Description

This limited deluxe edition of Ava Reid’s captivating novel, Fable for the End of the World, is an essential collector’s item crafted for fans of dystopian romances such as The Last of Us and The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. It features a stunningly intricate design with a holographic foil hardcover case, glitch-effect endpapers, specially designed edges, and elegant foil detailing. Readers will also delight in exclusive bonus content available only in this special edition. Ava Reid is acclaimed as the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning.

In the oppressive world crafted by the powerful corporation Caerus, society is held hostage through the heavy debts imposed on its suffering lower classes. Caerus controls all aspects of daily life, dominating society by encouraging enormous debts from citizens.

Inesa and her brother struggle to survive in a half-flooded town, barely getting by through a small taxidermy business. When Inesa discovers that their neglectful and selfish mother has secretly accumulated excessive debts, she learns that she has been offered up as a sacrifice in Caerus’s terrifyingly popular and widely broadcast assassination tournament—known as the Lamb’s Gauntlet.

Melinoë is an elite assassin for Caerus, meticulously trained and neurologically conditioned to mercilessly hunt down and execute the designated Lambs chosen for the spectacle. Known equally for her cold brutality and her haunting beauty, Melinoë has dispatched every single target assigned to her without fail.

At first the news that she will be hunted in the Lamb’s Gauntlet fills Inesa with despair—few debtors survive the brutal competition. But years spent surviving the harsh apocalyptic wasteland alongside her skilled hunter brother give her unexpected strength, and she realizes she may yet stand a chance at survival.

Melinoë also faces high stakes. After experiencing an emotional breakdown during a previous event—an incident broadcast to the entire audience—she is haunted constantly by painful memories and seeks redemption. Failure for her means losing her distinguished reputation, the only identity she knows.

As Melinoë relentlessly tracks Inesa across the perilous ruins of their broken world, both women begin to question the harsh reality set before them. Inesa starts to wonder if life might hold more meaning than just survival alone. Meanwhile, Melinoë asks herself if she could possibly become more than just a ruthless killer.

Soon enough, in a conflict that pushes both of them to their physical and emotional limits, Inesa and Melinoë discover something they never expected: the spark of connection and the improbable beginnings of love.