The Last Descendants Series by Catherine Banner

FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD LEO NORTH’S prospects in life are limited. He attends military school, lives with his fearful grandmother, and looks after his brother Stirling. He resists his innate powers, because those who demonstrate any sort of magical ability are considered enemies of the state. But when he finds a blank book in the snow, his typical indifference melts away. From the first moment he touches the book, he senses its strange power... moreFIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD LEO NORTH’S prospects in life are limited. He attends military school, lives with his fearful grandmother, and looks after his brother Stirling. He resists his innate powers, because those who demonstrate any sort of magical ability are considered enemies of the state. But when he finds a blank book in the snow, his typical indifference melts away. From the first moment he touches the book, he senses its strange power. Passages start to appear on the pages—revealing family secrets, telling the history of Malonia, and uncovering the story of Ryan and Anna, two teens from a parallel universe. When Leo’s seemingly narrow path takes an unexpected tragic turn, he finds himself on a journey from which he can never really return. And, as he slowly begins to lose touch with reality, Ryan and Anna’s story comes to the forefront. Their idyllic summer romance—seemingly worlds away from Leo—has everything to do with Malonia. less

Asking for the truth can be as painful as telling it. . . .Anselm Andros has clearly defined roles in his family and they are roles he plays very well—he is confidante to his mother, Maria. He is the confessor to his stepfather, Leo, a man haunted by the secrets of his past. And Anselm is also the patient, caring brother to his precocious sister, Jasmine. When the political landscape of Malonia starts to shift, this unassuming family begins to unravel... moreAsking for the truth can be as painful as telling it. . . .Anselm Andros has clearly defined roles in his family and they are roles he plays very well—he is confidante to his mother, Maria. He is the confessor to his stepfather, Leo, a man haunted by the secrets of his past. And Anselm is also the patient, caring brother to his precocious sister, Jasmine. When the political landscape of Malonia starts to shift, this unassuming family begins to unravel. Even though they’ve spent the past fifteen years leading a quiet life, Maria and Leo’s actions are forever linked to the turbulent history of Malonia and its parallel world, modern-day England. With so much uncertainty at home and in his world, it is more important than ever for Anselm to put all the pieces of the past together. He must listen to his own voice and acknowledge his fears and desires—whatever the cost. less

The final installment of Catherine Banner's sweeping Last Descendants trilogy.      Harlan's family left the capital city when he was just eight days old, fleeing the outbreak of war, taking with them only what they could carry in their pockets. Since that dangerous and frightening journey in the dead of winter, they have lived on Holy Island, where Maria hoped her children could find peace... moreThe final installment of Catherine Banner's sweeping Last Descendants trilogy.      Harlan's family left the capital city when he was just eight days old, fleeing the outbreak of war, taking with them only what they could carry in their pockets. Since that dangerous and frightening journey in the dead of winter, they have lived on Holy Island, where Maria hoped her children could find peace. But peace of mind has always eluded Harlan, and now that the island is threatened he must come to terms with his own place in history. Forced to make a perilous journey back to the ruins of the homeland he never properly knew, can Harlan bring his family back together?    The third volume in the Last Descendants trilogy, The Heart at War is a love story, an epic novel, and an exploration of what happens to the individual human heart under the pressures that threaten to divide it. less