Zone

In Zone, the final novel of the Meiji trilogy, Meiji is adrift in a vast and lawless region, rebelling furiously against the gender roles forced upon her by those who think they know best. Her guardian, whom she knows as Youngest, is still unable to protect her. Plus: she now has a mad-cap giant bird to look after, a bounty on her head and a relentless killer on her trail.
Set in a grim future-version of our planet, Zone gathers the many strands of Meiji's saga to deliver a shocking but satisfying conclusion. Layered in equal part with terror and pain, love and deliverance, this gripping tale is Manjula Padmanabhan at her absolute best.