Daughter of the Flames by Zoe Marriott

“Zahira was born for this death…If instead she lives, many other lives will be changed also, now and forever…there will be a price.”

Ten years ago, the merciless King Abheron and his Serdorne warriors burned the land of the Rua people to the ground. From the forested mountain tops, in a small, Rua village, sixteen-year-old Zahira trains in the martial arts eager to avenge her people’s sufferings against King Abheron and the Sedorne people.

While visiting a Rua resistance fighter secretly in the village of Mesgao, Zahira witnesses a robbery. She jumps into the middle of the fight to save the injured man. However, she is repulsed to discover afterwards that this man is a Serdorne lord! The lord, Sorin Mesgao, promises to help Zahira if she is ever in need. Zahira scoffs at him and leaves Mesgao trying to forget the incident. However, when King Abheron’s Sedorne soldiers attack the Rua people again, Zahira must make some difficult decisions. In the midst of tragedy, Zira discovers a powerful secret about her past, her family, and what it means to be the Daughter of the Flames.

At 341 pages, this novel would be most appropriate for the 15-17 year-old young adult reader. Marriott’s novel definitely falls under the fantasy genre of Young Adult Literature. Fantasy readers will find this book engaging and fast paced. I believe that Marriott’s novel will typically draw in a greater female audience, but with all the discussion of martial arts, male readers may find Marriott’s novel captivating as well.

This is Zoe Marriott’s second novel. Her website is an informative resource for teens to visit and explore Marriott’s other writing. If this book interests you, the link below will bring you to Marriott’s website where you can read the first chapter of Daughter of the Flames. www.zoemarriott.com