An instant New York Times bestseller with three starred reviews—now under development as a feature film franchise!
Plummet into a kill-or-be-killed competition where a scrappy underdog hell-bent on revenge must battle colossal monstrosities and claw his way to the top in this fast-paced, breakout sensation from YA fantasy author Marc J Gregson.
Exiled to live as a Low under the merciless rule of the Meritocracy, sixteen-year-old Conrad refuses to become heir to his murderous uncle. But when behemoth sky serpents attack the floating island of Holmstead and devour Conrad's ailing mother, Conrad cuts a deal to save the only family he has left. To rescue his sister from his uncle's clutches, Conrad must enter the Selection of the Twelve Trades.
Freshly recruited into Hunter, the deadliest of all the Trades, Conrad endures rigorous training, manipulative peers, and the Gauntlet—a brutal final challenge that pits Conrad's skyship crew against the very terrors that orphaned him. As Conrad competes in the lowest of stations, he overhears whispers of rebellion in the dark. Conrad had never known anything existed below the toxic black clouds of the Skylands . . . until now.
Grab your copy of Book One of the Above the Black trilogy and immerse yourself in a richly detailed dystopia, where failing to rise will most certainly mean your fall. Chock-full with epic, edge-of-your-seat battles, nail-biting twists, and bonds of brotherhood, this action-packed series starter is reminiscent of Attack on Titan and will appeal to fans of Red Rising. A captivatingly wild ride to keep you up late at night as you race toward the finish!
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Book; A Kids' Indie Next List Selection; A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year; A BookPage Best Book of the Year; A Reactor Most Anticipated Young Adult SFF/H; A Goodreads Most Anticipated Young Adult Book
- New eBook additions
- New eBook additions for Kids
- New eBook additions for Teens
- Most popular
- Most popular for Kids
- Most popular for Teens
- Available Now
- Available Now for Kids
- Available Now for Teens
- Book Club 2025-2026: Guaranteed Available : Karapu Pukapuka: Wātea Mārika 2025-2026
- Classic Literature Book Club : Guaranteed Available
- Travel Club 2025-2026: Guaranteed Available
- Reese's Pieces
- See all ebooks collections
- New eAudiobook additions
- New eAudiobook additions for Kids
- New eAudiobook additions for Teens
- Most popular eAudiobooks
- Most popular eAudiobooks for Kids
- Most popular eAudiobooks for Teens
- Available now on eAudio
- Available Now on eAudio for Kids
- Available Now on eAudio for Teens
- AudioBook Club 2025-2026: Guaranteed Available
- Classic "Reads" AudioBook Club : Guaranteed Available
- Children's AudioBook Club 2025-2026: Guaranteed Available
- See all audiobooks collections
- Ngā pukapuka i te reo Māori : Books in the Māori Language
- Tusi Samoa : Samoan Books
- Ngaahi tohi ʻi he lea faka-Tongá : Books in Tongan
- 中文书籍 Zhōngwén shūjí : Books in Chinese
- 中文杂志 Zhōngwén zázhì : Magazines in Chinese
- Cărți în limba română: Books in Romanian
- Книги українською мовою : Books in Ukrainian
- Książki w języku polskim : Books in Polish
- किताबें हिंदी में Kitaaben hindee mein : Books in Hindi
- Buugaag af-soomaali ku qoran : Books in Somali
- Livres en français : Books in French
- Magazines en français : Magazines in French
- Bücher in deutscher Sprache : Books in German
- See all language collections collections
