Children of The Raids Part 1
The Twin Zees and the Raids
On the Crescent World, in the small port town of Nova Raza, the Zadekai family has lived peacefully for the past thirteen years... or at least as peacefully as possible with the mischievous twins, Kyinda and Kayden, constantly stirring up trouble. But their quiet life is about to be upended by the arrival of something ominous: The Raids.
The Dominion—a global authoritarian regime—has long ignored sleepy little Nova Raza. Until now. The Raids (officially, The Rigorous Assessment for Induction into Dominion Service) are here, and they take whomever The Dominion deems “worthy”—parents from children, children from parents, if you are worthy, you are taken.
The Twin Zees and the Raids is a hero’s journey where the heroes have no interest in being heroes—and especially not a journey if it means leaving behind their home, friends, and family. So their plan is simple: stay quiet, stay hidden, and definitely stay out of trouble. The only problem? They have a way of finding trouble.
With Kayden’s unquenchable thirst for knowledge and Kyinda’s hatred of secrets, the twins are quickly pulled into mysteries they’d be better off avoiding. Secrets like the shady dealings between the town governor and Nova Raza’s most unsavoury character, and the Resistance, whose existence could threaten the entire town..
Then there’s their parents’ past—a dangerous hidden history with The Dominion that, if exposed, could force the family to flee. Preparing for the worst, their parents arrange for the twins to train in two forbidden subjects they’ve longed to master: magic and martial arts. Their mentors? A delightfully eccentric witch in the woods named Nanny Milly, and the gruff, no-nonsense Mr. Groundsson (a.k.a. Grandpa Grouchy), who Kyinda is pretty sure might murder her during their first lesson.
Thankfully, the twins aren’t alone. They’ve got their tight-knit circle of school friends—including a baker, a scientist, a joker, a pirate, and a Yue (who’s just... Yue)—plus their wild, definitely-not-pets: Pulpo, a secretive septopus (think land dwelling octopus), and Ozzy, a greedy, loudmouthed Crockatoo (yes, that’s C“R”ockatoo with a capitol R).
This year is shaping up to be anything but ordinary for Kyinda and Kayden Zadekai. Between dodging Dominion scouts, uncovering town secrets, training in forbidden arts, and trying to survive middle school, they’ll face danger, action, and laughter. Did I mention the ground is rumbling? Yeah, the ground is rumbling, and no one knows why.
Can they stay out of The Dominion’s reach? Can they solve the mystery of the governor’s secret alliance? And most importantly... can their mother finally stop Ozzy from stealing her pies?
Some answers await in The Twin Zees and the Raids – Part 1. Parts 2 and 3 of Year One are complete, with the entire seven-book Road to Upheaval series fully planned and ready for adventure.
