'Scythe' by Neal Shusterman

..... Thou shalt kill..... Thou shalt be beholden to no laws beyond this.....

Overview

Set in a futuristic world, where death is no longer a certainty, growing old is an option, and going 'splat' is just a way to pass the time, Scythe will take you on an adventure through human motivation and corruption.

When AI advances to new levels, governments are no longer needed and a new peace takes shape around the world. Rather than getting older and older, people can turn a corner and revert their body back to it's younger self, and with AI running the world, problems of war, famine, drought and inequality are all but memories of the past. But with a burgeoning population, humans devised one way to ensure life (and death) continued - the Scythdom.

When Honorable Scythe Farady walks into the homes of Citra and Rowan, they fear it is there time to be gleaned. Instead, they are invited into the Scythe apprentice-hood.

Over the next year they are to learn the art of murder, from poisoning to knife skills and are to assist Scythe Farady in his task.

Torn between fulfilling their new tasks and their moral hated of killing, the two quickly find themselves drawn into the Scythe world.

However, their world is turned upside down when they are told one of them will have to glean the other and Scythe Farady kills himself.

Thrown into the arms of other Scythes, the two soon learn of the conflicts in the Scythdom and the tensions that threaten to destroy the order of the world.

One at a time they end up on the run from Scythe law, but together they can work to prevent destruction of the Scythdom.

Synopsis

What if death was the only thing left to control?

In a perfect world, the only way to die us to be gleaned by a professional scythe. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to be apprentice scythes, they know they have no option but to learn the art of killing. However, the terrifying responsiblity of choosing their victims is just the start.

Corruption is the order of the day and Citra and Rowan need to stick together to fight it.

Then they are told that one of them will glean the other.