Ages 14+ 234(Ht mm) 153(Wdt mm) 336

When Vex and her friends are kidnapped and held to ransom it sets off a terrifying chain of twists and turns as they struggle to survive and try to find a way to escape. When Vex and her friends are kidnapped and held to ransom it sets off a terrifying chain of twists and turns as they struggle to survive and try to find a way to escape.

Vex is used to people being afraid of her special power, the ability to persuade others to do what she wants.

But when she arrives at a new school, Tiebold Academy, it is packed with people who have the same special power as her, and who might even like her.

There is her roommate Ronnie, a coolheaded high achiever; and Ronnie's friend Taye, who is recovering from a brain injury. There is witty, lordly Hannu, whose father happens to be a billionaire. And then there's Ari: troubled, blessed, honourable, terrifying Ari.

Vex is enchanted by her new friends when, five weeks into term one, they are kidnapped.

They find themselves chained in the basement of an abandoned factory, trying to figure out how to escape, all the while tormented by questions like: Why were they taken? Why do the kidnappers seem to hate Vex, and at the same time want to recruit her?

Can Vex and her friends save themselves? And if they do, will they ever feel safe again? What kind of reckoning will they face afterwards? And will Vex again feel responsible for all the bad things that happened? Elizabeth Knox is one of New Zealand's leading writers. She is the author of fourteen novels, most recently Kings of this World, three autobiographical novellas and a collection of personal essays. Her best-known books are The Vintner's Luck; young adult novels Dreamhunter, Dreamquake, Mortal Fire and The Absolute Book. She is the recipient of many awards and fellowships.

Elizabeth was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) in 2020. She lives in Wellington. 'Elizabeth Knox's Kings of This World is at once a boarding school story, a crime thriller, and a complex fantasy, all shaped by the star-busting imagination of a singular mind. It's a brilliant return to the Southland of Dreamhunter and Mortal Fire, with both a new era and an expanded world, sure to attract a new generation of fans.' Rachael King

'The world is lucky to have Elizabeth Knox. Once again she's given us an entirely unique, thrilling, deeply thoughtful book that is alive with P for precision. Kings of this World is a thrilling return to the world of Southland where questions of power are entangled with questions of volition, and questions of seclusion, and questions of fear. Knox's young adult characters are alive, electrifying and as nuanced and complex as their readers are. A punchy addition to the genre of dark academia: sleek, unwavering and unputdownable.' Claire Mabey

'Any new Elizabeth Knox novel feels like breaking into the house of a great enchanter, only to hear the front door lock behind you, as you realise you have stumbled upon something much deeper and more dangerous than you bargained for. Kings of This World is magic at its deepest. A psychologically forensic campus thriller, which keeps you guessing until the very last page. P for perfection.' Hera Lindsay Bird