We’re delighted to reveal the stunning covers of our March 2025 releases!
WARNING: May Contain Dragons (Words of WARNING, #2)
B. Ware
WARNING: May Contain Dragons offers a comedic take on a well-loved topic, following young protagonist Willow on her quest to save her little brother, after he is kidnapped by a dragon. Making an excellent standalone addition to B. Ware’s existing Words of WARNING collection, WARNING: May Contain Dragons works to dispel the myths surrounding dragons through a fun and adventurous narrative, whilst conveying important messages about not judging others by their appearance and looking after one another’s mental health.
B. Ware is a master of middle-grade fiction, creating engaging, relatable characters and stretching the imagination with her artful storytelling in order to bring believable magical tales to life. To celebrate the release of the first book in the Words of WARNING collection, WARNING: Magic Can Be Dangerous!, B. Ware has already hosted a wide variety of interactive activity sessions, author talks, book signings, story times and even a treasure hunt for over 6000 children. Theo Jarvis, a young illustrator from Bristol, was one of those children, and his creativity and enthusiasm inspired B. Ware to invite him to work with her to design the cover of WARNING: May Contain Dragons, which now features Theo’s eye-catching illustrations.
WARNING: May Contain Dragons is ideal for reluctant readers who need an easy stepping stone to ease them into the world of reading with something entertaining and a little bit silly, and will appeal to fans of other comic fantasy novels such as Andy Shepherd’s The Boy Who Grew Dragons.
Don’t Fear the Fire
Lois Miller
Don’t Fear the Fire follows eighteen-year-old, Scarlett Dalton as she leaves home and her ordinary life to begin training as a mystic at Leighton’s Academy, an all-female academy of magik. Complete with popular tropes including enemies to lovers, love triangles, grumpy x sunshine and found family, this delightful fantasy read is set to be the next TikTok sensation, charming readers with a setting reminiscent of the much-beloved magical wizarding school Hogwarts.
Scarlett is an instantly relatable protagonist, and the friendships she forms during her time at the Academy form a key part of the narrative, as does her relationship with rival boys’ academy student Claude Richardson, who is tied to Scarlett in more ways than one. When they are forced to work together to uncover the cause of unexplained occurrences at the school, secrets of the institution begin to unravel and dark family secrets emerge, leaving Scarlett grappling with where her loyalties lie. Basing her magik system on the signs of the Western Zodiac, and offering a unique take on magik, with the mind and spirit being the key to harnessing magikal abilities, as opposed to characters being born with ‘powers’, Miller instantly draws readers in with her impeccable world-building and lovable characters, crafting a tale that is rich in magik, love and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Zodiac Academy, Hex Hall, and Powerless.
In the Heart of a Soulless Vessel (The Sarsen Series, #2)
Simon Batsman
In the Heart of a Soulless Vessel is the second instalment in the epic Sarsen series, seamlessly transporting readers back to The Arvum and the adventures of Fjona Sarsen, as she learns the skills necessary to becoming a great sage and fend off the return of the deadly Eight Afflictions.
In this gripping sequel to The Curiosities of Perciville Harper, the stakes continue to rise as Fjona Sarsen works towards becoming a fully-fledged sage, aiding her companion and mentor Perciville Harper in his effort to save The Arvum from dire consequences, before it’s too late.
Where The Curiosities of Perciville Harper served as a captivating introduction to the world of The Arvum, In the Heart of a Soulless Vessel drives this epic fantasy tale forwards, pulling all of the characters and their various sub-plots together into an interwoven and satisfying conclusion to the opening saga of the Sarsen series, leaving plenty of breadcrumbs to be explored in future instalments.
Combining themes of companionship and personal growth through adventure, alongside the classic horror and mystery of a high-fantasy world, Batsman artfully creates a fantasy novel full of depth and humour, while dabbling in philosophy, ancient history and politics. A perfect read for fantasy lovers looking for an accessible high fantasy read, as well as fans of Dungeons and Dragons and RPG games such as Baldur’s Gate.
The Apex Agenda
Tracy Todd
The Apex Agenda transports readers to a dystopian reality where the modification of human genes has caused a delay in human development, resulting in an individual’s sex only becoming evident at puberty. At fifteen, protagonist Cam should have already undergone The Change, but her genes are deemed defective by the Diversity Commission. Marked as ‘ungendered’, she is left with only two options: imprisonment, or escape.
The Diversity Commission has decreed that all ‘ungendered’ individuals are a risk to humanity’s survival, but not everyone agrees, and Cam soon finds herself on the run alongside best-friend Liddy, aided by a secret organisation opposed to the strict genetic laws. Finding refuge at their secret base, Cam meets Tom, a fellow escapee who helps her to accept what she is and what her difference really means. But when she develops extraordinary abilities, tied to the dynamic mutation of ‘defective’ genes, she must grapple with the moral implications and face enemies seeking to exploit her talent.
Todd’s expertly crafted narrative, inspired by her work as an Inclusion Leader and co-founder of The Equality Practice, weaves elements of fantasy, genetics, and dystopia into a compelling tale of self-discovery, resilience, and overcoming formidable challenges. She is hopeful that this story will get people talking about gender positively and enable them to see all individuals as people deserving of respect. With classic dystopian themes of government control that will appeal to fans of Delerium by Lauren Oliver, alongside the exploration of abilities akin to those in Green Rising by Lauren James, The Apex Agenda is ideal for fans of YA dystopian novels that focus on real-world issues in a speculative setting.
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Tracy Todd – The Apex Agenda£11.99