Content levels
Hero archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Synopsis
Some competitions you win. Others change everything. Onboard a long-lost, ring-shaped colony spaceship, where social class determines destiny, seventeen-year-old Simon never expected to fight for his life on live television. Falsely convicted and sentenced to the Ascent of Angels - a televised death match masquerading as meritocratic competition - Simon must join the "Fallen"; a team of outcasts and criminals. While elite competitors get advantages and inside knowledge, Simon's team is meant to die spectacularly. They are a moral lesson for the ship's Gen Pops, known condescendingly by the upper classes as Duns for "dirt under nails". The competition is rigged, and the ruling Choir of Higher Angels, led by Archangel Raphael, will do anything to maintain their stranglehold on power. As Simon uncovers the depth of corruption and the ship's dark history of genocide, he realizes the true enemy isn't the other competitors - it's the authoritarian regime that pits them against each other. Can Simon and The Fallen live long enough to expose the truth? Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Red Rising, Ascent of Angels is a high-stakes battle royale that explores what happens when the oppressed refuse to stay divided.
Tags
Is Ascent of Angels appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 13 and up.
Teens face life-or-death combat in a televised competition aboard a dystopian generation ship, with themes of class warfare and authoritarian oppression. Violence is present but not graphically detailed.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and moderate language. Content notes include genocide, murder, captivity, and death (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens will love the high-stakes survival competition, underdog team dynamics, and rebellion against an unfair system.