The Ballot and the Blade: A Hunger Games Novel
In the aftermath of the Dark Days, Panem prepares for a historic milestone-the 25th annual Hunger Games. President Coriolanus Snow unveils the first Quarter Quell twist: instead of the random lottery of the Reaping, each district must vote to select their tributes. This, he declares, is a stark reminder to the districts that their children now die by their own hands, a consequence of their choice to initiate violence during the rebellion.
For the chosen tributes, the betrayal cuts deeper than any arena weapon. In District 1, golden-boy Atlas Sterling discovers his family's political enemies orchestrated his selection. In District 3, terminally ill Clara Watts is voted in as a "mercy" by her community. From the strategic selection of Career districts to the political revenge driving outer district votes, twenty-four children face the ultimate betrayal-condemnation by those they called neighbors.
As they enter the first purpose-built arena with its pioneering Cornucopia, these tributes carry unique psychological wounds. Some fight to prove their districts wrong, others for revenge against the communities that rejected them, while a few struggle to understand why they were sacrificed.
Behind the scenes, a younger President Snow and aging Dr. Gaul watch their grand experiment unfold, testing how this new psychological torture transforms the Games. As new alliances form and unexpected skills emerge, the Capitol watches closely, ever ready to manipulate events and ensure that even the most unpredictable elements serve their ultimate agenda of control.
In a competition where everyone has already been betrayed, who can be trusted? And in a Games where your own district chose your death, who are you really fighting for?
May the odds be ever in your favor.
