Lionborn
Sharique Zea

The story begins in London with two mysterious figures, Abigor and Baka standing over a sleeping infant attempting to extract its blood and becoming frustrated at being unable to do so because just prior to their arrival protective light entered his body. Their intended victim is Fionn Hurley and they have identified him as a Lionborn.

Fast forward to when Fionn is twelve. He has nightmares, vivid ones that seem ever more real when he wakes up with injuries that soon disappear. His parents don’t believe what he says about the dreams and his peers mock him, some calling him ‘monster boy’; however Fionn knows that these are more than mere nightmares.

When he talks to a classmate, Tiny, the boy is interested and suggests the two team up. His closest friend is Ella whose mother is missing, so the team becomes a threesome. Being with Ella and Tiny makes Fionn feel normal again, so he says. But far from normal is the appearance of a lion cub that nobody else can see. Strange things are also happening to Ella and it takes some persuasion but she reveals to Fionn that she’s been receiving riddles that she thinks are coming from her mother; but are they?

It’s not long before the three friends find themselves in the dangerous world of Arborea, not a dream but a world where monsters from Fionn’s dreams want his blood. With Tiny’s confidence, Ella’s determination and Fionn’s intelligence, the three must then work together to stay alive, a desperate task, but one during which they learn things about themselves and one another, things they never thought possible.

The author cleverly weaves together the human world and the fantasy world with its enchanted forests, labyrinths and menacing beasts immersing readers in an environment where boundaries are highly permeable. With Fionn emerging as a hero as the book ends, we’re left wondering what comes next.