Magpie Girl

By Author / Illustrator

Rowan Foxwood, illus Crystal Kung

Genre

Adventure

Age range(s)

Publisher

Usborne

ISBN

9781803707389

Format

Paperback / softback

Published

01-01-2026

Synopsis

Beware the firebird who grants wishes . . . they come at a terrible price.

Lavender Wild is a magpie girl - she grows feathers, talks to birds and has a talent for finding lost things. But stuck in her tiny village, she wishes for freedom. So when her ex-friend Kit realizes his dad has gone missing on the deadly firebird's mountain, Lavender seizes the chance to set out with him on a rescue mission.

Faced with earthquakes, daemons and witches, Lavender and Kit must rebuild their friendship to survive. Because the firebird is rising, and only they can save everyone from its flames.

Discover a stunning new voice filled with magic and wonder, for fans of Katherine Rundell and Kiran Millwood Hargrave.

"I loved losing myself in this beautifully realised, enchanting world!" Sophie Anderson

Reviews

Sue

Completely enchanting, Magpie Girl is an absorbing book which would make a excellent story time read!

Safely back home in Maidswell after having mysteriously disappeared, Lavender Wild has no memory of her time away from home, but is able to speak to birds and has beautiful, magical feathers growing on her arms. She longs for adventure, but her father is overprotective, keen to keep her close to home, and her best friend, Kit, is now cold and distant towards her. But when Kit’s father goes missing, Lavender and Kit join forces in an attempt to rescue him, uncovering secrets, facing dangers and rebuilding their friendship along the way.

Although set in the world of Heartseer, Magpie Girl is a stand alone novel, which draws on folklore and legend to create a magical read. Lavender’s world is vividly described as she sets off on her quest from the village of Maidswell to the Cries, a dormant volcano in the Ironridge Mountains, said to be home to the legendary Firebird, but it is the imaginative cast of characters which really brings this brilliant story to life! Lavender herself is a wonderful character. Torn between her longing for adventure and her deep love for her home, she has returned from being lost, brought home by Mother Nest, her natural curiosity and zest for life make her feel a deep sense of guilt when she dreams about spreading her wings. Bright, courageous and loyal, she learns to be true to herself and find her place in the world.

Both she and Kit are very relatable figures as each bottles up their true feelings, carrying guilt and a sense of responsibility for things which are not their fault. As they rekindle their friendship, which was marred due to misunderstanding and lack of communication, a very special bond develops between them as they help one another, not only with the quest, but also to come to terms with the weight of emotion they carry.

Spirit-hunters, witches, daemons and deities all feature in this adventure - any one of which deserves a story all of their own!

336 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher