The Nothing Within

In this "magical, terrifying, and whimsical debut" (Publishers Weekly starred review), a biotech plague reverberates in Ohio Amish country long after the near-extinction of humankind. A young woman must try to save what remains of the human race. "Crafty surprises abound" (Kirkus Reviews) in this sci-fi/fantasy adventure that's "nothing short of a storytelling masterwork." (BlueInk Review in Booklist) Root is...different. Though raised in a fearful society that reveres tradition and conformity, she's irreverent, outspoken, and deeply curious. Her congenital blindness sets her even further apart. Centuries after the Reckoning, a global biotech plague, savage chimeras still threaten human survival. After Root hears a voice that no one else can hear, she flees into the wilderness. Outcast and hunted, she must confront a dire threat to her people—and unravel the mystery of who she really is. - Winner, Best Science Fiction Novel (2020): Next Generation Indie Book Awards - Winner, Best Science Fiction Novel (2020): National Indie Excellence Awards - First Runner Up, Best Commercial Fiction Novel (2020): Eric Hoffer Award A Rural-dystopian Adventure That Explores Post-apocalyptic Amish Country, A Society Shaped By Fear, And Individual Choices That Remake The World. On An Ordinary-seeming Wednesday In 2161, The First Chimera Arose. A Year Later, Twelve Billion People Were Dead. The Few Who Survived Called It The Reckoning. Generations Later, Their Descendants Still Struggle Under The Legacy Of The Reckoning. Behind The Walls Of Small, Rustic Villages, They Cower From Chimeras, Eking Out Lives Of Caution And Conformity. They Do As They're Told. They're Wary Of Anything Different. Root Couldn't Be More Different. Curious, Stubborn, And Blind Since Birth, She Disquiets Her Village. Born To The Village Priestess, She Stands Apart. Frustrated With A Wall-bound Life, She Grudgingly Accepts It--until She Hears The Voice That No One Else Can Hear. The Secret She Discovers Will Upend Her Peoples' Understanding Of What They Should Truly Fear. And How She Uses That Knowledge Will Determine Whether Humankind's Last Ember Flickers Out. "What unforgivable sin would you commit to save the world? In 2161, the first chimera arose. A year later, twelve billion people were dead. The few who survived called it the Reckoning. Generations later, their descendants hide within the walls of small, rustic villages, cowering from chimeras. They revere tradition. They fear innovation. They mistrust anything that's different. Root couldn't be more different. Curious and irreverent, she disquiets her village. Blind daughter of the village guardian, she stands apart. Frustrated with a wall-bound life, she grudgingly accepts it--until she hears the voice that no one else can hear. Root's journey will take her into the wilds to discover the truth: that her world has been twisted by people trying to save it. And her choices will determine whether humankind's last ember flickers out. A rural-dystopian novel exploring post-apocalyptic Amish country, a society shaped by fear, and private choices that remake the world."--Publisher A Biological Disaster Reverberates In Ohio Amish Country Long After The Near-extinction Of Humanity. The Story Follows Root, A Daring Outlier In A Culture Shaped By Conformity And Fear. Leaving The Safety Of Her Village, Root's Journey Will Show Her The Truth: That Her World Has Been Twisted By People Trying To Save It.