Kirkus Best Books of the Year
2025 · YA Fantasy and SF
About This Book
"This fiery debut breathes new life into the YA romantasy genre."— Booklist
"A young adult novel that delivers it all: betrayal, ambition, heart, heat—and flaming wings of glory."— School Library Journal
On an island built from ash and shrouded in fire, phoenix racing is a sport just as profitable as it is deadly.
Kel Varra and her team of underdogs, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races and the fortune that comes with it. But the Howlers need a new rider, which leads Kel to join forces with Warren "Coup" Coupers – an arrogant rival she can't get out of her head.
As tensions rise on and off the track, Kel accepts a job from a mysterious tech mogul who shows an unsettling interest in her phoenix, Savita. This thrusts Kel into a conspiracy that endangers everyone she cares about, especially Coup, as her resentment ignites into something dangerously new.
Heart-pounding pages full of fiery romance, jaw-dropping confessions, political scheming, and volatile magic culminate in a final battle that none may survive. Don't miss this exhilarating young adult fantasy by debut author Mikayla Bridge!
"A young adult novel that delivers it all: betrayal, ambition, heart, heat—and flaming wings of glory."— School Library Journal
On an island built from ash and shrouded in fire, phoenix racing is a sport just as profitable as it is deadly.
Kel Varra and her team of underdogs, the Crimson Howlers, are desperate to win the annual races and the fortune that comes with it. But the Howlers need a new rider, which leads Kel to join forces with Warren "Coup" Coupers – an arrogant rival she can't get out of her head.
As tensions rise on and off the track, Kel accepts a job from a mysterious tech mogul who shows an unsettling interest in her phoenix, Savita. This thrusts Kel into a conspiracy that endangers everyone she cares about, especially Coup, as her resentment ignites into something dangerously new.
Heart-pounding pages full of fiery romance, jaw-dropping confessions, political scheming, and volatile magic culminate in a final battle that none may survive. Don't miss this exhilarating young adult fantasy by debut author Mikayla Bridge!
