Fire Becomes Her

Thor (Tarnished Are the Stars) delves into politics through the layered plot of this high-stakes fantasy, in which magic—a fiery substance called flare—represents both money and power. Driven to disavow her impoverished childhood and burdened with resentment toward her imprisoned father, ambitious high school senior Ingrid Ellis, who is white, has her future planned: marry handsome, wealthy Linden Holt, also white, and rise above her tarnished past. To win the favor of Linden’s contemptuous senator father, Ingrid concocts a plan to spy on the opposing political campaign, only to find herself embraced and respected by its members and increasingly invested in their altruistic mission. With dangerous rebels attacking both campaigns, Ingrid questions her future, including what, and who, she wants in it. The magic-dominated world of Candesce, with its greed, excess, and defined social classes, is both eerily familiar and intriguingly unique. Thor’s cast, inclusive in socioeconomic status, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexuality, shares refreshingly candid perspectives on relationships and acceptance, but inconsistencies in Ingrid’s character—quickly vacillating feelings, fluctuating stances on power and money—muddy this otherwise vividly imagined, pleasantly unpredictable story. Ages 14–up. Agent: Saba Sulaiman, Talcott Notch Literary. (Feb.)