The Fire Sermon
Published on 26. February 2015
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-0-00-756305-0 (ISBN)
Description
When Zach and I were born our parents must have counted and recounted: limbs, fingers, toes. The complete set. They would have been disbelieving - nobody dodged the split between Alpha and Omega.
Nobody.
Born as twins. Raised as enemies.
One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death.
The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts.
The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they're free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts.
Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose.
The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they're not careful both will die in the struggle for power.
Nobody.
Born as twins. Raised as enemies.
One strong Alpha twin and one mutated Omega; the only thing they share is the moment of their death.
The Omegas live in segregation, cast out by their families as soon as their mutation becomes clear. Forced to live apart, they are ruthlessly oppressed by their Alpha counterparts.
The Alphas are the elite. Once their weaker twin has been cast aside, they're free to live in privilege and safety, their Omega twin far from their thoughts.
Cass and Zach are both perfect on the outside: no missing limbs, no visible Omega mutation. But Cass has a secret: one that Zach will stop at nothing to expose.
The potential to change the world lies in both their hands. One will have to defeat the other to see their vision of the future come to pass, but if they're not careful both will die in the struggle for power.
Reviews / Votes
'Set in a vividly realised world of elite Alphas and their 'weaker' Omega twins, it holds a mirror up to our obsession with perfection' Guardian'Words like 'masterpiece' and 'instant classic' are cliche, but in the case of Francesca Haig's astounding The Fire Sermon, they're the only words to use' Starburst Magazine
'This terrific set-up spools out into a high tension tale of mistrust and dependency, injustice and optimism, told with poetic intensity' Daily Mail
'This book is a thought-provoking whirlwind of a story, with a fab lead character, grisly politics and brave adventure. I loved it!' Jessie Burton
'A hell of a ride. I would recommend it to anyone I can, regardless of age' James Oswald
'Haig's post-apocalyptic world is colorfully fleshed out, and the conclusion ask us to consider who, really, is the Other' Washington Post
'With its well-built world, vivid characters and suspenseful plot, this book... is poised to become the next must-read hit.' Kirkus
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Target group
Young adult
Interest Age: From 13 years
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 141 mm
Thickness: 38 mm
Weight
570 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-756305-0 (9780007563050)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Person
Francesca Haig grew up in Tasmania, gained her PhD from the University of Melbourne, and was a senior lecturer at the University of Chester. Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies in both Australia and England, and her first collection of poetry, BODIES OF WATER, was published in 2006. In 2010 she was awarded a Hawthornden Fellowship. THE FIRE SERMON, her first novel, was published in 2015. She lives in London with her husband and son.