Lightbearers. Book 1. The Nightmare Trial

The first volume of an exciting urban fantasy about an ancient order that protects humanity from monsters and nightmares that come alive at night. An instant bestseller of The New York Times!

Tsugutafalls is a special city that is not on... any map. Cell phone service does not work here, and every night, monsters emerge from the nearby forest.
The protection of the city—and all of humanity—is handled by the order of lightbearers. Winnie is soon turning sixteen, and she can undergo the trial and join the order. This is her only chance to rid herself of the label of traitor and stop being an outcast. However, the chances of dying in deadly combat are much higher. The girl asks for help from Jay Pyatnitsky, her former childhood friend and the most talented young hunter in Tsugutafalls. But it seems he knows much more about the forest nightmares than he should…

Who is Jay really? And what new danger lies in the forest?

“Lightbearers” by Susan Dennard is the best young adult book of 2022 according to Indigo, recommended by Leigh Bardugo, author of “Six of Crows,” Marissa Meyer, author of the “Lunar Chronicles” series, and Olive Blake, author of “The Atlas Six.”