Fledgling
The Keeper's Records of Revolution
Will be published approx. on 12. May 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
544 pages
978-0-593-53126-6 (ISBN)
Description
Would you trade love for peace?
Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful, she accepts her father's arrangement of her marriage to Lein, Crown Prince of the corrupt, volatile lands of Lower Earth.
Though Lein is a stranger, Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: An infusion of Upper Earth technology will usher in the final age of enlightenment, ending war between humans forever.
Or is justice more urgent?
Newly released from imprisonment, Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding.
Convinced her cousin Lein's alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive, terrifying form of tyranny, Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution.
When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding, all eyes turn to the rebels, including Nayf, Nada's twin brother, a fugitive on the run. In Nayf and Raisa meeting, the long-simmering animosity between their worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected. But the Crown Prince wants his bride - and future - back. And he will go to the ends of the earths to reclaim them.
Raisa of Upper Earth has only lived a life of privilege and acquiescence. Ever dutiful, she accepts her father's arrangement of her marriage to Lein, Crown Prince of the corrupt, volatile lands of Lower Earth.
Though Lein is a stranger, Raisa knows the wedding will unite their vastly different worlds in a pact of peace: An infusion of Upper Earth technology will usher in the final age of enlightenment, ending war between humans forever.
Or is justice more urgent?
Newly released from imprisonment, Nada of Lower Earth has found her own calling: disrupting the royal wedding.
Convinced her cousin Lein's alliance with Upper Earth will launch an invasive, terrifying form of tyranny, Nada sets out undercover to light the spark of revolution.
When Raisa goes missing a week before the wedding, all eyes turn to the rebels, including Nayf, Nada's twin brother, a fugitive on the run. In Nayf and Raisa meeting, the long-simmering animosity between their worlds slowly burns away into something unexpected. But the Crown Prince wants his bride - and future - back. And he will go to the ends of the earths to reclaim them.
Reviews / Votes
Praise for Fledgling by S.K. AliA Kirkus Best YA Book of the Year (2024)
A School Library Journal Best YA Book of the Year (2024)
A Quill & Quire Book of the Year (2024)
? "A grippingly believable mirror of our own world."
- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
?"This is a duology to watch."
- Booklist, starred review
? "A thrilling post-apocalyptic adventure. . . . Ali balances a wide cast of characters and various subplots to create a propulsive duology opener that will have readers eagerly awaiting the next book."
- School Library Journal, starred review
"Ali's science-fiction debut reads like she's known this genre all her life. A sweeping epic of love and revolution, set in a visceral future vision of Earth and starring a cast you can't help but fall for. A breathtaking ride."
-Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Stars And Smoke
"A dystopian story rooted in colonial realities, Fledgling is a fierce and ever-relevant ode to resistance and self-determination against the hypocrisy of those who burn the world down for their own benefit and then deem themselves superior to those who survive among the ashes."
-Xiran Jay Zhao, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Iron Widow
"A delicious blend of intricate world building, royal and political intrigue, and romance. Fledgling pulls you in from the very first page!"
-Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Once Upon a Broken Heart
"In turns both profound and heart racing, S. K. Ali's vision of a world on the brink of revolution or submission to artificial political intelligence sounds eerily plausible."
-S. A. Chakraborty, New York Times Bestselling author of The Daevabad Trilogy
"A richly-imagined futuristic world tipping into revolution, a fiery yet tender love story, and unyielding courage in the search for truth and justice, S. K. Ali's entry into science fiction is powerful in every sense. Raw, inspiring, and unputdownable."
-Amelie Wen Zhao, New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Song of the Last Kingdom duology
"Ali immerses readers in a postapocalyptic dystopia that raises questions about the meaning of freedom and the politics of revolution through a sprawling cast, numerous perspectives, and detailed worldbuilding."
- Publishers Weekly
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Penguin Young Readers
Target group
Young adult
US School Grade: Ninth Grade and over, Interest Age: From 14 years
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 205 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
434 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-593-53126-6 (9780593531266)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
10/2024
Kokila
€9.99
Available for download
Person
S. K. Ali is the author of several books, including Saints and Misfits, a finalist for the American Library Association's 2018 William C. Morris Award and winner of the APALA Honor Award and Middle East Book Honor Award; and Love from A to Z, a Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club selection. Both novels were named best YA novels of the year by various media sources including Entertainment Weekly and Kirkus. You can find S. K. online at SKAliBooks.com and follow her on Instagram @SKAliBooks, on TikTok @SKAliBooks, and on X @SajidahWrites.