* 2017 WATTY WINNER!* Blurb: Humans are at the top of the food chain and always have been. But what if they weren't? What if another took our place and decided to raise and exploit us as we have every other animal on earth? Welcome to a world after humanity... No one is exactly certain where the sibla came from. Some say they evolved from humans long ago, slowly taking power as their numbers increased. Taller, stronger, and longer-lived, than homo sapiens it isn't too hard to imagine. Now humans must face a reality in which they are no more than animals, domesticated beasts bred for their master's various needs and hungers. Rachel Turner is only eight years old. Born in Demin, one of the last remaining free human settlements on earth, she has never been forced to face the reality of life under a sibla Master, living a carefree existence in her hidden village. Magnus Kendrick is a sibla farmer with a sizable estate on which he raises all manner of livestock, from chickens, to sheep, to...humans. He is also the man destined to purchase Rachel's life. *Warning: This book contains a certain degree of gore and disturbing themes Beautiful cover by @my_fairytale 2016 Fright Fest Gold Winner Cryptic's Choice 2017 WATTY Winner ( Story Smiths category) *All Rights Reserved

"What the hell?" I took a step closer to the mirror, staring at my reflection in disbelief. The person looking back was still me, but at the same time it wasn't. I had the same thick, dark, curly hair. The same hazel eyes. The same olive skin with a light dusting of freckles (ugh) scattered across the bridge of my nose. But my curls were now streaked with highlights. And not the subtle, golden-brown ones that sometimes appeared during the summer. No, these were an aggressive, dazzling blond that went from the roots of my hair all the way to the tips. It looked like I had spent a full day getting my hair done in some upscale salon. Never mind that I had never set foot in such a place since the day I was born. My eyes appeared somehow wider and more luminous. The colour brighter, my eyelashes darker up against them. And, when I looked closely, my pupils seemed to be slitted almost like a cat. I looked down at my body. My skinny arms-which had always refused to gain any definition no matter how hard I exercised-were lined with flat, wiry muscles. My bony shoulders were now curved and smooth. My scrawny legs were toned like a dancer. I reached down and lifted my shirt, revealing two subtle lines running vertically down my perfectly flat stomach, hinting at the rock-hard abs underneath. My whole body was rippling with strength. Like liquid steel.

Edited by @KelseyDragon17 Anna lives in a world where by the time they turn eighteen, every man and woman must have a beast bond. Those of them left unbonded are cast out of the city, deemed violent and insane; for if even a rat will not lower itself to bond with you, you must be the lowest of the low. Anna has lived a simple, easy life as the part of one of the most powerful families in the land. Each member of her family had bonded mighty rare beasts, a sign of great power. It boosted them through society's ranks. Her father had bonded with one of the last of the unicorns. Her brother, a manticore. Her mother, a great eagle. Even her adopted sister bonded with a lion. But as her eighteenth birthday approaches, and with no beast having choose her, she must make a choice. Stay, and bring shame upon her and her family... Or leave the city on her own terms. Striking out across the Ashlands, Anna will discover an adventure she wasn't looking for, and a prophesy she has stumbled into the middle of. Can she bring two species who once slaughtered each other together to save themselves? Can she win this battle? Or the ones ahead? Highest Ranking #7 in Fantasy Featured August 18th