Author: Shannon Price
Release Date: November 5, 2019
Publisher: Tor Teen
Hardcover: 304 pages
Ages 13-18
Language: English
Description:
Shannon Price's A Thousand Fires is a breakout contemporary debut―think The Outsiders meets The Iliad―that's perfect for fans of Courtney Summers and Veronica Roth.
10 Years. 3 Gangs. 1 Girl’s Epic Quest…
Valerie Simons knows the city's gang wars are dangerous—her own brother was killed by the Boars two years ago. But nothing will sway her from joining the elite and beautiful Herons to avenge his death—a death she feels responsible for.
But when Valerie is recruited by the mysterious Stags, their charismatic and volatile leader Jax promises to help her get revenge. Torn between old love and new loyalty, Valerie fights to stay alive as she races across the streets of San Francisco to finish the mission that got her into the gangs.
Praise for A THOUSAND FIRES:
"A Thousand Fires pulls you in close and shows you the essence of what it means to keep fighting. Shannon Price is one to watch." ―Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds
"Brutal and beautiful, A THOUSAND FIRES broke my heart. A fast-paced tragedy of love, betrayal, and vengeance." ―Heidi Heilig, author of FOR A MUSE OF FIRE
"Modern, unflinching and filled with haunting, lingering imagery, A Thousand Fires gives the story of the Iliad the bare-knuckled update it deserves." ―Colleen Oakes, author of The Black Coats
"Fast-paced... Vivid descriptions and intricate details bring San Francisco to life ... A promising debut." ―Kirkus
"A heart-wrenching tale... action-packed and intense... A fantastic read." ―School Library Journal
SHANNON PRICE is a proud Filipina-American and Bay Area native. She once led an a cappella group for three years despite not knowing how to read music, and she carries that same level of confidence in every area of her life. When not writing, she can be found watching baking shows, exploring old bookstores, and going to the beach as often as she can.
Her debut novel A Thousand Fires is a YA reimagining of the Iliad set in modern day San Francisco. She is represented by Elana Roth Parker of Laura Dail Literary Agency and thanks her lucky stars that she is.
"A Thousand Fires pulls you in close and shows you the essence of what it means to keep fighting. Shannon Price is one to watch." ―Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author of Stranger Things: Suspicious Minds
"Brutal and beautiful, A THOUSAND FIRES broke my heart. A fast-paced tragedy of love, betrayal, and vengeance." ―Heidi Heilig, author of FOR A MUSE OF FIRE
"Modern, unflinching and filled with haunting, lingering imagery, A Thousand Fires gives the story of the Iliad the bare-knuckled update it deserves." ―Colleen Oakes, author of The Black Coats
"Fast-paced... Vivid descriptions and intricate details bring San Francisco to life ... A promising debut." ―Kirkus
"A heart-wrenching tale... action-packed and intense... A fantastic read." ―School Library Journal
You can purchase A Thousand Fires at the following Retailers:
1
You turn eighteen, and they find you. There is no other recruitment.
Eighteen—old enough to have had your heart hardened, young enough that blood still passes through it.
Not everyone is recruited, of course, but the gangs are smart. They pick people with nothing to lose. The ones who are angry. Those who join San Francisco’s infamous Red Bridge Wars do so willingly.
“The bridge isn’t red,” Leo said once. “It’s International Orange. We learned that in school.”
He was wrong, I think. I saw the red.
But that was a long time ago, in practically another lifetime, and tonight everything will change.
Mom and I sit on opposite sides of the kitchen table. Its surface is marked with old smears of glitter paint and crayon: a record of my childhood. I use my nail to scratch off a bit of crayon.
Outside, streetlamps illuminate the fog like dandelions of orange light in a sea of dark gray. I drum my fingers against my mug of Blue Bottle coffee. Dad gave me two bags of the stuff yesterday before he left on his business trip.
“I know they won’t,” he had said, “but if they pick you, say no. I don’t think they’ll come for you, but…”
“You have to say it. I know.” My heart splintered at his look of relief. Dad’s never been a man of many words. Even for me, his shining child. Now his only child.
Back in the present, Mom’s mug rests in front of her, untouched. Her usually styled hair is back in a low bun, and instead of a blazer-and-pants combination, she’s in a faded lavender robe and yoga pants.
I poke my fork into the frosting of the cake sitting between us. Lyla says it’s bad luck to bake your own birthday cake, but I’ve never minded it. Baking is my one and only solace. I love the rhythm of it: the sharp crack of eggshells, the scrape of the knife across measuring cups to make them level, the whir of the mixer as I watch the twin swirls of the beaters disappear into each other.
Baking fills my hands and, more importantly, clears my mind. Kneading dough is like an exhale for my brain. I’ll mix the same ingredients for twice as long as I should, never wanting to stop. Sometimes it ruins the bake, but for the most part things turn out okay. If not, I dump it and start over.
Around us, the kitchen is an explosion of pastries—a tray of blueberry muffins I baked Tuesday morning at 3 A.M. when I couldn’t sleep, a plate of meticulously decorated cupcakes leftover from Mom’s fundraiser meeting last night, and the dark chocolate and sea salt cookies I sent to work with Dad before his trip. Everyone in his office loves me: the daughter who bakes. They’d think differently if they knew why.
