge on those who took her family from her.But when Twelve’s new home is attacked, she’ll find herself on an unexpected journey, where her hidden past is inescapably intertwined with her destiny—and the very fate of her world.

Oona's Blood Is A River Delta Blending East And West, Her Hair Red As Tennessee Clay, Her Heart Tangled As The Wild Lands She Maps. By Tracing Rivers In Ink On Paper, Oona Pins The Land Down To One Reality And Betrays Her People. Can She Escape The Bonds Of Gold And Blood And Bone That Tie Her To The Imperial American River Company? At The Publisher's Request, This Title Is Being Sold Without Digital Rights Management Software (drm) Applied.

Jacqueline Carey is back with an amazing adventure not seen since her New York Times bestselling Kushiel's Legacy series. Lush and sensual, Starless introduces us to an epic world where exiled gods live among us, and a hero whose journey will resonate long after the last page is turned. I was nine years old the first time I tried to kill a man... Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity...but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction. If Khai is to keep his soul’s twin Zariya alive, their only hope lies with an unlikely crew of prophecy-seekers on a journey that will take them farther beneath the starless skies than anyone can imagine. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone dystopian epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City. LIVE BY THE CODE. DIE BY THE KNIFE. Isako is a legendary swordswoman, but every legend must come to an end. When her long-time client unexpectedly retires, she plans to follow--to walk out into the frozen wasteland of their planet with her head held high and her family enriched by her death. But when she's offered a final mission, she can't refuse, especially when she realizes who lies at the center of it all: Martim, her last--and worst--apprentice, who's somehow made his way to the top. As she's thrust into a world of corporate espionage and shadowy secrets, what she uncovers could forever change humanity's existence among the stars. The Last Contract of Isako is epic science fiction like only Fonda Lee can write it--set in a world where money trumps loyalty, the elite have the power to extend life or end it, and one woman in the twilight of her calling must decide what's ultimately worth living--or dying--for.

"A sequel that outshines its already brilliant predecessor." --Nadine Brandes, award-winning author of the Out of Time trilogyWhat happens when happily ever after starts to unravel?Eliyana Ember doesn't believe in true love. Not anymore. After defeating her grandfather and saving the Second Reflection, El only trusts what's right in front of her. The tangible. The real. Not some unexplained Kiss of Infinity she once shared with the ghost of a boy she's trying to forget. She has more important things to worry about--like becoming queen of the Second Reflection, a role she is so not prepared to fill.Now that the Verity is intertwined with her soul and Joshua's finally by her side, El is ready to learn more about her mysterious birth land, the land she now rules. So why does she feel like something--or someone--is missing?When the thresholds begin to drain and the Callings, those powerful magical gifts, begin to fail, El wonders if her link to Ky Rhyen may have something to do with it. For light and darkness cannot coexist. She needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can El find a way to sever her connection to Ky and save the Reflections--and keep herself from falling for him in the process?

More than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible. Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War III. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him? Gripping and provocative, S. J. Kincaid’s futuristic thrill ride of a debut crackles with memorable characters, tremendous wit, and a vision of the future that asks startling, timely questions about the melding of humanity and technology.

The thrilling sequel to the bestselling middle-grade debut of autumn 2020, shortlisted for the Waterstones Children's Book Prize Imogen and Marie return through the door in the tree to a whole new Yaroslav. Miro is king, but hates it. Anneshka is no longer Queen. . . and hates it. When Anneshka hears a prophecy that she will rule the Greatest Kingdom, she seizes Marie, believing her to be key to fulfilling it, and heads over the mountains. Imogen and Miro chase after them, in hot pursuit. But what they find in the lands beyond will change everything again, and see them facing dangers they could never have imagined, both human and otherwise. Beautifully illustrated throughout by Chris Riddell, exciting and funny, the Clock of Stars trilogy is a timeless fantasy from the most astonishing new voice in middle grade.

The heart-stopping sequel to the New York Times bestselling Sea of Shadows, which Kirkus Reviews called "a standout." Blending fantasy, romance, danger, and action, Kelley Armstrong sends readers on a thrilling journey through an unforgettable world, perfect for fans of Graceling and Game of Thrones.Sisters Moria and Ashyn are the Keeper and Seeker of Edgewood. Or at least they were.Their village is gone. Their friends have betrayed them. And now the emperor has sent them on a mission to rescue the captured children of Edgewood—accompanied by Prince Tyrus and a small band of imperial warriors. But the journey proves more perilous than any of them could have imagined. And with treachery and unrest mounting in the empire, the girls are running out of places to turn. With all the pulse-pounding action and romance that have made her a #1 New York Times bestselling author, this second book in the Age of Legends trilogy will appeal to Kelley Armstrong's legions of fans around the world and win her many new ones.

War rages on in the exhilarating sequel to Spin of Fate, the young adult fantasy set in a world loosely inspired by karma.“Evocative of Sanderson and Pullman, yet at the same time shockingly original.” —Rosaria Munda, author of Fireborne, on Spin of FateMayana is burning. Following the rupture of the barrier protecting the peaceful upper realm, soldiers from the lower realm of Malin invade and wage war on the Mayani kingdoms. Born into scarcity, the soldiers crave the lives of abundance they’ve been deprived of since birth. Meanwhile, the authorities of the upper realms race to fend off their attacks—and the key to their success may rest in gaining control of the planetary beasts who created the realms.They attempt to recruit the Mayani princess and nature enthusiast Himalia to bond with a beast, a dangerous task that would earn her control of its powers. Himalia, who prefers the company of animals and books to humans, is unsettled by the idea of using another living being this way. After a life of disappointing her father, she should jump at the chance to bring honor to her family. But Himalia would rather be left in peace to continue her research, as she verges on a discovery that could change the tide of the war.As Himalia edges closer to her discovery, the former members of the Balancers, a disbanded rebel group bringing aid to the unfortunate, choose their sides in the conflict. A grief-stricken Aina seeks revenge against the leader of the Malini army, who killed her mother. A conflicted Aranel sides with the lowers, intent on fighting for equality even if it means going against his homeland. And Meizan, now returned to his Malini clan, navigates internal politics as he tries to keep his clansmen out of harm’s way. When the three teens cross paths, as the attack on Mayana reaches a boiling point, they must reckon with their old, fractured friendships and their new reality as enemies at war.