'this was an ending beyond death'

The Narrowing Path by David J. Normoyle.                                           

There were four ascor families. After this atrocity there were only three. Family Bellanger had committed mass suicide. One of the cornerstones of the society was gone. 

Amidst the bodies, however one scrawny baby survived. This is his story--Bowe Bellanger, at his time of initiation towards Death or Survival.     

With the betting odds against,  him Bowe steps out into the testing of the Green Path, to fight for the reward of staying alive during the Infernam, a time of unbearable heat, when the few the chosen go to the Refuge to await the turning of the sun. Failure means being left outside, condemned to a n horrific death. Only a handful are Chosen.    

Bowe questions the Green Path. Is it just 'a glorified game in which boys are encouraged to kill each other?'

The Guardians were elected to mind all of Arcandis society-- the wealthy and the poor. The Green Path should've ensured that only the best sons became ascor.  What had gone wrong?

In questioning, Bowe questions the ascor way of life,  asking if worth can only be measured and forged through the path? Is survival of the fittest the only way? What is harmony? What is power? The  questions themselves are powerful  and as Bowe debates internally the reader is drawn into the debate. Bowe unwittingly becomes an agent of change. A spotlight on the Arcandis way of life.

An interesting and thought provoking read. Can't wait for the rest of the series. A recommended YA novel.                    

A NetGalley ARC