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These Stolen Lives
A powerful dystopian thriller from a stunning new voice in YA, set in a world divided by race where life itself must be paid for if you want to survive... Filled with suspense and romance, ideal for fans of Noughts & Crosses, The Hunger Games and Shatter Me.
Six years ago, seventeen-year-old Mora survived the terrifying Skøl invasion. They stole her land. They took her family. And now not even her life is her own.
Skøl culture revolves around one Life is Golden. You must pay the government for the right to survive. If you can't, you're cast out at best - at worst, culled. Records of every citizen are held at the hallowed, highly secured Life Registry, which tracks who lives and who dies, who pays and who fails.
Colonized survivors like Mora face endless servitude, repaying the 'debt' of their years lived before the invasion. Mora is resigned to her fate, finding glimmers of joy in her tentative friendship with another repayer, the handsome, elusive Kit.
But then she finds out that twelve-year-old Zako, the closest thing she has to a brother, is to be put to death by the dangerous new Skøl Governor. Finding the courage to fight back, Mora and Kit conspire to smuggle Zako to safety. But their plan draws them into a dark mystery - and to a heart-pounding mission at the Life Registry itself. They must ultimately ask what are we worth to each other?
Six years ago, seventeen-year-old Mora survived the terrifying Skøl invasion. They stole her land. They took her family. And now not even her life is her own.
Skøl culture revolves around one Life is Golden. You must pay the government for the right to survive. If you can't, you're cast out at best - at worst, culled. Records of every citizen are held at the hallowed, highly secured Life Registry, which tracks who lives and who dies, who pays and who fails.
Colonized survivors like Mora face endless servitude, repaying the 'debt' of their years lived before the invasion. Mora is resigned to her fate, finding glimmers of joy in her tentative friendship with another repayer, the handsome, elusive Kit.
But then she finds out that twelve-year-old Zako, the closest thing she has to a brother, is to be put to death by the dangerous new Skøl Governor. Finding the courage to fight back, Mora and Kit conspire to smuggle Zako to safety. But their plan draws them into a dark mystery - and to a heart-pounding mission at the Life Registry itself. They must ultimately ask what are we worth to each other?
458 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2024
10 people are currently reading
688 people want to read
About the author
Sharada Keats
3 books11 followersBorn in Kalgoorlie in 1982, Sharada loves poetry, nature, reading, writing, electricity, hot running water, petrichor, a certain degree of cliché, and circumstances that ensure young people can enjoy basic human rights, be nurtured, and grow old happily and healthily. She feels strongly that people of all ages deserve a wider variety of stories and storytellers. Sharada grew up in Australia and Canada, with parents from Guyana and Yorkshire – influences that still shape her writing. She studied agricultural economics in university, and has spent many years working in the third sector. Sharada now lives with her partner, two young children, and ancient old cat in London, UK.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 11, 2024
I wrote it... but please check out less biased reviews I've linked to on my website here:
https://sharadakeats.wordpress.com/
All feedback welcome. I will check here occasionally! Thank you
https://sharadakeats.wordpress.com/
All feedback welcome. I will check here occasionally! Thank you
May 25, 2024
Graphic: Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Slavery, Racism, Violence, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Suicide, Murder, Torture, and Misogyny
Minor: Alcohol
I'm a bit conflicted here, on one hand it's an excellent idea and I'm very interested in the world. On the other the world building was very light and despite the book being so long, not much was actually happening overall.
The characters where all quite similar, and there was a *lot* of them as well. Most of them stay on the side, and there's only a couple you really need to remember. But I'll be honest, Kit, Mora, Zako and Ruzi while on paper seem quite different, in the way they actually act, talk and are they're all quite similar. At the start I was struggling more than I normally do to tell the characters apart despite the fact it sounds like they should be very different. Felicity was the most different out of the main cast, but she didn't really grow too much over the book either like the rest and just stayed on that one note throughout.
Character development overall I felt was pretty lacking. How the characters are at the start are kinda just how they are at the end. I thought maybe Mora got more confident and stronger by the end, but when I finished and flicked back to the start she was still just as confident and strong then - just she didn't outwardly show it slightly as much and it's not a massive change overall.
Physical disability representation was alright, the chronic pain could have impacted more, it kinda just seemed to crop up when most inconvenient instead of being something constant (as it's initially portrayed as) and used to connect Mora to the antagonist constantly. One good note though is there's no mention of a magical cure!
