Katharyn Blair crafts a fiercely feminist fantasy with a horrifying curse, swoon-worthy sea captains, and the power of one girl to choose her own fate in this contemporary standalone adventure that's perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and Seafire, and for anyone who has ever felt unchosen.
For Charlotte Holloway, the world ended twice.
The first was when her childhood crush, Dean, fell in love—with her older sister.
The second was when the Crimson, a curse spread through eye contact, turned the majority of humanity into flesh-eating monsters.
Neither end of the world changed Charlotte. She’s still in the shadows of her siblings. Her popular older sister, Harlow, now commands forces of survivors. And her talented younger sister, Vanessa, is the Chosen One—who, legend has it, can end the curse.
When their settlement is raided by those seeking the Chosen One, Charlotte makes a reckless decision to save Vanessa: she takes her place as prisoner.
The word spreads across the seven seas—the Chosen One has been found.
But when Dean’s life is threatened and a resistance looms on the horizon, the lie keeping Charlotte alive begins to unravel. She’ll have to break free, forge new bonds, and choose her own destiny if she has any hope of saving her sisters, her love, and maybe even the world.
Because sometimes the end is just a new beginning.
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“An effectively built dystopia with terrifying monsters and equally horrible humans…Blair takes a hard swing at capitalism and patriarchy in a pointed ending that pits Charlotte’s selflessness against selfish men’s curses and greed.”
— Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Interweaving excellent worldbuilding with the uncertainties of discipline, friendship, and taking ownership of one’s decisions, Blair’s debut will entrance and delight in equal measure.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)“This adventure has a fast-paced plot that holds readers’ attention, with strong writing and vibrant descriptions…Recommended for mature middle school and high school collections.”
— School Library Journal“A thrill ride from start to end, this book captivated me with its deadly stakes, breathtaking romance, and unforgettable characters. One of my all-time favorite reads!”
— Kathryn Purdie, author of Bone Crier’s Moon“Blair offers a deeply felt testament to love and survival and sisterhood—to everything that makes us whole and human—in a story that ultimately upends the idea of a chosen one to reaffirm the human heart.”
— Margaret Stohl, author of Black Widow Red VengeanceBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
K. R. Blair, a minister’s daughter raised in the church, is now a screenwriter and novelist who specializes in dark, female-driven genre fiction that she’s certain will eventually get her excommunicated (though she’s glad it hasn’t happened yet). She is the author of two novels, The Beckoning Shadow and Unchosen. She is also a writer and executive story editor for Marvel’s Loki on Disney+, as well as the writer of the upcoming TVA series from Marvel Comics. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband, four children, two dogs, four cats, and a handful of daddy longlegs with whom she’s reached a truce.