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Rising Thunder

A Prequel to Scythe
By Neal Shusterman
Series: First Blades
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Brief Description
Rising Thunder reveals the origins of the Scythedom in this long-awaited prequel to the global smash sensation Scythe by the New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman, master of speculative dystopia and sci-fi thrillers. As every school child knows, December 2042 marks the end of the... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2499
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Releases 1st December 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "Rising Thunder" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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Rising Thunder reveals the origins of the Scythedom in this long-awaited prequel to the global smash sensation Scythe by the New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman, master of speculative dystopia and sci-fi thrillers.

As every school child knows, December 2042 marks the end of the Age of Mortality.

What no one has ever fully understood is how the world reached that moment.

As death begins to seem optional, humanity looks for ways to bend the rules of existence. Twi-life centres begin storing the nearly-deceased, while eco-nihilists threaten to end the human race entirely. Public opinion fractures. Systems strain. The world feels unstable.

Behind the scenes, two powerful artificial intelligences set out to optimise, stabilise, and protect – each with its own idea of what that means. But in a world already tipping toward transformation, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Meanwhile, in an obscure online chatroom, a small group of teenagers from around the globe debate the future, never realising that their conversations, their choices, their very existence matter far more than they realise.

Because when humanity stands on the brink of immortality, someone must decide what survives … and what must be cut away.

This explosive new novel is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games as well as Pierce Brown, Marie Lu and Patrick Ness.

Series: First Blades

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  • Rising Thunder
    Pre-order
    Rising Thunder
    Rising Thunder reveals the origins of the Scythedom in this long-awaited prequel to the global smash sensation Scythe by the New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman, master of speculative dystopia and sci-fi thrillers. As every school child knows, December 2042 marks the end of the Age of Mortality. What no one has ever fully understood is how the world...
    By Neal Shusterman
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    Pre-order
    Out 1 Dec 2026

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529538021

Publisher: Walker Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 December 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Walker Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly, Children

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 560

Collections

Children's Books Children's Fiction Children’s, Teenage and Educational Coming Soon in Fiction Crime & Thriller Dystopian Fiction Education & Reference General Fiction Kids & YA Pre-orders Neal Shusterman Politics & Current Affairs Pre-order Books Pre-Order Children's Books Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Sci-Fi & Fantasy Science Fiction Series: First Blades Young Adult Young Adult Dystopian Fiction Young Adult Mystery & Thriller

About the Author

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

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