APRIL 2018 - AudioFile
Because her blood contains the power to write the future, demigod Asra has been hidden away her whole life. Billie Fulford-Brown narrates in a soft, tentative voice and imbues it with shock and grief after bandits slaughter the village Asra was raised to protect and she must leave her mountain home. Fulford-Brown’s subdued tones begin to shift subtly as Asra’s journey to save the king from her vengeful lover, Ina, reveals a powerful hidden heritage. Newfound strength is infused in her voice as Asra takes on the necessary sacrifices she must make to save the people of her kingdom. Listeners will be intrigued to see the outcome of Asra’s choices. J.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
01/15/2018
In Coulthurst’s immersive second novel, set in the world of 2016’s Of Fire and Stars, 17-year-old demigod and healer Asra uses her blood magic to help her love, Ina, find her “manifest,” the animal she will magically bond with and change into at will. To Asra’s horror, the creature turns out to be a fearsome dragon. After Ina’s village and its people are destroyed by bandits, she vows to kill the king, whom she blames for her village’s vulnerability. Asra sets off to stop Ina, aided by Hal, a boy who burns bright with magic and awakens a spark of attraction in Asra. He may also hold the answers to Asra’s mysterious parentage and birthright, but his sister, a former assassin, is hot on their trail. Coulthurst emphasizes self-reliance, forgiveness, and the redemptive power of love in this satisfying tale of a lonely young woman, stung by betrayal, who must reconcile her ability to write the future in her own blood—and its price—with her desire for peace and a family to call her own. Ages 13–up. Agent: Alexandra Machinist, ICM. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
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 Library Journal
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 deeply romantic, bold, and nuanced fantasy. You will be captivated by Denna and Mare and their star-crossed love for each other.” — Malinda Lo, Author of 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…a romantic fantasy that will appeal to those who appreciate character-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 what Audrey does in the future!” — Mercedes Lackey, New York Times bestselling author of over 125 books, including the Valdemar series
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: “Coulthursts’s debut is an absolute delight; I loved seeing these smart, fierce princesses fall in captivating, slow-burn love as they investigate political assassinations and unravel magical conspiracies.” — Corinne Duyvis, author of Otherbound and On the Edge of Gone
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: “Romantic, compelling, and bursting with fascinating characters, Of Fire and Stars is the fantasy novel we’ve all been waiting for.” — Amy Tintera, author of Ruined
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: “Romantic, compelling, and bursting with fascinating characters, Of Fire and Stars is the fantasy novel we’ve all been waiting for.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Mercedes Lackey
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 what Audrey does in the future!
Caitlyn Paxson
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.
Booklist
Asra’s rich emotions in the face of difficult choices in this coming-of-age saga will absorb audiences.
Malinda Lo
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: “A deeply romantic, bold, and nuanced fantasy. You will be captivated by Denna and Mare and their star-crossed love for each other.
Corinne Duyvis
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: “Coulthursts’s debut is an absolute delight; I loved seeing these smart, fierce princesses fall in captivating, slow-burn love as they investigate political assassinations and unravel magical conspiracies.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: “Romantic, compelling, and bursting with fascinating characters, Of Fire and Stars is the fantasy novel we’ve all been waiting for.
Amy Tintera
Praise for OF FIRE AND STARS: “Romantic, compelling, and bursting with fascinating characters, Of Fire and Stars is the fantasy novel we’ve all been waiting for.
Booklist
Asra’s rich emotions in the face of difficult choices in this coming-of-age saga will absorb audiences.
School Library Journal
01/01/2018
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
APRIL 2018 - AudioFile
Because her blood contains the power to write the future, demigod Asra has been hidden away her whole life. Billie Fulford-Brown narrates in a soft, tentative voice and imbues it with shock and grief after bandits slaughter the village Asra was raised to protect and she must leave her mountain home. Fulford-Brown’s subdued tones begin to shift subtly as Asra’s journey to save the king from her vengeful lover, Ina, reveals a powerful hidden heritage. Newfound strength is infused in her voice as Asra takes on the necessary sacrifices she must make to save the people of her kingdom. Listeners will be intrigued to see the outcome of Asra’s choices. J.M. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2018-01-22
A demigod pines for romance but finds herself responsible for deaths and chaos.Asra lives alone on a mountain, providing villagers with magic-infused herbal remedies. If she mingles with mortals, they'll learn she's a bloodscribe: words written with her blood can change the past or future. Desperate to keep her (secret) mortal lover, Ina, from marrying a boy, Asra uses her bloodscribe power, accidentally (and inevitably) triggering deadly events. Whether she necessarily caused as many deaths as she thinks, she's consumed by guilt: if she finds Ina, who's become a vengeful dragon and departed, Asra can rewrite the past. Romantic love is Asra's primary focus—after Ina, a boy named Hal, also a demigod. Questions of faith also run through the book, both in the form of Asra's curiosity over which god is her parent and a challenge to the king, which threatens the land's life-support. Given that Asra's blood causes magic on contact, readers may wonder whether she menstruates (gods do have children). Dramatic chapter-ending cliffhangers invigorate momentum; ongoing, unnecessary reiteration slows it. Bisexuality in both protagonist and villain is refreshing, though the concluding text explicitly undermines Asra and Ina's relationship in hindsight. Asra and Ina are white; Hal is dark brown. For richer treatment of bisexuality, passion, and blood power, look to Sarah Fine's The True Queen (2018).Filled with fervor but more told than shown and diluted by repetition. (Romance/fantasy. 13-16)
