The First Flame cover art

The First Flame

The Aerimander Chronicles Book 2

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The First Flame

By: Lily Berlin Dodd
Narrated by: Sid Sagar
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The highly anticipated second book in the Aerimander Chronicles flies readers to the Northern Isles with another flame-filled adventure that will keep readers on the edge of their seats!

Hatching and then hiding the world’s last aerimander kit got Eva Alexander locked up in Byrdhaven, gave Myrnie Wilshins a bad reputation, and left Dusty St. Ichabod a fugitive on the streets of Porttown. With Rubi the baby aerimander missing, and all three of her beloved humans separated, it's hard to imagine a path forward.

When fate leads Dusty back to the Lockwood Inn, he overhears the next stage of Eoin Parnassus’ sinister plans for aerimanders, and knows he must do everything in his power to stop him. But first Myrnie and Dusty need to break Eva out of Byrdhaven. Dodging strict nuns, WANTED posters, and an evil clown on the way, the trio manage to make it to the Northern Isles in search of Rubi. But it's Rubi who finds them first, and introduces them to a secret society living in the mountains of the Northern Isles called the Unruled.

But as Eva and Dusty spend more time amongst the Unruled, secrets begin to emerge that could threaten the safety of them all. With Parnassus stopping at nothing to find them, who can Eva, Myrnie, and Dusty really trust? Filled with humor, heart, and high-stakes adventure, The First Flame explores the deep-rooted bonds forged by flame and friendship, and the lengths people will go to protect those that need it the most.

Action & Adventure Growing Up & Facts of Life Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Critic reviews

Praise for The Last Ember:

A New York Times Bestseller
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
Indie Next Pick
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

★ "Fantasy done right: Fans of The Princess Bride and Terry Pratchett’s work will devour this series opener, thanks to the lush worldbuilding and wry humor permeating every page." —Kirkus, starred review

★ "Dodd admirably balances expert worldbuilding with a rip-roaring plot and complicated character interactions that crackle with witty buoyancy. Themes of queer identity, wealth disparity, and moral philosophy are threaded throughout this incendiary fantasy adventure." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "The seamless integration of scientific principles and magical theory, reminiscent of The Golden Compass, will leave readers inspired to persevere in dark times. A fiery opening to what promises to be an epic series." —Booklist, starred review

★ "The strong dialogue that reveals character motivations and the uncertainties behind a human’s heart thicken the plot and add to the suspense... A powerful novel that breathes a fantasy world of dragons to life while balancing the dark realities of greedy rulers and society’s structural inequities; highly recommended for middle-grade collections." —School Library Journal, starred review

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