Children of Paranoia (A Children of Paranoia Novel)

ALL WARS HAVE RULES Rule Number One: No killing innocent bystanders. Rule Number Two: No killing anyone under the age of eighteen. BREAK THE RULES, BECOME THE TARGET Since the age of eighteen, Joseph has been assassinating people on behalf of a cause that he believes in but doesn't fully understand. The War is ageless, hidden in the shadows, governed by a rigid set of rules, and fought by two distinct sides-one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Soldiers in the War hide in plain sight, their deeds disguised as accidents or random acts of violence amidst an unsuspecting population ignorant of the brutality that is always inches away. Killing people is the only life Joseph has ever known, and he's one of the best at it. But when a job goes wrong and he's sent away to complete a punishingly dangerous assignment, Joseph meets a girl named Maria, and for the first time in his life his singleminded, bloody purpose fades away. Before Maria, Joseph's... “Like The Bourne Identity turned inside-out.”—Christopher Farnsworth, author of Blood Oath This is a war. It’s been going on for generations. If you’re lucky, it will be your generation that ends it... At least that’s what the young ones are told before they turn eighteen. At that age they become fair game, and must kill or be killed in a secret war between two distinct sides—one good, one evil. The only unknown is which side is which. Hidden in plain view, the battles are fought through assassinations disguised as accidents or the work of senseless thugs. Joseph has a particular talent for such killings. Never questioning an order, all he needs is a name. But when a job goes wrong and he’s sent away on a punishingly dangerous assignment, he meets a girl. Her name is Maria. And for the first time Joseph has a reason to live...outside the war. Now Joseph must run from those who fought by his side, quickly discovering that the only thing more dangerous than fighting the war is attempting to leave it. Joseph is an assassin. His targets are supposed to be members of the other side in a war that has been raging for centuries. But after Joseph falls in love with a young woman, Maria, he begins to question the very foundation on which his life is built