Based on the hit web novel with more than twenty-four million views on Wattpad, this award-winning dystopian epic is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Red Rising as well as the high-stakes, us-versus-them romantic tension of Silver Elite.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and cover from Expiration Date by Mikaela Bender, which releases on April 6th 2027 and is now available for preorder. PLUS you can check out artwork by Tina Marie Carbone of the two main characters, Iris and Jonas, at the end of the article.
But first, here’s what the author had to say about her release and cover, which was illustrated by Charlie Bowater!
“It was twelve years ago when I was sixteen that I started writing Expiration Date on Wattpad, and soon, for the first time ever, readers will have the option to read a physical copy of the story or listen to an audiobook version. For me, the readers have always been a main part of this series. They’ve witnessed not just the characters grow and change but the books themselves. I’m really excited for them to experience this new edition from Podium, and I hope new readers will come to love these characters just as much I and so many others do.
I love how Charlie portrayed Iris on the cover; she truly captured who Iris is. There are a couple “Easter eggs” on the cover as well. The twelve larger stars represent the members of the Order, and those who pick up the print edition will find the constellations of Libra and Orion (the two parts the first book is broken into).”
Iris is used to knowing when she’ll die, but she has no idea how to live—until the clock stops ticking—in the first book of a pulse-pounding sci-fi series.
The Society knows when its citizens are going to die and imprints the date on their arms at birth. Iris Levine was raised to fight back against them—until they burned down her home and executed her family, leaving her with nothing but a rapidly approaching Expiration Date. On what was meant to be her final day, she encounters none other than Erik Blackwood, the Society’s prodigal son, who’s desperate to change his family’s cruel ways.
Erik volunteers to be with Iris when the clock strikes midnight—but she doesn’t die. She’s Expired. The revelation presents exactly the act of defiance he’s been searching for, but it will make them both targets. Meanwhile, just weeks into his rule as Preeminence, Erik’s cousin Jonas is unraveling under the weight of his own secrets. With Erik’s apparent defection and his younger brother, Colton, testing him at every turn, Jonas begins to worry his influence might be slipping away . . . especially when Erik returns with Iris at his side.
Suddenly, Iris is thrust into a ruthless world of politics and family dynamics wrapped in a glittering facade of stars. Jonas offers her salvation at the cost of her soul, Colton is certain she’s a threat, and Erik has an agenda all his own. Now, she must decide who to trust and if revenge is worth risking the second chance fate has given her. Even as she feels her heart being stolen by the enemy, for the first time her destiny is in her hands, and she’s not giving that up without a fight.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mikaela Bender is the author of the Watty Award–winning Expiring series, which has amassed almost twenty-five million views on Wattpad. She has also won the Royal Palm Literary Award for her web novel Asleep. Her short stories have been published in multiple anthologies including Once Upon Now, and she has written for brands like General Electric, Amazon Prime Video, and MasterClass. Originally from Orlando, Florida, she now lives in New York City as a book publicist surrounded by a fairy village and an adorable puppy. Readers can follow her adventures on Instagram and TikTok at @mikaelabender.
