The task is simple: Don a disguise. Survive the Labyrinth. Best the boys.
The Task is Simple...
Don a Disguise.
Survive the Labyrinth.
Best the Boys.
In a new fantasy novel from Mary Weber, bestselling author of the Storm Siren series and the Sofi Snow books, one girl makes a stand against society and enters a world made exclusively for boys.
Every year for the past fifty-four years, the residents of Pinsbury Port receive a mysterious letter inviting all eligible-aged boys to compete for an esteemed scholarship to the all-male Stemwick University. Every year, the poorer residents look to see that their names are on the list. The wealthier look to see how likely their sons are to survive. And Rhen Tellur opens it to see if she can derive which substances the ink and parchment are created from, using her father’s microscope.
In the province of Caldon, where women are trained in wifely duties and men are encouraged into collegiate education, sixteen-year-old Rhen Tellur wants nothing more than to become a scientist. As the poor of her seaside town fall prey to a deadly disease, she and her father work desperately to find a cure. But when her Mum succumbs to it as well? Rhen decides to take the future into her own hands—through the annual all-male scholarship competition.
With her cousin, Seleni, by her side, the girls don disguises and enter Mr. Holm’s labyrinth, to best the boys and claim the scholarship prize. Except not everyone’s ready for a girl who doesn’t know her place. And not everyone survives the maze.
Meet The Author
Mary Weber
From Mary's Instagram... Frequently Asked Questions about TBTB
How’d you come up with your CHARACTER NAMES?
Each of the main character names & corresponding personalities are based on elements from the periodic table(!) - Rhen, Lute, Seleni, Beryll, Germaine, Holm, etc.😉
Are LABYRINTH CAKES REALLY A THING?
Heck yes they are. I created them because BABY WHITE CHOCOLATE ORANGE CARAMEL GLAZED CAKES should exist. (But they should also be easy to make because, like the one ring to rule them all, time is PRECIOUS.)🥰 I put a recipe in the back of the TO BEST THE BOYS book for youuuuu!
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IS THIS BOOK ANTI BOY?🧐🤨
Moms ask me this, & as the mama of a tenderhearted 13-year-old son - the answer is emphatically no. It’s pro good human beings. It IS anti certain societal attitudes, sexism, & educational bias, because those are some things that, in my experience, still need to be bested.
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Why’d you write TBTB?
1000 reasons. The women in my life. Myself. The short answer is I wrote it when my sister was working to finish her bio-chem degree & my oldest daughter was in college. I think more than anything this book is my way of pulling up a chair, handing Society a cup of tea, & saying, “Yeah, soooo we are NOT finished with this conversation yet.”
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How long did it take you to WRITE IT?
I had 3 months for the 1st draft & 7 weeks for the 2nd. I was still rewriting the ending & cleaning up the Labyrinth scenes during copy edits. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS.😂🙈
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What’s with the GHOULS & SIRENS?
Doesn’t every seaside town have them?😉The setting is based upon the area I live in, & every town has their myths. I just made mine come alive.😘
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What are your favorite scenes.
I cried while writing two scenes - 1 being on the hillside when the Lute & Beryll tell someone off. As girls I think we’re so used to standing up for ourselves that there’s something powerful when someone else stands up too.❤️
Industry & Author Praise
“Smart, determined, and ready to take on the world: Rhen Tellur is an outstanding heroine with every reason to win a competition historically intended for boys. To Best the Boys is an addicting read.” —Jodi Meadows, New York Times bestselling author of The Incarnate Trilogy and coauthor of My Lady Jane
“Atmospheric, romantic, inspiring. To Best the Boys is my favorite book by Mary Weber yet!” —Kristen Ciccarelli, internationally bestselling author of The Last Namsara
Goodreads Rating
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Meet The Author
Mary Weber
Mary Weber is the multiple-award-winning author of the bestselling young adult Storm Siren Trilogy, and The Evaporation of Sofi Snow series (all by HarperCollins). An avid school and conference speaker, Mary's passion is helping others find their voice amid a too-loud world. When she's not plotting adventures involving tough girls taking over the universe, Mary sings 80's hairband songs to her three muggle children, and ogles her husband who looks strikingly like Wolverine. They live in California which is perfect for stalking L.A. bands and the ocean.
Mary's books have been featured in the Scholastic School Book Fairs and endorsed by bestselling authors Marissa Meyer, Wendy Higgins, and Jonathan Maberry. You can also find Mary and Marissa Meyer's fun interview in the paperback of Marissa's NYT bestselling, CRESS.
She gets nerdy on FACEBOOK @MaryWeberAuthor, INSTAGRAM @MaryWeberAuthor, TWITTER @mchristineweber, and GOODREADS. Come say hi!!
