A powerful stand-alone novel in the best tradition of thrillers. We enter a futuristic world and meet a band of sixteen year olds who were abandoned in isolation at an early age. They're educated partly by gleaning facts from the few books in their possession, but primarily through their experiences of survival which features death and danger. A new threat emerges when the teens transcend their own rules and eat animal flesh. Ash, the leader, is kidnapped and becomes a pawn in the power struggles between the formidable raptors. In these beautiful beasts, she glimpses new forms of evolution which make her consider her own humanity. Soon she learns the frightening truth of their origins. And realizes the dangerous implications for herself and her friends.