Romance was a bit weird as well. Let me make it clear, I don't mind if there's romance or not - in fact with how prominent romance is in everything nowadays I actually really like it when there's a YA or adult book with either no or very little romance. In this though, it seems like there was an attempt at a slow burn romance maybe? But in the end it ends up being a *very* slow progressing romance randomly sprinkled through the story in short bursts with it ending with just not very much at all. Just a kinda "this is real" moment somewhere before the big main event at the end and not much else. So even though I found it nice that romance wasn't a massive part, it was a bit weird to read how half-hearted the addition of it felt like.
World-building I also had a fair few issues with. Despite how thick the book is, there's very little actually explained. Even through references and memories and such, learning about what actually happened in this world's history is really vague. Colonisation and slavery, yes. But there's mentions of a cull? branding? etc? I was waiting all book for them to be properly explained but nothing ended up coming. The Skøl as well, I was confused on who they where meant to be? They have a Scandinavian-like language in terms of their race name and places, but they act more like how the British colonised countries and how they took over and erased countries and cultures. Additionally despite there being so many mentions of original culture and the Skøl erasing many cultures and history, there's not much of that original history and culture properly explained and shown - except for Xan culture and customs, that was really neat to read about and I really wish we had similar from other races/cultures!
The lack of inconsistency for the languages also got on my nerves a little. "Firstday" and "Fouthday" for naming days, but then there's also like "Threeday". All the days of the week and all the months have the same just "count which day/month it is" naming scheme, but there can't seem to be a decision on if to use straight numbers or a constituting number and there doesn't seem to be any logic to which one is used for what. And additionally, I'll be completely honest that is just such lazy names to give the days and months, especially since it seems to cross over both the fictional "languages" used in the book which doesn't make an ounce of sense with how different the languages have been portrayed.
I'm not seeing anything about the book being officially part of the series, but it is a massive tense cliffhanger at the end so it's absolutely not a read for anyone looking for a satisfying stand-alone! I think if you want something that's just a slow-ish read about heisting and spies and tackling colonialism and don't really care about world building then you'll probably enjoy it. If you want a world built up though maybe wait and see if there's anymore books after this and see if they manage to expand on the provided concepts.
April 19, 2025
These Stolen Lives was everything everything I’d hope for in a YA dystopian thriller. Plenty of pace and tension but not at the expense of characterisation. Indeed, the reason the tension is so effective is that you are brought to really care about the characters.
The succinctness of the exposition is really praise-worthy. I read this novel as a buddy read & I remember commenting after the initial block of six chapters, that the author had managed to immerse me in a believable world- with a horrific past of conflict and repeated invasion; a racist, authoritarian present; and a questionable future. The opening 46 pages also made me feel connected to protagonist, Mora- & her found family. We know they are already survivors and we know the price of their survival: they must work for the regime who massacred their families. They must work off the debt of being allowed to live. What we don’t know yet is what they are prepared to do for each other and against their oppressors.
The novel thumps along with all sorts of moments of high tension: raids, clandestine meetings, overlapping agendas, curfew-busting missions, nears misses, undercover ops and opportunists looking to score. The biggest source of tension of all is the will-they-won’t-they romance brewing between Mora and her enigmatic friend, Kit. Joking aside, the romance and other tender moments provide much needed relief along the way.
Like all good dystopian fiction, this novel reveals parallels with our world. It struck me often how so many people’s experiences of living on our planet -past and present- would be like Mora’s. It’s a depressing thought but the novel also offers up hope-particularly in the scope and potential power of resistance and the enduring need for human connection.
Towards the end, I felt that the book was signalling to me that it was part of a series- there was a lot still to resolve and the pages were running out! That said, the ending was still satisfying and the novel could definitely be enjoyed as a stand alone although you’d be left with a few questions.
The succinctness of the exposition is really praise-worthy. I read this novel as a buddy read & I remember commenting after the initial block of six chapters, that the author had managed to immerse me in a believable world- with a horrific past of conflict and repeated invasion; a racist, authoritarian present; and a questionable future. The opening 46 pages also made me feel connected to protagonist, Mora- & her found family. We know they are already survivors and we know the price of their survival: they must work for the regime who massacred their families. They must work off the debt of being allowed to live. What we don’t know yet is what they are prepared to do for each other and against their oppressors.
The novel thumps along with all sorts of moments of high tension: raids, clandestine meetings, overlapping agendas, curfew-busting missions, nears misses, undercover ops and opportunists looking to score. The biggest source of tension of all is the will-they-won’t-they romance brewing between Mora and her enigmatic friend, Kit. Joking aside, the romance and other tender moments provide much needed relief along the way.
