Book of Fire. Michelle Kenney

      

       Life outside the domes is not possible. At least that’s what Insiders are told.

      Twins Eli and Talia shouldn’t exist. They’re Outsiders.

       Their home is a secret. Their lives are a secret. Arafel is a secret.

      An unexpected forest raid forces Talia into a desperate mission to rescue her family while protecting the sacred Book of Arafel from those who would use it as a weapon. As Talia and her lifelong friend Max enter the dome, she makes some unexpected discoveries and an ally – in the form of rugged Insider August – that will change the course of her life for ever.

      She’ll stop at nothing to save her family but will she sacrifice her heart in the process?

       The Fire Sermon meets Gladiator in this brilliant YA debut.

       Book of Fire

      Michelle Kenney

      ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

      Contents

       Cover

       Blurb

       Title Page

       Author Bio

Acknowledgements

       Dedication

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

       Chapter Five

       Chapter Six

       Chapter Seven

       Chapter Eight

       Chapter Nine

       Chapter Ten

       Chapter Eleven

       Chapter Twelve

       Chapter Thirteen

       Chapter Fourteen

       Chapter Fifteen

       Chapter Sixteen

       Chapter Seventeen

       Chapter Eighteen

       Chapter Nineteen

       Epilogue

       Glossary

       Endpages

       Copyright

       MICHELLE KENNEY

      is a self-confessed scribbleaholic. She can usually be found daydreaming about mystical, fantasy worlds, and doctors say she’s pretty incurable.

      Michelle is a graduate of the Curtis Brown Writing for Children Novel Course. She also holds a LLB (Hons) Degree and is currently an Accredited Practitioner with the CIPR, with whom she has won several national awards for her Magazine & Media/PR related work.

      Michelle is currently represented by Chloe Seager of Diane Banks Associates and can be found, along with her Curtis Brown scribbling friends, at www.thescribblersonline.com

Acknowledgements

      Working with HQ Digital has felt like stepping inside a story itself, and wouldn’t have happened without the belief of the fantastic people who’ve supported my writing adventure so far.

      So, special thanks to:

      Hannah Smith, my inspirational editor, for all her time and effort in helping shape and edit Book of Fire, and to the amazing HQ design team for one of the most dramatic covers I’ve ever seen.

      Chloe Seager (Diane Banks Associates), the best fragent a girl could ever want to do a Haga with, and for spotting Book of Fire in the slush pile in the first place.

      Catherine Johnson, the Curtis Brown Creative team and Aki Schilz at The Literary Consultancy, for providing advice and valuable words of encouragement when I needed them most.

      My amazing family and friends who’ve put up with all the late night texts, cancelled coffees and overcooked pizzas - Nick, my North Star from the South; and the entire Kenney clan for showing me, every day, that life is precious.

      And finally to…the coolest gang of writers I’ve ever been proud to call my own, The Scribblers, you know who you are - and you rock!

      Dedicated to:

       My precious Mum and Dad,

       for encouraging me to dream

      &

       Gramp

       George Frankum, 1910-1999

       who always believed I’d do it.

Prologue

      In the old world, people foraged for food in bright cities the size of the forest, Grandpa said, and rode toxic boxes on wheels, instead of running with the sun.

      Embellished truth or plain fiction, Grandpa’s fireside myths were my favourite part of the day. And as my twin brother and I grew, the myths turned into stories from his own childhood, like the time he found a tattered advert for the Lifedome on a creeper-choked wall. When he pulled the foliage aside, it still bore the ripped, black lettering of its utopian dream.

      It was only when Eli and I turned sixteen that, in keeping with village tradition, we learned the real story of Arafel’s forefathers from the Council. We plagued Grandpa for the rest, and when he finally relented, there was something in his stark portrayal of our beginning that shadowed me, even on the brightest day.

      The Lifedome was supposed to be a landmark scientific experiment, he told us, a microcosm to investigate how Genetic Modification could serve the technological world. The goal was the Nobel Prize, but global funding meant the Government had to make extravagant promises. Prime Minister Johnstone went one step further, claiming the Lifedome would provide emergency shelter should the tension between the East and West ever erupt into another Great Holy War.

      That