The beasts came and destroyed our world. Kilhaven’s founders defended themselves, and for the past 150 years, the walls of this small village, where Jarvis Graye lives, have kept them out. This fall, though, something feels different. 13 year-old Jarvis is living his usual life, dreading school, cleaning up after pigeons at his courier apprenticeship, and trying not to humiliate himself in archery class. At least he’s got his best friend, and there’s even an interesting new girl around. But… the strange noises, the dead deer, now the missing boy – the clues are there that something sinister is afoot. Jarvis suspects his weird neighbor is to blame. But first, he must find proof. With Jarvis’s life and the safety of the village on the line, he and his friends race to uncover the truth and stop the one who is behind it all.
EXCERPT FROM BOOK
“Exactly!” said Mrs. Bagley, quite excitedly. “It was named Black River after the river that cuts through our village. You see, when the beasts appeared, they brought down the country. Not just this one, either. Most, if not all of them in the world, fell. But there were a few people who lived here that had the foresight to do what others did not, and that is what saved them and this village. What was it they did? Does anyone know? I know you know, Ms. Townsley. Give someone else a chance. How about you, Mr. Graye? What saved this village from the same fate others experienced?”
Jarvis, caught unaware, stared back at Mrs. Bagley with widened eyes. He hemmed and hawed for a moment before guessing, “Was it the wall?”
“Perfect!” exclaimed Mrs. Bagley. “The wall. You see while the automobiles and machines still worked, Harvey Gorge used them to begin constructing the wall that now surrounds Kilhaven. And that made all the difference. Yes, Ms. Alcott, do you have a question?”
“Do you know where the beasts came from?” asked Nan. “I asked my history teacher in Lockwood, but he said he had no idea. So, I was wondering if you knew anything about it.”
“There are a few theories out there,” said Mrs. Bagley. “In fact, in your later years, there is a class on this very topic. It discusses the theories of the beasts’ arrival. Not sure if they teach something like that in Lockwood or not. Of course, none of it is based on fact, for we simply don’t know. It is purely a philosophical class. But we will not be discussing that here, for this is a class based on things we can prove.”
Excerpted from The Society of the Watchers by Scott Keen, Copyright © 2021 by Scott Keen. Published by Scott Keen Books.
About the Author
Scott Keen is married and has five daughters. He graduated in 2006 with a Master of Fine Arts in Script & Screenwriting. He is also the author of three young adult novels: Scar of the Downers, Rise of the Branded, and War of the Downer King. He currently lives in New York.
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Ends October 20, 2021
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