Like all good dystopian fiction, this novel reveals parallels with our world. It struck me often how so many people’s experiences of living on our planet -past and present- would be like Mora’s. It’s a depressing thought but the novel also offers up hope-particularly in the scope and potential power of resistance and the enduring need for human connection.
Towards the end, I felt that the book was signalling to me that it was part of a series- there was a lot still to resolve and the pages were running out! That said, the ending was still satisfying and the novel could definitely be enjoyed as a stand alone although you’d be left with a few questions.
May 15, 2024
These Stolen Lives
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sometimes you read a book, and you love the book, and then you proceed to look at goodreads and you see....
That the book has only 12 ratings.
This book is very great! It handles topics like slavery, discrimination, racism and sexism in a fictional world. It has dystopian vibes. Sometimes I felt like it was 2024 and the 1900's at the same time. And I mean this as a compliment, because it added to the story. Curious? Here is what the story is about.
The Skøl are the modern, sophisticated people, that invaded Mora's country 6 years ago and killed 90% of the people. (Not so sophisticated after all) Those who survived this 'The Cull' need to work, to repay their years lived. Because in Skøland, living is not free and if you don't pay, you die.
When 12 y/o Zako, the nearest thing Mora has to a brother, is arrester for attempted murder, Mora does everything to save him, with help from Kit (😍🤗🥰😏). This results in a story about hope, family, the will to fight, and facing your fears.
The story is quite slow paced, with needed action here and there. I loved the dialogues in this book, Mora's internal thoughts, but also the thrilling of the characters fitting caught. The ending is too fast in my opinion. Everything seems solved in a matter of pages. It does end with a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to the next book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sometimes you read a book, and you love the book, and then you proceed to look at goodreads and you see....
That the book has only 12 ratings.
This book is very great! It handles topics like slavery, discrimination, racism and sexism in a fictional world. It has dystopian vibes. Sometimes I felt like it was 2024 and the 1900's at the same time. And I mean this as a compliment, because it added to the story. Curious? Here is what the story is about.
The Skøl are the modern, sophisticated people, that invaded Mora's country 6 years ago and killed 90% of the people. (Not so sophisticated after all) Those who survived this 'The Cull' need to work, to repay their years lived. Because in Skøland, living is not free and if you don't pay, you die.
When 12 y/o Zako, the nearest thing Mora has to a brother, is arrester for attempted murder, Mora does everything to save him, with help from Kit (😍🤗🥰😏). This results in a story about hope, family, the will to fight, and facing your fears.
The story is quite slow paced, with needed action here and there. I loved the dialogues in this book, Mora's internal thoughts, but also the thrilling of the characters fitting caught. The ending is too fast in my opinion. Everything seems solved in a matter of pages. It does end with a cliffhanger, so I'm looking forward to the next book.
June 5, 2025
After the Skøl invasion, the system that they imposed on all their colonized cultures is based on the motto: Life is Golden. Except that probably doesn't does mean what you think it means, because in the Skøl system, people must pay a tithe to continue to be allowed to live.
So, when teenage Mora survives the invasion, she basically faces a life of indentured servitude. And then she discovers that the handful of meaningful connections she has made are threatened by the actions of the new governor. What can Mora actually do to protect the people that she cares about? And how far will she go to do it?
A scary dystopian thriller, this novel shows how hope, and the aspirations for freedom so deeply coded into the human DNA, survive beyond challenging circumstances.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
So, when teenage Mora survives the invasion, she basically faces a life of indentured servitude. And then she discovers that the handful of meaningful connections she has made are threatened by the actions of the new governor. What can Mora actually do to protect the people that she cares about? And how far will she go to do it?
A scary dystopian thriller, this novel shows how hope, and the aspirations for freedom so deeply coded into the human DNA, survive beyond challenging circumstances.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
August 7, 2025
2,5⭐️
I wanted to love it, I really did. It had so much potential to be such an inspiring and captivating book. Somehow I just couldn't find myself liking any of the characters other than Ruzi and the white dog. I just wasn't interested in anything at 50-60 %, the plot kept dragging for too long. So many things almost happened and then didn't. The ending felt rushed, like there just had to be one more plot twist but there wasn't enough space.
This might just be the first series I won't be continuing after the first book.
I wanted to love it, I really did. It had so much potential to be such an inspiring and captivating book. Somehow I just couldn't find myself liking any of the characters other than Ruzi and the white dog. I just wasn't interested in anything at 50-60 %, the plot kept dragging for too long. So many things almost happened and then didn't. The ending felt rushed, like there just had to be one more plot twist but there wasn't enough space.