But the Wars are my out. I know it’s risky, but it’s all I’ve got. All my research, all my prodding Matthew with questions—it’ll be worth it when the Herons choose me. I check the clock: it’s already 10:26 P.M. The gangs always choose their new recruits on their actual birthdays. Come on, I beg. I’m ready. Let’s go. I just need to know—am I in or not? Can I make up for what happened, or not?
In Mom’s hand is a crumpled note that I knew, even as I was writing it, I’d probably regret. And I do, now. The closet in my room has long been the family storage space for the once-a-year stuff, and Mom just had to go into my closet to put away the Halloween decorations.
She found my suitcases, all packed. Mom’s smart—she knew what they were for. All it took was the terror in her voice as she called my name from upstairs for me to know what happened. In retrospect, it was stupid of me to leave them there, but there’s no changing it now.
Copyright © 2019 by Shannon Price
You turn eighteen, and they find you. There is no other recruitment.
Eighteen—old enough to have had your heart hardened, young enough that blood still passes through it.
Not everyone is recruited, of course, but the gangs are smart. They pick people with nothing to lose. The ones who are angry. Those who join San Francisco’s infamous Red Bridge Wars do so willingly.
“The bridge isn’t red,” Leo said once. “It’s International Orange. We learned that in school.”
He was wrong, I think. I saw the red.
But that was a long time ago, in practically another lifetime, and tonight everything will change.
Mom and I sit on opposite sides of the kitchen table. Its surface is marked with old smears of glitter paint and crayon: a record of my childhood. I use my nail to scratch off a bit of crayon.
Outside, streetlamps illuminate the fog like dandelions of orange light in a sea of dark gray. I drum my fingers against my mug of Blue Bottle coffee. Dad gave me two bags of the stuff yesterday before he left on his business trip.
“I know they won’t,” he had said, “but if they pick you, say no. I don’t think they’ll come for you, but…”
“You have to say it. I know.” My heart splintered at his look of relief. Dad’s never been a man of many words. Even for me, his shining child. Now his only child.
Back in the present, Mom’s mug rests in front of her, untouched. Her usually styled hair is back in a low bun, and instead of a blazer-and-pants combination, she’s in a faded lavender robe and yoga pants.
I poke my fork into the frosting of the cake sitting between us. Lyla says it’s bad luck to bake your own birthday cake, but I’ve never minded it. Baking is my one and only solace. I love the rhythm of it: the sharp crack of eggshells, the scrape of the knife across measuring cups to make them level, the whir of the mixer as I watch the twin swirls of the beaters disappear into each other.
Baking fills my hands and, more importantly, clears my mind. Kneading dough is like an exhale for my brain. I’ll mix the same ingredients for twice as long as I should, never wanting to stop. Sometimes it ruins the bake, but for the most part things turn out okay. If not, I dump it and start over.
Around us, the kitchen is an explosion of pastries—a tray of blueberry muffins I baked Tuesday morning at 3 A.M. when I couldn’t sleep, a plate of meticulously decorated cupcakes leftover from Mom’s fundraiser meeting last night, and the dark chocolate and sea salt cookies I sent to work with Dad before his trip. Everyone in his office loves me: the daughter who bakes. They’d think differently if they knew why.
But the Wars are my out. I know it’s risky, but it’s all I’ve got. All my research, all my prodding Matthew with questions—it’ll be worth it when the Herons choose me. I check the clock: it’s already 10:26 P.M. The gangs always choose their new recruits on their actual birthdays. Come on, I beg. I’m ready. Let’s go. I just need to know—am I in or not? Can I make up for what happened, or not?
In Mom’s hand is a crumpled note that I knew, even as I was writing it, I’d probably regret. And I do, now. The closet in my room has long been the family storage space for the once-a-year stuff, and Mom just had to go into my closet to put away the Halloween decorations.
She found my suitcases, all packed. Mom’s smart—she knew what they were for. All it took was the terror in her voice as she called my name from upstairs for me to know what happened. In retrospect, it was stupid of me to leave them there, but there’s no changing it now.
Copyright © 2019 by Shannon Price
Photo Content from Shannon Price
Her debut novel A Thousand Fires is a YA reimagining of the Iliad set in modern day San Francisco. She is represented by Elana Roth Parker of Laura Dail Literary Agency and thanks her lucky stars that she is.
PART ONE:
NOVEMBER 5th TUESDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW
NOVEMBER 6th WEDNESDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT
NOVEMBER 7th THURSDAY BookHounds YA INTERVIEW
NOVEMBER 8th FRIDAY bookishaestha REVIEW
NOVEMBER 8th FRIDAY Booknerdchelcie REVIEW
NOVEMBER 9th SATURDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW
NOVEMBER 9th SATURDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW
PART TWO:
NOVEMBER 10th SUNDAY A Bookish Dream REVIEW
NOVEMBER 10th SUNDAY On My Bookshelf REVIEW & INTERVIEW
NOVEMBER 11th MONDAY Kait Plus Books FILL IN THE BLANKS
NOVEMBER 11th MONDAY Insane About Books REVIEW
NOVEMBER 12th TUESDAY Wishful Endings INTERVIEW
NOVEMBER 13th WEDNESDAY Nay's Pink Bookshelf REVIEW
NOVEMBER 14th THURSDAY Movies, Shows, & Books REVIEW
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