The Diamondbacks

In River City, loyalty is everything-- and nothing defines it more than warcheck, the elegantly violent game that unites the town. Terra Laclem, daughter of a retired warcheck legend, is raised to honor family, faith, and tradition. But when her father betrays the ideals he's always preached, Terra is forced to question the world she thought she knew. As she comes of age, her search for belonging pulls her between inherited loyalties and a deeper truth, one tied to the beloved turtle mascots that symbolize her town's way of life. This lyrical debut is a coming-of-age story about the weight of legacy, the bonds that shape us, and the quiet rebellions that lead us home.