This might just be the first series I won't be continuing after the first book.
May 2, 2024
This is such a fresh and original voice and has such gorgeous imagery and world building that really makes you feel part of Mora’s world, right down to the details of food that I could practically smell. It’s definitely a though provoking story, and full of suspense and tense scenes, with a romance woven throughout. A story of hope and identity and having courage in the face of a terrible and dangerous society. Perfect for fans of dystopian fiction. Can’t wait to read more from Sharada Keats.
dnf
June 11, 2024dnf at 35%
i hate giving up on a book if i’ve committed more than 100 pages, but this one just isn’t working for me. the main character is very bland and i don’t care much about the world. or perhaps i just don’t understand the world due to the lack of world building. it throws so much at you in the first few pages without any context or knowledge. it felt like doing a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
i hate giving up on a book if i’ve committed more than 100 pages, but this one just isn’t working for me. the main character is very bland and i don’t care much about the world. or perhaps i just don’t understand the world due to the lack of world building. it throws so much at you in the first few pages without any context or knowledge. it felt like doing a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
May 30, 2024
Can a book be a slow-burn and excruciatingly intense all at once? This book definitely combines so many important themes in one, from the cruelest systems of servitude to the highest heights of tenderness and emotion. Introspective and deeply moving, its timeless take on colonial and post-colonial system is spot on.
October 4, 2024
This was a really immersive read set in a dystopian land years after a brutal colonisation happened. It had a little bit of a slow start, but once it got going, I enjoyed Mora's story. Wasn't expecting the end, which is a good thing.
Read
August 16, 2024DNF, very slow
Read
June 2, 2025loved it - clever, dark and action-packed
January 3, 2025
When does a fantasy story move to another level? When it is a fantasy AND a dystopia. Sharda Keats is a new voice in YA and she brings with her These Stolen Lives, a dystopian fantasy with hints of reality. That of course makes it one of the very best types of dystopia for when you read the characters, their lives, their world, it is all believable, could all be true. It may be that some readers take a lesson from reading dystopian novels, it may be that others treat them for what they are ~ fiction. Whichever way you read them they leave you feeling there is no doubt they are powerful stories and this one is no exception. The idea for the story came from the idea of colonials being colonised. In a world where it was once free to live the tables are turned and the invaders force everyone to pay to live, they build a new world system based on lies about superiority and squeeze the joy from life… But it does not squeeze the joy of the reading experience that comes with These Stolen Lives.
Mora is seventeen. It has been six years since the terrifying Skøl invasion. She survived by the stole her land, took her family away from her and her life is no longer her own to choose how to live. This is a world now divided by race where to survive you have to pay or find yourself either cast out or culled. Yet the motto that Skøl culture revolves around is ~ Life is Golden. Maybe it is wrong to mistake this for meaning it is bright and glows, strong and powerful and instead assume it means life is about wealth and worth. Mora has resigned herself to this life but she is beginning to find that it does have glimmers of joy. She is now known as a repayer, paying for the years before the invasion. When she befriends the handsome Kit, another repayer things begin to look better but then they find themselves embroiled in fighting the Governor and hatching a plan to smuggle a twelve-year-old boy to safety. They are about to stumble into a dark mystery and a mission at the heart of this new world. Are they ready to learn what they are worth to one another?
I write reviews for Armadillo Children's Books and this one appeared in my weekly newsletter, Postbag Picks, in March 2024.
Merged review:
When does a fantasy story move to another level? When it is a fantasy AND a dystopia. Sharda Keats is a new voice in YA and she brings with her These Stolen Lives, a dystopian fantasy with hints of reality. That of course makes it one of the very best types of dystopia for when you read the characters, their lives, their world, it is all believable, could all be true. It may be that some readers take a lesson from reading dystopian novels, it may be that others treat them for what they are ~ fiction. Whichever way you read them they leave you feeling there is no doubt they are powerful stories and this one is no exception. The idea for the story came from the idea of colonials being colonised. In a world where it was once free to live the tables are turned and the invaders force everyone to pay to live, they build a new world system based on lies about superiority and squeeze the joy from life… But it does not squeeze the joy of the reading experience that comes with These Stolen Lives.
