Dawn of the Firebird by Sarah Mughal Rana | The most anticipated revenge high fantasy of 2025

Available for Pre-Order. Expected to ship during January 2026.

With gorgeous prose and a captivating magic system, layered with morally grey characters, Dawn of the Firebird embraces rich Islamic culture and raises provocative questions about individual power, choice, and the cost of war.

Khamilla Zahr-zad’s life has been built on a foundation of violence and vengeance. Every home she’s known has been destroyed by war. As the daughter of an emperor’s clan, she spent her childhood training to maintain his throne. But when her clansmen are assassinated by another rival empire, plans change. With her heavenly magic of nur, Khamilla is a weapon even enemies would wield—especially those in the magical, scholarly city of Za’skar. Hiding her identity, Khamilla joins the enemy’s army school full of jinn, magic and martial arts, risking it all to topple her adversaries, avenge her clan and reclaim their throne.

To survive, she studies under cutthroat mystic monks and battles in a series of contests to outmaneuver her fellow soldiers. She must win at all costs, even if it means embracing the darkness lurking inside her. But the more she excels, the more she is faced with history that contradicts her father’s teachings. With a war brewing among the kingdoms and a new twisted magic overtaking the land, Khamilla is torn between two impossible choices: vengeance or salvation.

For fans of The Poppy War, She Who Became the Sun and The Will of the Many, a breathtaking fantasy novel about the daughter of an overthrown emperor from an exciting new voice

Product Details:

Published 06 Jan 2026

Format Paperback

Edition 1st

Extent 480

ISBN 9781526674388

ISBN 9781526674371

Imprint Bloomsbury Archer

Dimensions 234 x 153 mm

Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing