Rootless Series by Chris Howard

17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a century ago—his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken . . more17-year-old Banyan is a tree builder. Using scrap metal and salvaged junk, he creates forests for rich patrons who seek a reprieve from the desolate landscape. Although Banyan's never seen a real tree—they were destroyed more than a century ago—his father used to tell him stories about the Old World. But that was before his father was taken . . .Everything changes when Banyan meets a woman with a strange tattoo—a clue to the whereabouts of the last living trees on earth, and he sets off across a wasteland from which few return. Those who make it past the pirates and poachers can't escape the locusts—the locusts that now feed on human flesh.But Banyan isn't the only one looking for the trees, and he's running out of time. Unsure of whom to trust, he's forced to make an uneasy alliance with Alpha, an alluring, dangerous pirate with an agenda of her own. As they race towards a promised land that might only be a myth, Banyan makes shocking discoveries about his family, his past, and how far people will go to bring back the trees.In this dazzling debut, Howard presents a disturbing world with uncanny similarities to our own. Like the forests Banyan seeks to rebuild, this visionary novel is both beautiful and haunting—full of images that will take permanent root in your mind . . . and forever change the way you think about nature. less

"There's a brilliant madness to this deadly post-apocalyptic world, filledwith complex characters, shifting loyalties, and layers of mystery... a nonstop adventure" - Publishers Weekly, starred review of RootlessBanyan was once a tree builder, creating scrap-metal forests for rich clients in a barren burned-out world. Now he's traded his scaffolds for lookouts, his tools for guns... more"There's a brilliant madness to this deadly post-apocalyptic world, filledwith complex characters, shifting loyalties, and layers of mystery... a nonstop adventure" - Publishers Weekly, starred review of RootlessBanyan was once a tree builder, creating scrap-metal forests for rich clients in a barren burned-out world. Now he's traded his scaffolds for lookouts, his tools for guns. On a stolen boat, surrounded by a mutinous crew, Banyan has escaped from Promise Island with the last living trees on earth, and he's desperate to smuggle them to safety . . .But powerful enemies are in pursuit, seeking to claim the trees for themselves. To reach a safe haven, Banyan will need the help of the pirategirl he loves, Alpha, his broken friend, Crow, and his troubled sister, Zee. Only together can they cross the mysterious molten wasteland of THE RIFT. And when Banyan discovers a new threat to Alpha's life, he fears he'll lose not only the trees they sacrificed so much to find, but the girl who inspires him and gives him hope.Howard's "gift for the phantasmagoric" (Kirkus) is on full display in thisthrilling second book of the ROOTLESS trilogy. less

"There's a brilliant madness to this deadly post-apocalyptic world, filled with complex characters, shifting loyalties, and layers of mystery... a nonstop adventure" -Publishers Weekly, starred review of Rootless GenTech Corporation scours the wastelands, desperate to reclaim the last living trees from the young thieves who stole them. But Banyan no longer has the trees he and his friends smuggled south... more"There's a brilliant madness to this deadly post-apocalyptic world, filled with complex characters, shifting loyalties, and layers of mystery... a nonstop adventure" -Publishers Weekly, starred review of Rootless GenTech Corporation scours the wastelands, desperate to reclaim the last living trees from the young thieves who stole them. But Banyan no longer has the trees he and his friends smuggled south. Hunted and betrayed, he must trust in strangers as he tries to find his old friend Crow and gather feuding tribes together in preparation for war. As the battle for the trees begins, Banyan is reunited with the girl who always gave him hope, but he finds Alpha has changed in ways he'd never imagined. And when they embark upon a final journey to Vega with the goal of taking down GenTech forever, Banyan must choose between fighting for a conflicted world or saving the lives of the people he loves. This action-packed final chapter of the Rootless trilogy races toward a conclusion as emotional as it is epic-shocking, original, and darkly beautiful, brought to vivid life by Howard's stunning prose and "gift for the phantasmagoric" (Kirkus). less