Last Ember: The Aerimander Chronicles Book 1

Description: Twelve-year-old Eva and orphan Dusty race against time to keep a rare aerimander egg containing an unhatched dragon-like creature out of the wrong hands.

Brief description: Lily Berlin Dodd is a California-born, Brooklyn-based writer. In 2022, she graduated from Yale University, where she was a recipient of the Theron Rockwell Field Prize. Her previously published work includes Search and Rescue, a novella produced for Audible. When not writing, she works in education, including with the literary nonprofit Writers and Artists Across the Country, which sends children's and YA authors and illustrators to under-resourced schools. The Aerimander is her debut novel.

Review Quotes:

A New York Times Bestseller
An Amazon Best Book of the Month
Indie Next Pick
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

★ "Fantasy done right: Fans of The Princess Bride and Terry Pratchett's work will devour this series opener, thanks to the lush worldbuilding and wry humor permeating every page." --Kirkus, starred review

★ "Dodd admirably balances expert worldbuilding with a rip-roaring plot and complicated character interactions that crackle with witty buoyancy. Themes of queer identity, wealth disparity, and moral philosophy are threaded throughout this incendiary fantasy adventure." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "The seamless integration of scientific principles and magical theory, reminiscent of The Golden Compass, will leave readers inspired to persevere in dark times. A fiery opening to what promises to be an epic series." --Booklist, starred review

★ "The strong dialogue that reveals character motivations and the uncertainties behind a human's heart thicken the plot and add to the suspense... A powerful novel that breathes a fantasy world of dragons to life while balancing the dark realities of greedy rulers and society's structural inequities; highly recommended for middle-grade collections." --School Library Journal, starred review