Skip to navigation Skip to content
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook
Shop Now
House of Books & Friends
My Account
  • £0.00 0
House of Books & Friends
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Coffee & Connections
    • Loneliness Awareness Week 2026
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
    • Resources for Connection
    • News
  • Shop
  • Events
    • Events Calendar
    • Coffee & Connections
    • Loneliness Awareness Week 2026
  • Contact
    • Hire Us
    • Accessibility Information

Buy Online

The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia

£8.99

The pressure is on for Sparrow Xia to develop her pitifully limited fire mage abilities at Zenith Academy. It doesn’t help that expectations are extra high for her because her older brother Ainsley’s magic is exceptionally powerful – the burn scar on Sparrow’s cheek is proof of that. Sparrow can only hope that her studies will help her discover her fire and finally make her family proud. At Zenith, Sparrow does indeed gain magical strength – and new friends – but her life at school raises more questions than answers. Should she risk her own future in order to help others? And is Sparrow’s magic the most important thing about her? Then a mysterious illness breaks out at school, draining students of their powers. Sparrow and her friends are drawn into the search for the cause, but they need to be careful: in a world where magic means everything, some people will go to terrible lengths to try to keep it.

Peek Inside

In Stock

ISBN: 9780241724224 Category: Children's - Older Readers Tags: Children's / Teenage fiction: School stories, Children's / Teenage general interest: Witches & ghosts, Children's / Teenage personal & social issues: Self-awareness & self-esteem
  • Description
  • Additional information
  • Reviews (0)

Description

Welcome to a world that depends on magic – but where each person’s magic fades away before they reach adulthood.

The pressure is on for Sparrow Xia to develop her pitifully limited fire mage abilities at Zenith Academy. It doesn’t help that expectations are extra high for her because her older brother Ainsley’s magic is exceptionally powerful – the burn scar on Sparrow’s cheek is proof of that. Sparrow can only hope that her studies will help her discover her fire and finally make her family proud.

At Zenith, Sparrow does indeed gain magical strength – and new friends – but her life at school raises more questions than answers. Should she risk her own future in order to help others? And is Sparrow’s magic the most important thing about her?

Then a mysterious illness breaks out at school, draining students of their powers. Sparrow and her friends are drawn into the search for the cause, but they need to be careful: in a world where magic means everything, some people will go to terrible lengths to try to keep it?

Read a sample here

Additional information

Weight 0.244 kg
Dimensions 19.8 × 13 × 2.3 cm
Author

Ham, Leia

Publisher

Puffin

Imprint

Puffin

Cover

Paperback

Pages

305

Language

English

Edition

Paperback original

Dewey

813.6 (edition:23)

Readership

Children – juvenile / Code: J

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.

Related products

  • Will Wolfheart

    £7.99
    Add to basket
  • Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

    £7.99
    Add to basket
  • The month of birthdays

    £7.99
    Add to basket

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 30



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 17854295703693950


🔥BOOK CLUB NEWS🔥
Thanks to everyone who came and discussed The Director with us in June! For July, we will be reading Cooking in the Wrong Century by Teresa Präauer.

We have multiple sessions available to choose from, including our baby-friendly session on Thursday mornings.

Information and tickets available in-store or on our website.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 30



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18127929817636339


We are halfway through 2026, and so here is a little check in with our booksellers reading goals for the year! We have booksellers who keep track of every book they read and others who don't bother, but everyone at HOBAF shares a voracious love of literature! Feel free to share where you're at with your 2026 reading goals in the comments!

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 29



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18013660064857372


A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated their preloved childrens books to our book drive with the @childrensbookproject

We are very happy to be sending off 100 books to new homes which wouldn't be possible without our wonderful community of bookworms. THANK YOU! 💛

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 28



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 17975483082023320


How STUNNING is the cover of 'Pick a Colour' by Souvankham Thammavongsa?

Our booksellers had to spread the nail love 💅

About the book:

Ning is a retired boxer, but to the customers who visit her nail salon, she is just another worker named Susan. On this summer's day, much like any other, the Susans buff and clip and polish and tweeze. They listen and smile and nod. But beneath this superficial veneer, Ning is a woman of rigorous intellect and profound depth. A woman enthralled by the intricacy and rhythms of her work, but also haunted by memories of paths not taken and opportunities lost. A woman navigating the complicated power dynamics among her fellow Susans, whose greatest fears and desires lie just behind the gossip they exchange.

As the day's work grinds on, the friction between Ning's two identities – as anonymous manicurist and brilliant observer of her own circumstances – will gather electric and crackling force, and at last demand a reckoning with the way the world of privilege looks at a woman like Ning.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 26



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 17868537564627225


Don't miss our author talk on Wednesday 2nd July, where Sanjay Sood-Smith, Doug Sharples, and Amber Stein will join us to discuss their memoir, 'Who's the Real Dad?'

Tickets in-store or on our website - follow the link in our bio 💙

Exploring the long-term impact of growing up under Section 28, changing social attitudes, and the expanding possibilities for LGBTQ+ parents, Who’s the Real Dad? demystifies the surrogacy process and offers a fresh perspective on what family really means in the twenty-first century.

houseofbooksandfriends



View Instagram post by houseofbooksandfriends


Jun 25



Open post by houseofbooksandfriends with ID 18110521568475989


Bookseller Athena thinks you should all read Whistler by Ann Patchett! 
'The queen of literary fiction, Ann Patchett, has done it again! Blending beautiful narrative with an eye for emotional depth, Whistler is a beautiful exploration of family and memory. If you haven’t read any Patchett, I highly recommend, as she represents one’s personal emotional experiences in a compelling and often relatable way. I often find myself fully immersed in the tight worlds she creates through her story telling. In this novel, a chance encounter reconnects a woman with her stepfather from her youth, who she hasn’t been in contact with in over 40 years. As their relationship was abruptly cut short , the two characters have a lot of catching up to do, often revealing the enduring nature of love and chosen families. Fun fact, Ann Patchett has written multiple novels from her treadmill desk!'


Follow on Instagram

You're here, so you must like reading.... our newsletter is akin to a literary classic! We have so many projects, events and plans for House of Books & Friends all of which we will pack in to our newsletter so you can be among the first to find out about all the latest news. Don't worry, we promise not to bombard you!

SUBSCRIBE
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • facebook

Get in Touch

We love to hearing from fellow Bookworms!

Please drop us a message, find out where we are or get directions via our contact page.
Contact Us

 

© House of Books and Friends 2026 / Website designed by Bookswarm

The House of Books and Friends CIC is a community interest company registration number 13909633, the registered office of which is 53 King Street, Manchester, M2 4LQ. Trading Address - 81 King Street, Manchester M2 4AH. what3words ///stars.wished.papers

  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy Policy and Cookies
  • My Account
  • Search
  • Basket 0