Divergent author Veronica Roth has shared additional details about her next YA story, including the names of the lead characters.
We first learned about Roth’s new, two-part series in March, when publisher HarperCollins described the story as “in the vein of Star Wars.” That was a vague (and tantalizing) clue, but not much to work off of.
Now Roth has released a new description on Tumblr:
My new book is a sci-fi fantasy story set in a time of extreme political unrest (hence the “Star Wars” comparisons you might have heard!). In it a boy named Akos, along with his brother, is kidnapped and brought to an enemy nation. When the dictator of that place threatens his brother’s life, Akos has no choice but to work with a girl named Cyra (the dictator’s sister), to save him. But Cyra’s trust—and her kindness!—are difficult to earn…to put it mildly. And the intense friendship Akos and Cyra form puts them in more danger than they could ever have imagined.
HarperCollins and Roth say the first book will be released in 2017, and the second will be published in 2018. Why is it taking so long? The author has said previously that she’s spending a lot of time developing the story. “I’ve stepped away for a while, to work on other things, and then come back when I have better perspective. I’ve been more patient with myself and with the story,” she said earlier this year.
Roth’s new story — her first after finishing her Tris and Four dystopian tale — will launch just as the book-to-film adaptation of her Divergent series ends. Ascendant, formerly titled Allegiant, Part 2, opens in theaters March 2017.
And Hollywood will certainly be interested in adapting her next story — whatever it’s called. Let’s just hope they only make two movies out of the two books.
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