AustLit

'In a world of orphans one girl holds the secret that could break the age barrier...

'At nine, Pia cut the ropes her parents swung from. Left alone with her three year old brother, she becomes fiercely protective and self-sufficient to a fault. Eight years on, Pia is summoned to 'volunteer' as one of a ten person crew to seek out The Refuge, a rumoured sanctuary free of Age Sickness. The volunteers embark on a sea voyage and soon realise they are not the only cargo onboard. Early in the journey the vicious murder of one volunteer ignites suspicions among the crew and sparks a series of events that leads Pia to unravel dangerous truths. Unsure of who to trust and fighting her feelings for fellow 'volunteer' Tomas, Pia walks a fine line between truth and lies. One shocking discovery changes everything leaving Pia questioning her past and hiding from her future.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'After a harrowing sea journey, Pia has made it to land only to find nothing is as she expected. The Ruins are inhabited by unseen enemies that thwart the path to The Refuge. When half of The Committee's volunteers go missing in suspicious circumstances Pia is forced to take matters into her own hands to find them before it is too late. This leads her to a mysterious village where truth and lies meld together in a dangerous concoction that could cost her the lives of Tomas and Max, the two people who mean everything to her. Betrayal, conspiracy, loss and love are abound in Book Two of The Cargo Trilogy. Will Pia be able to stand up for what she believes without paying for it with the lives of her loved ones?'

Source: Publisher's blurb.