Mora is seventeen. It has been six years since the terrifying Skøl invasion. She survived by the stole her land, took her family away from her and her life is no longer her own to choose how to live. This is a world now divided by race where to survive you have to pay or find yourself either cast out or culled. Yet the motto that Skøl culture revolves around is ~ Life is Golden. Maybe it is wrong to mistake this for meaning it is bright and glows, strong and powerful and instead assume it means life is about wealth and worth. Mora has resigned herself to this life but she is beginning to find that it does have glimmers of joy. She is now known as a repayer, paying for the years before the invasion. When she befriends the handsome Kit, another repayer things begin to look better but then they find themselves embroiled in fighting the Governor and hatching a plan to smuggle a twelve-year-old boy to safety. They are about to stumble into a dark mystery and a mission at the heart of this new world. Are they ready to learn what they are worth to one another?
I write reviews for Armadillo Children's Books and this one appeared in my weekly newsletter, Postbag Picks, in March 2024.
Mora is seventeen. It has been six years since the terrifying Skøl invasion. She survived by the stole her land, took her family away from her and her life is no longer her own to choose how to live. This is a world now divided by race where to survive you have to pay or find yourself either cast out or culled. Yet the motto that Skøl culture revolves around is ~ Life is Golden. Maybe it is wrong to mistake this for meaning it is bright and glows, strong and powerful and instead assume it means life is about wealth and worth. Mora has resigned herself to this life but she is beginning to find that it does have glimmers of joy. She is now known as a repayer, paying for the years before the invasion. When she befriends the handsome Kit, another repayer things begin to look better but then they find themselves embroiled in fighting the Governor and hatching a plan to smuggle a twelve-year-old boy to safety. They are about to stumble into a dark mystery and a mission at the heart of this new world. Are they ready to learn what they are worth to one another?
I write reviews for Armadillo Children's Books and this one appeared in my weekly newsletter, Postbag Picks, in March 2024.
Merged review:
When does a fantasy story move to another level? When it is a fantasy AND a dystopia. Sharda Keats is a new voice in YA and she brings with her These Stolen Lives, a dystopian fantasy with hints of reality. That of course makes it one of the very best types of dystopia for when you read the characters, their lives, their world, it is all believable, could all be true. It may be that some readers take a lesson from reading dystopian novels, it may be that others treat them for what they are ~ fiction. Whichever way you read them they leave you feeling there is no doubt they are powerful stories and this one is no exception. The idea for the story came from the idea of colonials being colonised. In a world where it was once free to live the tables are turned and the invaders force everyone to pay to live, they build a new world system based on lies about superiority and squeeze the joy from life… But it does not squeeze the joy of the reading experience that comes with These Stolen Lives.
Mora is seventeen. It has been six years since the terrifying Skøl invasion. She survived by the stole her land, took her family away from her and her life is no longer her own to choose how to live. This is a world now divided by race where to survive you have to pay or find yourself either cast out or culled. Yet the motto that Skøl culture revolves around is ~ Life is Golden. Maybe it is wrong to mistake this for meaning it is bright and glows, strong and powerful and instead assume it means life is about wealth and worth. Mora has resigned herself to this life but she is beginning to find that it does have glimmers of joy. She is now known as a repayer, paying for the years before the invasion. When she befriends the handsome Kit, another repayer things begin to look better but then they find themselves embroiled in fighting the Governor and hatching a plan to smuggle a twelve-year-old boy to safety. They are about to stumble into a dark mystery and a mission at the heart of this new world. Are they ready to learn what they are worth to one another?
I write reviews for Armadillo Children's Books and this one appeared in my weekly newsletter, Postbag Picks, in March 2024.
August 13, 2025
This was the first book I’ve read by the author. If you enjoy reading dystopia and mystery; then this one is definitely for you! Even though it’s not a genre that appeals to me much, those who like it should definitely give it a try.
I appreciate receiving this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
I appreciate receiving this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.
July 19, 2024
This is SUCH a fantastic YA dystopia, I could not put it down. Dealing with the horrendous aftermath of a violent occupation, colonialism, racism and classism, this book will 100% resonate with any Hunger Games or Maze Runner fans. Told from the first person POV of Mora - the only surviving member of her family - we're thrown immediately into the action when she and her best friend Kit attempt a daring rescue in the middle of the night. Tension hangs on every page as you constantly wonder if they'll be found out, as they spiral deeper into dangerous secrets their colonisers (the Skøl) don't want them to know. There are complex relationships between the colonised and the occupiers - Kit is owned by a Skøl couple who treat him relatively well and give him more freedom than many. But they still literally purchased him, even though they help shelter a runaway and indulge many things that most other Skøl wouldn't. It creates a very interesting dynamic. The cliffhanger had me DYING for the next book.
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