The Light at the bottom of the world
by London Shah
In the last days of the twenty-first century, sea creatures swim through the ruins of London. Trapped in the abyss, humankind wavers between fear and hope-fear of what lurks in the depths around them, and hope that they might one day find a way back to the surface.
When sixteen-year-old submersible racer Leyla McQueen is chosen to participate in the city’s prestigious annual marathon, she sees an opportunity to save her father, who has been arrested on false charges. The Prime Minister promises the champion whatever their heart desires. But the race takes an unexpected turn, forcing Leyla to make an impossible choice.
Now she must brave unfathomable waters and defy a corrupt government determined to keep its secrets, all the while dealing with a guarded, hotheaded companion she never asked for in the first place. If Leyla fails to discover the truths at the heart of her world, or falls prey to her own fears, she risks capture-or worse. And her father will be lost to her forever.
Journey to the heart of the Abyss
by London Shah
Leyla McQueen has finally reunited with her father after breaking him out of the illegal government prison, Broadmoor—but freedom comes at a terrible cost. As Leyla celebrates being with her father, she must grapple with the pain of losing Ari. Now separated from the boy who has her heart and labeled the nation’s number one enemy, Leyla must risk illegal travel with her father through unchartered waters in their quest for the truth behind Mr. McQueen’s arrest.
Across Britain, the fallout from Mr. McQueen’s escape has escalated tensions between Anthropoid and non-Anthropoid communities, bringing them to an all-time high. And, as Leyla and her friends fight to uncover the startling truths about their world, she discovers her own shocking past—and the horrifying secrets behind her father’s abduction and arrest. But as these long-buried truths finally begin to surface, so, too, do the authorities’ terrible future plans. And if the ever-pervasive fear prevents the people from taking a stand now, the abyss could stay in the dark forever.
About the Author
London Shah is a British-born Muslim of Afghan descent. Shelives in London, via England’s beautiful North. When she’s not busy reimaginingthe past, plotting an alternate present, or dreaming up a surreal future, she’smost likely drinking copious amounts of tea, eating all the sweets and cakes,strolling through Richmond Park or along the Thames, getting lost on an eveningin the city’s older, darker alleyways (preferably just after it’s rained), listeningto punk rock, or losing herself in a fab sci-fi/fantasy film or book. If shecould have only one superpower, it would be to breathe underwater.