Manhattan Book Group gives Gold to 'Antheia in the Thorns'

Manhattan Book Group awarded Gold in the 2026 Manhattan Book Awards to Marilynne Eichinger’s environmental thriller “Antheia in the Thorns: A Rightfully Mine Novel.” The win spotlights a second-in-series book built around corporate corruption, ecological harm and a third installment slated for early next year.

Why it matters: - The Gold win puts Marilynne Eichinger’s “Antheia in the Thorns: A Rightfully Mine Novel” among the top titles honored in the 2026 Manhattan Book Awards. - The award can broaden visibility for an independent title and the larger “Rightfully Mine” series. - The recognition also reinforces demand for fiction centered on environmental conflict, corporate power and activism.

What happened: - Manhattan Book Group announced that “Antheia in the Thorns” received Gold in the 2026 Manhattan Book Awards. - The announcement was dated July 23, 2026. - The Manhattan Book Awards is a year-round literary recognition program for independent and hybrid publishers worldwide. - An industry-experienced panel judges entries on narrative strength, originality, production quality and overall impact. - Gold honors are reserved for books that exemplify excellence within their genre and show exceptional craft.

The details: - Marilynne Eichinger wrote “Antheia in the Thorns.” - The novel is the second book in the “Rightfully Mine” series. - The first book, “The Water Factor,” focuses on the corporate takeover of water resources. - The third installment, “Kingdom of Greed,” is scheduled for release early next year and will examine the loss of America’s old-growth forests to corporate greed. - Eichinger previously served as president of Impression 5 Science Center in Lansing, Michigan, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. - Eichinger later founded the Museum Tour Catalog, which brought science kits and educational materials into homes across the country. - Eichinger’s work in science education and environmental stewardship helped inspire the series. - Eichinger is now a public speaker and a member of the Community for Earth Committee in Portland. - The Kindle edition is on Amazon for a promotional price of $3.99, down from $6.95. - The novel is also available in paperback, hardcover and audiobook editions.

Between the lines: - The award aligns with a book that mixes environmental issues with thriller pacing, a combination meant to keep readers engaged while advancing a conservation message. - The series frames public-interest themes through commercial fiction, which can help those topics reach a broader audience. - A Kirkus Reviews blurb called the book “a fiction-filled, well-plotted yarn of industry vs. nature” and pointed to the central conflict between Jen and her husband’s work for an oil tycoon.

What's next: - Readers can expect the series to continue with “Kingdom of Greed” early next year. - Manhattan Book Group is likely to use the Gold award to further promote the book and its author across its publishing and awards platforms. - The promotional Kindle price gives the title a near-term sales push tied to the award announcement.

The bottom line: - Manhattan Book Group is using its awards platform to elevate an environmentally focused thriller that blends personal loss, corporate wrongdoing and activist resistance.