Scythe

New edition for 2026 with brand-new iconic covers across the series. "A true successor to The Hunger Games" Maggie Stiefvater, bestselling author of Shiver and The Raven Boys. A TIME MAGAZINE BEST YA BOOK OF ALL TIME What if death was the only thing left to control? In the not-too-distant future, humans have cured hunger, disease, war, crime - even death. Now scythes are the only ones who can end a life - and they are commanded to do so to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are both chosen to be apprentices to a scythe - something neither of them wants. Forced together, they must perfect the skill of taking a life, competing against each other for just one scythe position. But then it becomes clear that the winning apprentice's first task will be to kill the loser... The first book in the globally bestselling, award-winning series for fans of Suzanne Collins, Pierce Brown and Marie Lu. Collect all the books in the series: Scythe Thunderhead The Toll Gleanings PRE-ORDER RISING THUNDER NOW - OUT DECEMBER 2026!

Neal Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty award-winning books for children, teens and adults. These include the acclaimed Arc of a Scythe series (Scythe, Thunderhead and The Toll), Dry and Roxy, as well as the Unwind dystology and Challenger Deep, which won a National Book Award. He also writes screenplays for film and television. Neal lives in Florida and has four children, all of whom are talented writers and artists themselves. Visit Neal at StoryMan.com or follow him on Twitter: @NealShusterman