Children of the Sun

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What to expect

In Beth Lewis's exceptional fourth novel, reporter James Morrow investigates the enigmatic cult deep in the Adirondack Mountains - a group of people going to great lengths for a second chance at life.

Welcome to Atlas. What would you do for a second chance?

Summer 1982. Deep in the Adirondack Mountains, over three hundred people live off-grid in a secret community. Atlas is a refuge for broken souls who long for a different life. Founded by the enigmatic Sol, the group now prepares for their final ceremony: the opening of the Golden Door. They believe they will cross to another world, to a new life where their past decisions never ended in tragedy.


James Morrow is a rookie New York City reporter intent on making his name with an exposé of the crazy cult in the woods. He secures an invitation to the camp on the condition he tell the world of its wonders, but James is a sceptic. He's sure there must be more to the mysterious leader and his endgame than his followers have signed up for.

James soon finds there is a darker side to the cult beyond the prayers and yellow robes. A group of children are treated like gods, there are iron strips embedded in the earth, and nobody talks about what's behind the gates of Sol's private sanctuary. As James learns the stories of the members and how they came to be there, he begins to understand the desperate nature of their beliefs - a desperation he knows all too well.

As the final ceremony draws near, James must ask himself: what will it cost them to reach this other life? And is that a price he's willing to pay?

(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critics Review

A cult novel with a difference . . . An intriguing mystery with a wholly unexpected ending, and a moving exploration of loss, trauma, belief and unintended consequences.
Guardian
Lewis does an excellent job of ratcheting up the tension: her portrayal of the cult gradually evolves from comic to sinister.
Daily Telegraph
Compelling and chilling
Sun
If you loved Stranger Things, read: Children of the Sun
Stylist
Gripping
Heat
One of the hottest holiday reads for cool seasonal nights
Belfast Telegraph
Dazzling
Crime Monthly
Dazzling, chilling, moving and original. CHILDREN OF THE SUN defies genre in a way that is both fresh, and now to be expected from the brilliant Beth Lewis. I loved it
Chris Whitaker
Beth Lewis excels at turning her characters' best intentions into a destructive force that ultimately threatens their very lives. Vividly painted and laced with Americana, this haunting, unpredictable story leaves the reader racing through the pages to find the truth. A riveting, eerie and impossibly captivating novel
Inga Vesper
A captivating depiction of love and loss and the lengths we will go to start again
Sophie Ward
A beautifully crafted mystery that asks if we ever truly get a second chance, CHILDREN OF THE SUN plays brilliantly with the reader's assumptions, building in atmosphere and emotion towards an ending that changes everything
Catriona Silvey
Children of the Sun is that rare thing - an utterly propulsive, heart-pounding, pacy narrative, with the kind of depth and resonance that makes it linger in the mind long after you've finished reading . . . A beautifully wrought and haunting tale.
Cailean Steed
A really original and captivating book, with atmospheric writing that immediately drew me in. Full of mystery and tension, with clever twists and reveals, all building to a surprising yet satisfying ending
Philippa East
A brilliant, clever and addictive story with characters you really root for. I couldn't put it down.
Carly Reagon
Beautifully written, unique, and utterly unforgettable
Louise Beech
A literary thriller with a speculative twist, complex and finely crafted
Image Magazine
Clever and chilling. Engaging characters and setting. And a scary cult. What more could you ask for?
Michael J Malone

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