[Sarah Phoenix Chronicles 01] • The Dremius Competition

Sarah Phoenix dreams of a better future; one without hunger, pain, or roving gangs of teenage thugs. Like most girls living on the island of South Scentinelle, Sarah works hard every day and dreams of moving to North Scentinelle. In the South, people live in squalor and fear, hoping to make it from one day to the next. But in the North… well, on that island dreams can come true. It's a place where people fly on the backs of mechanical wonders and food transports your mind to magical places. In the North, a special indestructible, mechanical human called an Everdeen assists with everyday chores; making their lives easier. But for Sarah, living in the North is about more than just lavish food, fancy clothes and being waited on by Everdeens.

A few years ago, something happened to Sarah that stole both her mother and nearly every memory of her. As hard as she tries, she cannot remember the event that took her away. Since that dark night, she's lived alone in the home they once shared with just the echo of her mother. She struggles to understand what happened and searches for answers. The only real friend in her life is Jacob, a kind and gentle boy who does his best to take care of his mother and sister. His careful nature and deep feelings for Sarah help her keep looking forward to the future. Together, Sarah and Jacob plan to make a better life in North Scentinelle. And they have only one chance.

Sarah is an Extractor. She can pull memories out of anyone - rich, poor, young or old. Extractors can make those memories appear in the air as if they are real and tangible. It's an amazing gift that is highly sought after in the North and greatly misunderstood in the South. Each extractor has a slightly different gift and she is learning that hers is more unique than she first believed. Her gift sets her apart from everyone else in her hometown. What she can do is a luxury that none of her neighbors can afford. Only one man from the South has ever done what she can do, David Young. When he left for North Scentinelle the things he created became legend. Sarah dreams of following in his footsteps.

People with her talent are recruited all across many islands once a year for top positions in the best companies on North Scentinelle and she's got her sights set on the Dremius Corporation. Dremius is a high end memory extraction company which specializes in the difficult, the unique or the complicated extractions. Her chances are slim but nothing's going to stop Sarah from trying.

A job like that would transform her life. No more fighting the food lines or dodging the gangs. In the depths of her heart, she secretly hopes that the Dremius Corporation could also use their advanced technology to search for the lost memories of her mother. She holds onto that hope desperately.

One day, a mysterious blue-eyed Everdeen gives her the news she's been waiting a lifetime to hear. Her application for the annual Dremius Corporation employment competition was accepted. Before she can celebrate that success, a tragedy turns her happy moment into horror and suddenly her adventure to North Scentinelle becomes a question of life or death. A dark evil lurks underneath the bright colors of the city; watching and waiting for a chance to strike. Sarah could be its first real target.

She quickly learns that nothing is what she has assumed. Between locals who are trying to attack her for being different and deep corporate secrets, there is more going on in the city than anyone knows. Sarah has gut wrenching decisions to make and it's going to take all her skill and courage to maneuver this dangerous competition against opponents who are more than ready to take her on. With the help of Henry, the mischievous holographic personal assistant; Chase, the handsome stranger with secrets of his own and even the legendary David Young, she might just have a chance.