WINTERVEIL

Four teenagers find themselves enrolled at a mysterious military school.

In 2037, as the U.S. remains involved in the protracted Cold War, four teenagers are sent to the military Valeran Academy. Three of them have committed crimes; their sentences will be commuted when they graduate. Each teen possesses a unique skill set. Keenly intelligent politician Julian Joyce-Young III has wealth and connections, but nevertheless he’s been arrested for embezzlement and accepting bribes. Russian-born Klaudia Shimonova, charged with forgery and financial fraud, is a master strategist. Giselle Buckley, a former pageant queen arrested for stealing credit card numbers, has an eidetic memory. And Nadiya Karam, who has a complicated relationship with Valeran headmaster Dr. Iver, is proficient with virtually any weapon. The four young people are recruited by the CIA for a dangerous secret mission. As they endure intense training, secrets begin to surface. The group soon realizes that the mission is far more perilous (and morally complex) than they were led to believe. Desperate to reclaim their power and freedom, they must decide whether their loyalty to one another can withstand the cost of what they’re being asked to do. With an intriguing and well-executed premise, this duology opener delivers well-developed characters and high-stakes tension. Fans of Reid will recognize her trademark atmospheric and literary prose and intricately drawn relationships. Nadiya has olive skin and hair that is “pin straight and pure black,” and the other leads present white.

A riveting dark dystopia.