Kristen Taber

Aerenden: The Child Returns Kristen Taber

2014 Best Kindle Book Awards Finalist

Book 1 of the Ærenden series.
Seventeen-year-old Meaghan has no idea her perfect life has been a lie--until she witnesses her parents' brutal murders at the hands of red-eyed creatures.
After nearly sharing their fate, she escapes with her best friend, Nick, who tells her the creatures are called Mardróch. They come from another world, and so does she. Now that the Mardróch have found her, she must return to her homeland of Ærenden or face death.
Left with little choice, she follows Nick into a strange world both similar to Earth and drastically different. Vines have the ability to attack. Monkeys freeze their victims with a glare. Men create bombs from thin air. Even Meaghan's newly discovered empath power turns into a danger she cannot control.
But control becomes the least of her worries once the Mardróch begin targeting her. When Nick confesses he knows the reason they want her, she learns the truth behind the kingdom's fifteen-year civil war--a long-buried secret that could cost Meaghan her life.