Synopsis:

Lyra. Lucy. Percy. Once in a generation, a hero emerges whose story enthralls readers worldwide.

Fireborn is an epic quest, perfect for fans of the His Dark Materials and The School for Good and Evil series, that will spin readers into a magical world like no other–and introduce them to an unforgettable new heroine named Twelve.

Ember is full of monsters.

Twelve gave up her name and identity to train in the art of hunting them–so she says. The truth is much more deadly: she trains to take revenge on those who took her family from her.

But when Twelve’s new home is attacked, she’ll find herself on an unexpected journey, where her hidden past is inescapably intertwined with her destiny–and the very fate of her world.

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About The Author:


Aisling was born in 1985 and wishes that she had grown up in a magical, mountainous kingdom, but was actually raised in Surrey on a diet of books and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Her early ‘adventure’ stories involved surprisingly little action and her first novel (3 pages long) was politely declined by publishers at age 11. After earning a BSc in Biology and working as a support worker and then a nurse, the idea for her debut novel, Fireborn, came to her as she moved back and forth between London and the US. Now based in Hackney, when she is not reading or writing, Aisling loves cooking and plotting adventures (for herself as well as her fictional characters). Fireborn will be published by HarperCollins in 2021.

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This is exactly the kind of book I would have changed my life as a kid – the main character is grumpy and doesn’t care about whether or not people like her, but she’s loyal and will do the right thing when it matters. I love a character that’s bold enough to not care about being liked, knowing that their actions define them and not the opinions of others, especially when that character is a teenager.

Throughout the story, Twelve learns that she needs to make an effort with the people whose opinions do matter – she’s thrown into an adventure with other young Hunters and fighting side by side teaches her the value of  teamwork.

Even better, there’s no insta-love between any of the characters – they’re all very different personalities, not yet sure who they’re going to be as adults, and not entirely keen on one another. They all have their sharp edges which mean that making friends is never going to be easy, rather than an instant easy companionship their relationships take time to develop and that’s one of the hooks of this story, you can’t make any assumptions about how things are going to turn out. Even better, all of them have their own gifts and strengths to contribute to the story, this isn’t The Chosen One and her merry band of sidekicks.

Like every great YA fantasy novel, there are magical animal companions: Dog the guardian who is in some ways more mature than the children and helps to protect and guide them, while also being their peer. His bond with Twelve definitely makes me feel all warm inside!

Through a lens of fantasy violence and adventure, complete with betrayals and terrifying monsters, this book is a coming-of-age story with really valuable lessons like ‘you don’t have to act on your emotions just because you have them’ and ‘base your opinions on what you see, not what other people tell you’. I would happily recommend this book to readers 10+, with plenty for all ages to take from the story.