After watching the author's wholesome reaction to the reveal of his book cover in front of his class, I knew I had to read this book. 

Although this is definitely geared towards teens, I still found it enjoyable. There’s action, resilience, familial drama, and the small matter of survival. 

Conrad vows to avenge his father, save his sister, and get his beloved mother out of the lowest of lows…despite being under the rule of the notorious, new king, his very own uncle. To do so, he must join the Selection and Rise. And so begins his treacherous tale.

Note that this is more sci-fi than fantasy in my opinion, reminiscent of Dune or the Hunger Games. So what should you expect? Duels, sky-ships, floating islands, adventure, monsters, and some enemies x friends.