In Deuceโs world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed โbratโ has trained into one of three groupsโBreeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.
As a Huntress, her purpose is clearโto brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. Sheโs worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothingโs going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuceโs troubles are just beginning.
Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesnโt like following orders. At first she thinks heโs crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders donโt always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; sheโs never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.
As Deuceโs perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategyโฆ but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world sheโs ever known.
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