Rising Thunder (First Blades #1)

Rising Thunder (First Blades #1) by Neal Shusterman, a Science Fiction release out on December 1, 2026.
Rising Thunder (First Blades #1)
Coming Soon

Release date: December 1, 2026

Readers also liked these books:

All That We See or Seem (Julia Z #1)
Rapport
Challenges (Worlds of Honor #8)
Battlestorm (Galaxy Raiders #2)

Rising Thunder (First Blades #1) releases in:

00DAYS
00HOURS
00MINUTES
00SECONDS
Rising Thunder (First Blades #1) Release Date: December 1, 2026
Preorder on Amazon
As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
Also releasing around the same time

Discover Thunderhead’s origin—the fragile moment before the world changes forever and the hidden forces that set the storm in motion—in this long-awaited prequel to the New York Times bestselling and Printz Honor–winning Arc of a Scythe series by Neal Shusterman.

And of course, as every school child knows, December 2042 marks the end of the Age of Mortality.

What no one has ever fully understood is how the world reached that moment.

As death begins to seem optional, humanity looks for ways to bend the rules of existence. Twi-life centers begin storing the nearly-deceased, while eco-nihilists destroy civilization’s icons and threaten to end the human race entirely. Public opinion fractures. Systems strain. The world feels…unstable.

Behind the scenes, two powerful and diametrically opposed artificial intelligences set out to optimize, stabilize, and protect—each with its own idea of what that means. But in a world already tipping toward transformation, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Meanwhile, in an obscure online chatroom, a small group of teenagers from around the globe debate both the glorious and the terrifying prospects of the future, never realizing that they stand on a very literal cutting edge—and that their conversations, their choices, their very existence matter far more than they realize.

Because when humanity stands on the brink of immortality, someone must decide what survives…and what must be cut away.

Excitement Rating
[Average Rating: 5]

Genre: Science Fiction

Neal Shusterman

More books from Neal Shusterman

For book clubs & dedicated readers


Book club reading journal for tracking discussions and releases

Track your reading and discussions

If you’re following upcoming releases or reading along with a book club, this Book Club Journal helps you keep notes, track discussions, and plan what to read next.

View the Book Club Journal on Amazon

Recommended Book Release Guides
Excitement Rating
[Average Rating: 5]

Similar Books Liked By Our Readers