First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

This week I’ve chosen to spotlight a fantastic fantasy book I had the pleasure of reading earlier this month. Full of fantastic folklore, fun and intriguing characters and a fast paced plot that keeps you gripped until the very end. My review for this one is already published and I will be posting an interview with the author on the release date 01/03 so keep you eyes peeled.

“Kaia Dashul wove a ball of fire between her fingertips, feeling the rage simmering beneath a tangle of excited nerve as she watched the festival from the shadowed wood. Bright, fluttery decorations tied to tents of every colour greeted the mountain folk coming from miles around to shop among the wares of silks, candles, fireworks and other goods. The competitions of strength, speed and skill were held on the other side of the clearing, but the laughter and applause carried over the crowd like a ray of sunlight. “

Ready to find out what it is???

The brave, burning with fire, harnessed the Dragon’s Rage….

As the Dragon Heir, seventeen-year-old Kaia inherited the power of flame to protect her homeland from a godlike necromancer’s undead army. But after centuries of peace, the necromancer has faded to myth, and the Dragon Heir is feared by the people. Persecuted and cast out, Kaia struggles to embrace and control her seemingly useless gift while confined to her family’s farm.

But when the necromancer’s undead terrorize the land once again, Kaia runs away to join the battle.

With the help of her childhood rival, the handsome Shadow Heir, and a snarky, cursed cat, Kaia must figure out how to control both her fire and her confidence in time to save Okarria. If she fails, she will sacrifice her family, her new friends, and the enchanting world she has only just begun to see.

And time is running out.

This book was sooo good! Fast paced, but not so much that you loose out on character and world development. Full of snarky and wonderful animal sidekicks, and with a slow burn and beautifully written romance. Be sure to check this one out when it publishes on 01/03.