Nefarious Gift - Northern Roseaarde, #1

A simple life is all he ever wanted. But in a world of gifted Guilds and ancient secrets, destiny has a funny way of choosing the unwilling.

Loren Turtingas is perfectly happy in his basement, surrounded by books and dreaming of a quiet career in Law. But his peaceful existence is shattered when his ambitious stepfather forces him into a prestigious—and lethal—program on the remote Heart Island. Here, students are implanted with a mysterious device and pushed to unlock their latent "gift," hoping to be chosen by one of the powerful Guilds that rule the seven cities.

On the island's strange pink sands, Loren finds himself caught between two incredible women: the gentle and kind Damaetra, a gifted Formulator who offers him a love worth fighting for, and the enchanting Paerli, a beautiful and whip-smart girl whose instant friendship feels like a carefully laid trap. With his new friends Nico and Dill, Loren navigates the treacherous program, where the line between a gift and a curse is terrifyingly thin. But when a student dies a horrific, unnatural death, Loren realizes the program's dangers are far greater than he ever imagined.

Just as he's ready to give up, a violent seizure reveals Loren's own terrifying gift: he is a Reaper, one of the rarest and most feared abilities in existence. This unwanted power awakens a dark connection to Paerli and ties him to the island's most forbidden secret—the smoldering, black peak of Mount Gehenna. Now, Loren is no longer just a student; he is a key. And the lock he opens could unleash an ancient power that will shatter his world forever.

Fans of Brandon Sanderson's intricate magic systems and Pierce Brown's found-family dynamics will be captivated by this epic blend of sci-fi and fantasy. "Nefarious Gift" is a gripping adventure filled with ancient conspiracies, slow-burn betrayal, and a reluctant hero who must embrace the darkness within to save everyone he loves.