Francesca HAIG The Fire Sermon Harper Voyager, 2015 417pp $29.99 pbk ISBN 9780007563067
The Fire Sermon introduces twins one is always an Omega mutation, either physically or mentally, while the other is an Alpha. It is the Alpha who will be part of the elite. Cass is an Omega but it is not until she reaches adolescence that she is branded on the forehead. Cass’s mutation is the ability to reach into minds but it is her twin Zac who is destined to reach the top of the powerful Council.
This is the first of a trilogy which will define Cass’s leadership as she fights against her brother and forges a place for the Omegas to live fulfilling lives. Here is a post holocaust story that raises ethical and political questions that can easily find voice in our contemporary world. Beyond the philosophical themes this is an exciting, gripping novel that will draw in the teenage reader who will wait in eager anticipation for the next turn of the story.
reviewed by John Cohen
