Scion

Children of Fate #2

by Emma Lord

Piper Manning is destined to save the world.

But in the wake of all the mistakes she made in Eden, it’s hard to see herself as any kind of hero.

Even under the guidance of her new mentor, Raddock, the challenge set before her feels impossible. It doesn't help that her relationship with Seth is more complicated than ever, Frankie is haunted by visions she can't decipher, and Aaron's grief poses a lurking threat.

When Piper discovers a terrifying truth that upends everything she thought she knew, she must decide how to move forward ... and what it means to accept your fate.

The pulse-pounding second book in the award-winning Children of Fate trilogy.

Genres: Romance

400 pages, Paperback

Published September 29, 2026

About the author

Emma Lord is an award-winning Australian author with a love of all things sci-fi, fantasy and horror. She’s a sucker for a fictional apocalypse, but can’t shake a nagging suspicion she’d be among the first to die if a real one hit. Anomaly is her debut novel and incorporates everything she loves in a story: an apocalyptic setting, creepy monsters, and a young woman more powerful than she appears.

Reviews

[Emily (the_bookdragons_den) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the award winning book Anomaly by Emma Lord when it first came out! Set in Australia, it’s an action packed dystopian/sci-fi read that centres around survival in a pandemic. I’ve been eagerly waiting the second book in the Children of Fate series, and Scion is finally here!

Was it worth the wait…absolutely it was!

Where Anomaly was faced paced and action packed, Scion is more about the character growth for Piper. Here she learns to come in to her power, but with pressure and fear breathing down her neck. She has an innate need to protect those around her and that makes her a very likeable character.

There are some explosive revelations that left my jaw on the floor along with some new characters that have you questioning everyone and their motives! I feel like Lord has slowed things down just a little in this book to set up a conclusion that is going to be a high octane, must devour read.

If you love YA fiction, or are looking for a gift for a book loving young adult, then I definitely recommend this series. I can’t wait to see how it concludes!

Thank you to Affirm Press and Simon & Schuster AU for a copy to review.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it, loved it, loved it! The second book in The Children of Fate trilogy did not disappoint. Scion felt a little slower paced than Anomaly, which was more action packed, but this wasn’t a bad thing. This book focuses more on what a Scion is and Piper’s personal growth as she learns more about her powers. I really enjoyed the addition of Lucy’s (Seth’s Sister) chapters, as they helped provide more backstory on how the virus and Reapers came to be. I also really love the sci-fi elements involving multiverses and wormholes. I just wish the multiverses had been explored a little more. The friendships and relationships are just as heartwarming as they were in the first book, and I love that the story is Australian based. It’s a small part of the book, but I found the Tim Tam moment absolutely hilarious! Overall, this was very hard to put down, and I’m already eagerly waiting for book three.

[Tamara Warburton · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

I loved it. It was a great second book to the series!! The story managed to keep me hooked the entire time. I love all the Australian elements and phrases used a that’s something I don’t see very often!

Piper learns more about how her powers work and how to use them and there are definitely some plot twists!!

I can’t wait for the final book of the trilogy to see how it all plays out!

Thank you to Affirm Press and Simon & Schuster AU for a copy to review.