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Cover of The Last Ember

The Last Ember

The Aerimander Chronicles Book 1

Lily Berlin Dodd

Themes inside · 2 Ages 10–14 NYT Best Seller
Published
2025

Content report card

What's inside

Medium confidence

Violence

Fighting, weapons, death

Language

Swearing, crude humor

Sexual content

Romance intensity, nudity

LGBTQ+ themes

Presence of characters or themes

Scary or mature

Horror, trauma, heavy themes

Substance use

Alcohol, drugs, smoking

What it offers

Positive messages

Kindness, courage, honesty, resilience

Positive role models

Characters who model good judgment and growth

Educational value

History, science, culture, how the world works

A note for parents

The Last Ember is an upper-middle grade fantasy adventure featuring action and peril appropriate for the genre, with battle scenes and conflict but no graphic violence. The story emphasizes unlikely friendships, teamwork, and protecting others against exploitation, offering solid positive messaging through its protagonists' choices. While the premise involves danger and mysterious organizations, the tone is described as humorous and adventure-focused rather than dark or emotionally heavy. This is a well-published debut from a major house that should appeal to readers who enjoyed The Mysterious Benedict Society and similar action-adventure fantasies.

Analyzed by AI · 1 hour ago

Parent age guide

Is “The Last Ember” right for your kid?

Ready from about age 10.

From about 9, okay with a grown-up nearby.

For younger readers

  • Suggested for ages 10+.

Based on this book's content report card and typical guidance by age. You know your reader best.

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From the publisher

Impossible Creatures meets The Mysterious Benedict Society in this epic, fast-paced upper-middle grade fantasy full of dragon-like creatures, heroic hijinks, battle-forged friendships, and sharp humor. Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the... Impossible Creatures meets The Mysterious Benedict Society in this epic, fast-paced upper-middle grade fantasy full of dragon-like creatures, heroic hijinks, battle-forged friendships, and sharp humor. Aerimanders are extinct. Or so the government would have you think. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could level entire cities and upend world orders. But when twelve-year-old Eva Alexander, a wealthy chemistry student in the city of Porttown, walks into a fashionable department store and walks out (accidentally) with the world’s last aerimander egg, everything changes. Suddenly, Eva is the target of unwanted attention—including from the Thieves’ Union, a mysterious organization with a rebellious streak and fingers in every pie in Porttown. The Union orders its youngest member, the orphaned dairy delivery boy Dusty St. Ichabod, to steal the egg from Eva. Which is far easier said than done. When Eva and Dusty meet one autumn night under extraordinary circumstances, an epic game of cat and mouse unfolds across the Kingdom. Initially at odds, the unlikely pair must come together to navigate a maze of sinister crime syndicates, elite boarding schools, and an incredibly slow getaway pony named Gourd—all while fighting to keep the egg out of the hands of power-hungry Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets. As the duo races against time, their fates and that of the whole world are at stake. Because there’s one question no one dares to ask: What happens when the egg hatches? Chock-full of heroic hijinks, battle-forged friendships, and sharp humor, The Last Ember is the first installment in an action-packed fantasy adventure about a powerful creature, those who seek to exploit it, and those who are willing to protect it at all costs. This book is the first of a planned duology--the second book takes flight a year later in Fall 2026. With stained edges, a map, 6" x 9" trim, and foil, the book's package is as lush as its storytelling!

Shelved under

  • Juvenile Fiction
  • Fantasy
  • Young Adult

ISBN 9780374393120 · Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)