Description

“Maria Dahvana Headley is a firecracker: she’s whip smart with a heart, and she writes like a dream.”  —Neil Gaiman, bestselling author of The Graveyard Book and Coraline

Aza Ray Boyle is drowning in thin air. Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live.

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn't think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who's always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia.

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—but as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war between Magonia and Earth is coming. In Aza's hands lies fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

Neil Gaiman’s Stardust meets John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars in this New York Times bestselling story about a girl caught between two worlds, two races, and two destinies.

Don’t miss Aerie, the stunning, highly anticipated sequel!


  • A Girl Between Two Worlds: On Earth, Aza is a prisoner to her failing lungs. In the sky world of Magonia, she’s a powerful warrior. But choosing one means betraying the other.
  • Best Friends to Lovers: Jason has always been Aza’s anchor. Just as their friendship deepens into something more, she’s torn away from him and thrown into a conflict that could destroy his world.
  • An Epic Portal Fantasy: Discover a breathtaking world of sailing ships in the clouds, soaring bird-people, and a brewing war that puts Aza at the center of a battle for humanity’s survival.
  • High Stakes Adventure: Aza must navigate her strange new powers and a dangerous new life, all while the fate of two worlds—and the boy she loves—rests in her hands.

About the author(s)

Maria Dahvana Headley is a New York Times bestselling novelist, memoirist, and editor, most recently of Magonia, Queen of Kings, and the anthology Unnatural Creatures (coeditor with Neil Gaiman). Her short fiction has been nominated for the Nebula and Shirley Jackson Awards. She lives in Brooklyn in an apartment with a seven-foot stuffed crocodile and constellations on the ceiling. You can find her at www.mariadahvanaheadley.com

Reviews

“[A] weird, unique, and beautifully crafted book.” - Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

“Magonia hooked me from the first page. It has an amazing voice, brutal and hopeful both at once, and a beautiful, unique mythology. Wonderful.” - Django Wexler, author of the Shadow Campaigns and The Forbidden Library

“With lush writing, memorable world building, and an array of peculiar characters, this is sure to thrill readers looking for a distinctive, imaginative tale in the vein of Laini Taylor and Neil Gaiman.” - Booklist

“Headley riffs like an improv comic… funny, furious, and vulnerable. The haunting conclusion leaves many issues unresolved, but the ferocious, intelligent power of Aza and Jason’s bond is completely affirmed. Sweeping, strange, and richly imagined, the novel is ideal for fans of Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The painful, sarcastic beauty of Aza’s interactions down below in the everyday world begs comparisons to John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.“ - Kirkus Reviews

“The book races to an epic confrontation that will leave readers thrilled… romance, danger, and world-building combine.” - School Library Journal

“The sweeping, lyrical language in both parts of the book is captivating, with haunting scenes woven from carefully chosen, sharply evocative descriptions.” - Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Maria Dahvana Headley is a firecracker: she’s whip smart with a heart, and she writes like a dream. - Neil Gaiman, bestselling author of The Graveyard Book and Coraline

“Magonia is magical. A high-flying, refreshing, and literally out-of-the-blue fantasy with great characters, emotional depth, and a unique fantasy world that I never saw coming.” - Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Red Queen

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