• Age: 12 to 18
• Grade: 7 to 12

Fans of Philip Pullman, Jonathan Stroud, and George R.R. Martin are going to love this action-filled fantasy novel by an exciting and extremely promotable debut voice in the genre.
In the world of fifteen-year-old Raim, you tie a knot for every promise you make. Break that promise and the knot will burst into flames, scarring your skin and forever marking you as an oathbreaker. Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one seems to know where it came from or which promise it symbolizes, and Raim barely thinks about it at all--especially not since he became the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the day that he binds his life to that of his best friend (and the future king), Khareh, the rope ignites and sears a dark mark into his skin. Scarred now as an oathbreaker, Raim has two options: run or be killed. He chooses to run, taking refuge in the vast desert among a colony of exiled oathbreakers. Will he be able to learn the skills he needs to clear his name? And even if he can, how can he keep a promise he never knew he made in the first place?

Amy McCulloch is a Canadian author and freelance editor. Her debut fantasy adventure novel, The Oathbreaker's Shadow, was published in 2013 and was longlisted for the Branford Boase Award for best UK debut children's book.The Potion Diaries series, written under Amy Alward, was an international success and was selected for the Zoella Book Club in 2016. Amy lives life in a continual search for adventure, coffee and really great books. 
Visit her at www.amyalward.co.uk or on Twitter @amymcculloch

Amy McCulloch's profile page

Praise for Amy McCulloch:
"Brilliant. Absolutely gripping from the start; a complete joy and a great new voice." --Conn Iggulden, author of The Dangerous Book for Boys and the Emperor Series

"The Oathbreaker's Shadow is a very promising debut in what bodes to be an electrifying duology.Unusual magic set in an exotic location and nomadic culture lures the reader to total immersion in Raim's world. Questions of loyalty versus morality are fearlessly faced. When can friendship survive betrayal? --Robin Hobb