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.