The Surface Trials

<b>NOTABLE BOOK: 2026 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers</b><br> <b>SHORTLISTED: 2026 WA Premier's Book Awards, Children Children's Book of the Year:<br></b><br><b>'It's like an interplanetary version of <i>Survivor</i> meets <i>The Amazing Race</i>, but with way more death vines and alien venom.' <i>Better Reading</i></b><br> <br>Three days, three clues, one hungry planet.<br> Constant surveillance. <br>The entire universe watching every move. <br>Some will shatter. Most will fail. <br> A select few will make it through, instant celebrities. <br><br>Welcome to the Surface Trials. The only way into Starquest Academy. <br><br>For Amethyst Antares, Starquest Academy offers an escape from the prison of her home planet. For Rian - the uber-famous and expertly disguised heir to the universe's two greatest dynasties - failure to get into his own academy is not an option. And Deneb? Well, he's an outlier... <br><br>But this year not everything goes to plan, and Amethyst and her squad find themselves playing for more than Starquest admission. To survive, they'll have to outsmart carnivorous creatures, share dangerous secrets, maintain trust and embrace the most shocking truth in the galaxy.<br><br>Set on a fascinating yet hostile alien planet, this pulse-pounding, high-stakes, elimination-quest novel will have readers on the edge of their seats.<br><br><b>'HM Waugh writes completely unputdownable stories that will keep you up late </b>-<b> if she's writing it, I'm reading it.' Amie Kaufman, <i>NYT </i>bestselling author</b> <br><br><b>'A contest, a journey, a mysterious artefact, this novel never lets up the pace or thrills. I loved it! </b><b>It's the kind of book I longed for as a child. Full of thrills, mysteries and kids out there kicking it!' Bren MacDibble, bestselling author of HOW TO BEE and THE DOG RUNNER</b><br><br><b>'It has everything I love in a story: high stakes, dangerous secrets, and smart kids facing overwhelming odds. Plus space! A wonderfully exciting new book from HM Waugh.' Lian Tanner, bestselling author of MUSEUM OF THIEVES</b><br><br><b>'Brilliant! Original, riveting and hugely fun.' Jaclyn Moriarty, bestselling author of the KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES series</b><br><b>'<i>The Surface Trials</i> is exactly what I want in a science-fiction book... I can't recommend it enough.' Dani Solomon, Readings</b>