In a kingdom cursed to turn people into dragons, two teens from opposite worlds, each with nothing left to lose, form an uneasy alliance. Told in dual perspectives, this sweeping debut follows their search for redemption and the slow-burning bond that could save them both.
Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Fire to the Stars by Morgan J. Watchorn, which releases on August 4th 2026.
Every month, the kingdom of Florent braces for the Ignition: a solar event that turns ordinary humans into vicious dragon shifters. And anyone can be a dragon’s next victim.
Claire knows this all too well because the Ignition consumed her and her father, her town, and the life she thought she’d have. Now, she’s scraping by on her wits as part of a sisterhood of thieves—lying, stealing, her heart locked tight—until she tracks down a disgraced dragon slayer who may be the one person who can give her back the life she once had.
Abel has been shunned by the prestigious Slayers Guild for conducting research that’s too…unorthodox to condone. But there’s no one Claire trusts more than a rulebreaker, and that research might be the one thing that could help her. So when Abel reveals he is hunting again, Claire tries to hire him under false pretenses. Abel, however, is reluctant to accept a job from a criminal, no matter how charming she is. And yet…he really needs the money.
Together, Claire and Abel will race through Florent and uncover dangerous secrets in their quests for forgiveness—and survival. But that knowledge may cost them the very thing they’ve grown desperate to protect: each other.
EXCERPT
I hear the fire crackling before I see it.
An orange glow rises behind the canopy of brown-gold leaves, a color too high in the sky to mark the impending sunsdown. When Lucy alerts us to the smoke in the air, one word springs to mind:
“Fire!” I shout. “It could be a dragon.”
“Today?” Claire asks, bewildered. “But the Ignition was yesterday—”
“I’ll explain later. Go!” I order, bringing Lucy tight to my chest.
Claire kicks our horses into a gallop, hair streaming behind her. My knees grip the saddle hard.
My experiments on Micah proved that it’s possible for a dragon to retain its form well after Ignition Day. A few moondaggers lodged in the spinal cord will maintain the transformation. But who else aside from me would know how to do that? I never shared the results of my research with another soul.
At the same time, very few fires in Florent get this bad without a dragon involved.
In moments, we break through the trees. The view opens wide.
Ravinfort—home to the Metekus, my second family—is unrecognizable.
To the right, the Tordou River rushes with whitecapped rapids. To the left, the stone buildings carved into the cliffside are black and crumbling. The trim shrubbery burns orange and bright, scorching the dusk chill. The du Fay castle towers on the clifftop, as usual, obvious from the moonmetal spear launchers mounted on the turrets. But flames climb up the ivy on the walls like greedy fingers. Half of the eastern turret falls in a landslide of rubble. The exposed interior walls burn, scorched black.
Our horses tense, heads high, ears forward. Anticipating a spook, I snatch the reins, halting my mare short. Momentum unseats me. I twist my body enough to alter my trajectory and land on my feet instead of my head. It keeps Lucy safe in my arms.
“Ho!” Claire commands, sitting back. Her horse skids to a halt. The lead rope to my horse snaps taut. “Don’t do that! You could injure the horse and yourself.”
I lower Lucy to the ground and slip the pack from my shoulders, drawing a slew of moondaggers, a crossbow, and a quiver of moonmetal-tipped bolts to throw over my back.
“Wait here,” I order. “If you see a dragon, run.”
“A dragon can’t have caused this,” she insists. “Not today. Not even at this hour. The suns are setting.”
“It’s possible. I proved it firsthand.”
Worry gleams like the fire in her eyes. “Proved what, exactly?”
I clench my eyes shut. Breathe deep. Then set the dragon-skull helmet over my head. My eyes open to the view from behind Micah’s open maw.
Claire’s hands are full, so I force my pack into her lap. “Keep this safe.”
She stares at it, as if she can’t believe I’d entrust it to a thief, but secures the pack before it can slip. “You’re not going into that flaming mess alone. Especially not if you think there’s a dragon involved.”
“I won’t be alone. The du Fay family protects this city.”
She squints at the castle. Her concern bleeds into me. On second glance, the tower looks blown out from the inside. Did a du Fay turn? Did they take a dragon captive for experimentation? But the du Fays are one of the oldest slayer families, and sticklers for the rules. They’d never disobey the Slayers Guild, let alone repeat my mistake.
I shake my head. The how can come later. I’m not leaving this to chance. Lyle and his mother aren’t fighters; they’re craftsmen, which means they’re in danger. And if Ravinfort is this far damaged, the du Fays need backup.
Claire tugs my mare’s lead, regaining her attention. “Give me the crossbow. I can support you.”
“No. Take the horses and stay out of the way. I can’t save the Metekus if I’m protecting you.” I stuff the daggers into my belt and load the crossbow. “Lucy, come!”
I sprint down the road and into town, crossbow raised and ready. Lucy bounds at my side. Flames roar and buildings crack. Sweat builds beneath my uniform. Untethered taxi boats clatter together at the river docks, pinned against the cobblestone shoreline. My ears strain for a dragon’s roar, wingbeats, claws on stone, something.
There’s nothing to track.
