In a world of fire, his power is the cold.
London, 1899. While the city shivers under a perpetual winter, twelve-year-old Thomas Candlewick is never cold. He is an anomaly in a frozen world: a boy who radiates no warmth but absorbs it with a hunger he doesn’t understand.
Rescued from a bleak orphanage by the eccentric Professor Flint, Thomas is whisked away to Hearthstone Academy, a secret school built atop a volcano where students are trained to become Custodians of Fire. But Thomas is different. He is an Ignifuge-he cannot light a flame, only devour it.
But Hearthstone is not the sanctuary it seems. A deadly "Ice Fever" is draining the students, strange whispers echo through the steam pipes, and the magical barrier protecting London is failing. The Solstice is approaching, and an ancient enemy waits at the window, ready to extinguish the world’s last light.
Labeled a monster by his peers and fearing his own nature, Thomas must decide if he is the flaw in the system or the weapon they need. Because to fight the ultimate cold, fire is not enough-sometimes, you need the void.
Perfect for fans of magic academies, elemental powers, and steampunk mysteries.