The sequel to the critically-acclaimedNew York Timesbestselling fantasyThe Reader, “highly recommended for fans of Cornelia Funke’sInkheart& female-powered adventures.”— School Library JournalHaving barely escaped the clutches of theGuard,Sefia&Archerare back on the run, slipping into the safety of the forest to tend to their wounds and plan their next move. Haunted by painful memories,Archerstruggles to overcome the trauma of his past with the impressors, whose cruelty plagues him whenever he closes his eyes. But whenSefia&Archerhappen upon a crew of impressors in the wilderness,Archerfinally finds a way to combat his nightmares: by hunting impressors & freeing the boys they hold captive.WithSefia’shelp,Archertravels across the kingdom ofDelienerescuing boys while she continues to investigate the mysteriousBook& the secrets it contains. But the more battles they fight, the more fightsArchercraves, until his thirst for violence threatens to transform him from the gentle boySefiaknows to a grim warrior with a cruel destiny. AsSefiabegins to unravel the threads that connectArcher’sfate to her parents’ betrayal of theGuardso long ago, she &Archermust figure out a way to subvert theGuard’splans before they are ensnared in a war that will pit kingdom against kingdom, leaving their future & the safety of the entire world hanging in the balance.°°°Traci Cheeis the bestselling author ofThe Readerseries. Her novelWe Are Not Freewas met with aPrintz Honor&Walter Honorin addition to theNBAnomination & received four starred reviews. Her latest title isA Thousand Steps into Night, aJapanese-influenced young adult fantasy, which was longlisted for the 2022National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.Traciis fourth-generationJapanese American& is a native ofNorthern California, where she lives with her fast-fast dog.