The Merciless King of Moore High

by Lily Sparks

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Pub Date Apr 23 2024 | Archive Date Apr 16 2024

North Star Editions | Flux

LGBTQIAP+ | Sci Fi & Fantasy | Teens & YA

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Description

When the adults of Brockton, Connecticut, morphed into gigantic, bloodthirsty monsters nine months ago, the students at Jefferson High barricaded themselves inside their school. Now eighteen-year-old Kay Kim is one of the Student Council members trying to keep her classmates from starving.

Kay has no poker face and can’t keep her mouth shut when she knows she’s right, so when she accidentally learns a secret that threatens the delicate power balance at Jefferson, she’s dragged out of the school in the dead of night and dumped in the middle of town in a secret assassination attempt.

But when a raiding party of cheerleaders from crosstown rival Moore High comes to her rescue, Kay finds herself among ruthless, hard-partying road warriors who have adopted the feudal trappings of a once-popular video game. Life at Moore is violent and cliquish, but everyone is thriving—everyone, that is, who survives the kingdom’s periodic monster hunts. For Moore’s beloved King Max demands only two things: absolute fealty and that everyone at Moore help kill the “dragons.”

If Kay wants to survive, she must be granted asylum at Moore—which means slaying dragons, not asking the wrong questions, and navigating the rival factions, love triangles, and political intrigues at court. But when Kay discovers a deadly secret that reaches all the way to Jefferson, her inability to hide the truth might spark the revolution that burns both schools to the ground.

Advance Praise

“Thematically intriguing with shocking twists.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Heart-stopping monsters, adventure and intrigue, and forbidden romance smack in the middle of a high school King Arthur’s court—this book is addictive! Lily Sparks better write fast because I can’t wait to see what happens next.” —Joelle Charbonneau, New York Times bestselling author of The Testing

“Lily Sparks’s The Merciless King of Moore High kind of has everything: great characters, complex motivations, and even some courtly politics. It asks what it might be like if you had to rebuild society with only other people from your high school, and answers that it would be just as messed-up and awesome as you think! This is the ultimate post-apocalyptic adventure, perfect for fans of cheerleaders who become crossbow-wielding knights, gamer kids who become real-life wizards, and The Walking Dead.” —Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Champion of Fate

“The Merciless King of Moore High combines terrifying monsters, palace intrigue, and authentic high school romance and angst with Lily Sparks’s uncanny ability to make the fantastical believable, and to populate it with characters that are not only smart, sexy, and fun, but utterly compelling, in the moment and for a long time after.” —Jon McGoran, author of Spliced

“Daybreak meets Game of Thrones with a romance that will melt your face off in this twisty, thrilling, colorful trip through an apocalypse you've never seen before. Sparks is the queen of swoon-worthy romance in the midst of murder.” —Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of Midnight at the Houdini

“I couldn't put down this action packed post-apocalyptic adventure. Set in a world where all the adults have turned into dragons, this story is a gritty mix of Mad Max and King Arthur's court. High school rivalries and teen drama added plot twists that kept me guessing. I'm excited to see where the series will go next!” —Tessa Barbosa, author of The Moonlight Blade

“The Merciless King of Moore High merges the cutthroat fantasy politics of The Cruel Prince with the post-apocalyptic high school setting of Netflix's Daybreak. Sparks lays out twist after twist like a winning hand of cards, turning the story on its head every time you think you've figured it out. Breathlessly tense, unpredictable, and a heck of a lot of fun.” —Claire Winn, author of City of Shattered Light and City of Vicious Night

“Post apocalyptic survival meets high school clique drama in this inventive and twisty young adult novel. The Merciless King of Moore High is going to revitalize dystopian literature!” —Rachel Menard, multi-award winning author of Game of Strength and Storm and Clash of Fate and Fury

“High school rivalry with end-of-the-world stakes gripped me from the first page. The unflinching Kay Kim, gritty world building, and slow-burn romance kept me reading into the night. Lily Sparks’s The Merciless King of Moore High is a gruesomely twisted take on the zombie apocalypse filled with gory dragons, medieval pageantry, and dangerously shifting alliances. My heart was pounding by the end!” —Katharine J. Adams, author of Tonight, I Burn

“A gripping thrill ride with monsters and deception lurking behind every page. Fast-paced and full of surprises, Sparks skillfully balances a world of fragile power and fraying loyalties with heartfelt emotion and the fierce will to survive.” —Linda Kao, author of A Crooked Mark

“Thematically intriguing with shocking twists.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Heart-stopping monsters, adventure and intrigue, and forbidden romance smack in the middle of a high school King Arthur’s court—this...