Waking Fire
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
"Propulsive and full of heart." —Sara Holland, New York Times bestselling author of Everless and Havenfall
This incendiary YA fantasy debut follows a girl who will stop at nothing to save her village after it’s discovered by a dangerous warlord and his army of undead monsters.
Naira Khoum has only known life in Lagusa, a quiet village at the desert’s end. But to the rest of the world, Lagusa is a myth, its location shrouded in secrecy. While war rages to the north led by power-hungry Sothpike and his army of undead monsters called Dambi, Naira’s people live in peace.
Until the impossible happens—Lagusa is attacked by a Mistress sent to do Sothpike’s bidding with a hoard of Dambi under her control. The Mistress is looking for something, and she’s willing to let her Dambi destroy Lagusa to get it.
Desperate to protect her home, Naira convinces her twin brother Nez and handsome refugee Kal to join the newly formed resistance with her. Together, they’ll have to figure out what the Mistress wants—before there’s nothing left of Lagusa to save.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Louise's spirited fantasy debut, 16-year-old Naira Khoum endeavors to protect her loved ones from a despicable warlord's wrath. Naira's home, the isolated village of Lagusa on the edge of the desert, has become a refuge to Merza peoples ever since the warlord Sothpike razed their empire 20 years ago. While Lagusa has managed to remain hidden from Sothpike's treachery, rumors claim that the warlord is on his way to them. Lagusa is soon invaded by the Mistress, one of Sothpike's mercenaries, and her undead army, come to forcibly draft Lagusa's children into Sothpike's militia. Willing to risk everything to save her people, Naira; her twin brother, Nez; and Naira's crush Kal, a refugee from Merza, join a burgeoning resistance, determined to drive the Mistress out before she can cause further harm. Overwrought expository prose and standard plotting occasionally allay this ambitious series starter. Nevertheless, the lush, South Asia–inspired setting, brimming with cultural and historical references, and viscerally described action sequences make for an immersive, adventure-filled tale. Characters are described as having brown skin and black hair. Ages 13–up. Agent: Claire Friedman, InkWell Management.
