A sweeping, action-packed, and romantic fantasy full of dangerous magic and dark choices, perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore—set in the same world as Of Fire and Stars.
Asra is a demigod with a dangerous gift: the ability to dictate the future by writing with her blood. To keep her power secret, she leads a quiet life as a healer on a remote mountain, content to help the people in her care and spend time with Ina, the mortal girl she loves.
But Asra’s peaceful life is upended when bandits threaten Ina’s village and the king does nothing to help. Desperate to protect her people, Ina begs Asra for assistance in finding her manifest—the animal she’ll be able to change into as her rite of passage to adulthood. Asra uses her blood magic to help Ina, but her spell goes horribly wrong and the bandits destroy the village, killing Ina’s family.
Unaware that Asra is at fault, Ina swears revenge on the king and takes a savage dragon as her manifest. To stop her, Asra must embark on a journey across the kingdom, becoming a player in lethal games of power among assassins, gods, and even the king himself.
Most frightening of all, she discovers the dark secrets of her own mysterious history—and the terrible, powerful legacy she carries in her blood.
**
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Set in a mystical and magical world, this work follows Asra, a demigod who can write the future with her own blood. Her secret is powerful and in order to protect her people and Ina, the girl she loves, Asra remains quiet in the refuge of the mountains. When Ina's village is threatened, Ina chooses to manifest herself as a dragon, the animal that has been chosen for her as she passes into adulthood. Asra attempts to help Ina only to have blood magic go awry, allowing the bandits to destroy her village and Ina's family. Asra continues to help her after Ina seeks revenge on the king. Asra goes on a journey where she must fight powerful people with very few to trust. Her quest is not only one of adventure but also one of self-discovery. Coulthurst creates another dangerous world much like the one in her debut novel, Of Fire and Stars. This sophomore effort moves at a swift pace, engaging teens in a mystical world of darkness and blood magic. Fans of dragons, dark magic, and romance will embrace this novel and hope that Coulthurst will craft more adventures in this world. VERDICT A strong choice for fantasy collections.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI
Review
"Coulthurst emphasizes self-reliance, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of love in this satisfying tale" (Publishers Weekly)
"Asra's rich emotions in the face of difficult choices in this coming-of-age saga will absorb audiences." (Booklist)
"Engag[es] teens in a mystical world of darkness and blood magic. Fans of dragons, dark magic, and romance will embrace this novel." (School LibraryJournal)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "A powerful and exquisite love story" (Publishers Weekly (starred review))
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "This book is bold enough to create a world that moves beyond the prejudices we are still fighting in our real world."(Caitlyn Paxson, NPR)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "A deeplyromantic, bold, and nuanced fantasy. You will be captivated by Denna and Mare and their star-crossed love for each other." (Malinda Lo, Authorof Ash and Huntress)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "Lovely...a worthy debut that succeeds as both an adventure and a romance." (Booklist)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "Murder, mayhem, magic, romance--and horses...aromantic fantasy that will appeal to those who appreciatecharacter-driven novels." (Kirkus Reviews)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "I devoured Of Fire and Stars in two sittings; it's a delightful debut, full of all the things I like best in a fantasy story, including not one but two wonderful heroines. I'm looking forward to seeing whatAudrey does in the future!" (Mercedes Lackey, New York Times bestselling author of over 125 books, including the Valdemar series)
Praisefor OF FIRE AND STARS: "Coulthursts's debut is an absolute delight; Iloved seeing these smart, fierce princesses fall in captivating,slow-burn love as they investigate political assassinations and unravelmagical conspiracies." (Corinne Duyvis, author of Otherbound and On theEdge of Gone)
Description:
A sweeping, action-packed, and romantic fantasy full of dangerous magic and dark choices, perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore—set in the same world as Of Fire and Stars.
Asra is a demigod with a dangerous gift: the ability to dictate the future by writing with her blood. To keep her power secret, she leads a quiet life as a healer on a remote mountain, content to help the people in her care and spend time with Ina, the mortal girl she loves.
But Asra’s peaceful life is upended when bandits threaten Ina’s village and the king does nothing to help. Desperate to protect her people, Ina begs Asra for assistance in finding her manifest—the animal she’ll be able to change into as her rite of passage to adulthood. Asra uses her blood magic to help Ina, but her spell goes horribly wrong and the bandits destroy the village, killing Ina’s family.
Unaware that Asra is at fault, Ina swears revenge on the king and takes a savage dragon as her manifest. To stop her, Asra must embark on a journey across the kingdom, becoming a player in lethal games of power among assassins, gods, and even the king himself.
Most frightening of all, she discovers the dark secrets of her own mysterious history—and the terrible, powerful legacy she carries in her blood.
**
From School Library Journal
Gr 8 Up—Set in a mystical and magical world, this work follows Asra, a demigod who can write the future with her own blood. Her secret is powerful and in order to protect her people and Ina, the girl she loves, Asra remains quiet in the refuge of the mountains. When Ina's village is threatened, Ina chooses to manifest herself as a dragon, the animal that has been chosen for her as she passes into adulthood. Asra attempts to help Ina only to have blood magic go awry, allowing the bandits to destroy her village and Ina's family. Asra continues to help her after Ina seeks revenge on the king. Asra goes on a journey where she must fight powerful people with very few to trust. Her quest is not only one of adventure but also one of self-discovery. Coulthurst creates another dangerous world much like the one in her debut novel, Of Fire and Stars. This sophomore effort moves at a swift pace, engaging teens in a mystical world of darkness and blood magic. Fans of dragons, dark magic, and romance will embrace this novel and hope that Coulthurst will craft more adventures in this world. VERDICT A strong choice for fantasy collections.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI
Review
"Coulthurst emphasizes self-reliance, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of love in this satisfying tale" (Publishers Weekly)
"Asra's rich emotions in the face of difficult choices in this coming-of-age saga will absorb audiences." (Booklist)
"Engag[es] teens in a mystical world of darkness and blood magic. Fans of dragons, dark magic, and romance will embrace this novel." (School LibraryJournal)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "A powerful and exquisite love story" (Publishers Weekly (starred review))
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "This book is bold enough to create a world that moves beyond the prejudices we are still fighting in our real world."(Caitlyn Paxson, NPR)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "A deeplyromantic, bold, and nuanced fantasy. You will be captivated by Denna and Mare and their star-crossed love for each other." (Malinda Lo, Authorof Ash and Huntress)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "Lovely...a worthy debut that succeeds as both an adventure and a romance." (Booklist)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "Murder, mayhem, magic, romance--and horses...aromantic fantasy that will appeal to those who appreciatecharacter-driven novels." (Kirkus Reviews)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: "I devoured Of Fire and Stars in two sittings; it's a delightful debut, full of all the things I like best in a fantasy story, including not one but two wonderful heroines. I'm looking forward to seeing whatAudrey does in the future!" (Mercedes Lackey, New York Times bestselling author of over 125 books, including the Valdemar series)
Praisefor OF FIRE AND STARS: "Coulthursts's debut is an absolute delight; Iloved seeing these smart, fierce princesses fall in captivating,slow-burn love as they investigate political assassinations and unravelmagical conspiracies." (Corinne Duyvis, author of Otherbound and On theEdge of Gone)