Her Hidden Fire (Her Hidden Fire #1)

O’Sullivan deftly interweaves Irish-mythology-inspired worldbuilding with dystopian fantasy trappings to deliver an intriguingly dark romance. Predominantly male magic users called Channellers have ruled the land of Domhain for four centuries, using their abilities—supported by subservient, less powerful Keepers, typically female—to instantly grow food, conjure fantastical castles, and fend off invading dragons. Rather than use her unusually strong abilities to claim a Channeller position for herself, orphaned 17-year-old shepherd Éadha instead elects to save her childhood friend and first love, Ionáin—the only scion of a dying noble family—from disgrace. Passing her magic off as his and stepping into the role of his Keeper, both Éadha and Ionáin travel to Lambay islands to hone their gifts. As Éadha struggles to maintain her deception to everyone, including Ionáin, she finds an unlikely ally in Gry, a male Keeper from a prominent family who seems to know more than he lets on. Caught between her loyalty to Ionáin and her growing attraction to Gry, Éadha unravels the dark secrets underpinning the Channellers’ power while considering what she will give up for love. Within the context of Domhain’s intensely misogynistic hierarchy, O’Sullivan explores the grim consequences of systematic oppression and self-sacrifice, culminating in an explosive adventure with plenty of tantalizing plot threads to follow in future installments. Characters are described as having various skin tones. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)