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The Fire Sermon Hardcover – March 10, 2015

by Francesca Haig (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 649 ratings
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Nuclear war, dystopian unrest, a genetic mutation that divides twins in life and unites them in death—the “refreshingly nuanced” (Booklist, starred review) first novel in award-winning poet Francesca Haig’s richly imagined and action-packed post-apocalyptic trilogy “is poised to become the next must-read hit” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).

Four hundred years after a nuclear apocalypse, all humans are born in pairs: the deformed Omegas, who are exploited and oppressed, and their Alpha twins, who have inherited the earth—or what’s left of it. But despite their claims of superiority, the Alphas cannot escape one harsh fact: whenever one twin dies, so does the other.

Cass is a rare Omega whose mutation is psychic foresight—not that she needs it to know that as her powerful twin, Zach, ascends the ranks of the ruling Alpha Council, she’s in grave danger. Zach has a devastating plan for Omega annihilation. Cass has visions of an island where a bloody Omega resistance promises a life of freedom. But her real dream is to discover a middle way, one that would bring together the sundered halves of humanity. And that means both the Council and the resistance have her in their sights. But is she alone in her idealism that they can live peacefully side-by-side with the twins? And what will they do when they learn who her brother is?
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  1. Book 1 of 3
    The Fire Sermon
  2. Print length
    384 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Gallery Books
  5. Publication date
    March 10, 2015
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 1.4 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1476767181
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1476767185
  9. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
649 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoyed the book and found it engaging. They appreciated the interesting premise and plot twists. The writing quality was considered good and well-edited. Readers found the characters well-developed and original. However, opinions differed on the character development - some found the main characters compelling and strong, while others felt the protagonist was reluctant.

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ReadabilityStorylineWriting qualityDevelopmentOriginalityCharacter development
22 customers mention "Readability"22 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and engaging. They say it's worth reading and a good purchase. The story is described as fun, entertaining, and enthralling from start to finish. It's great for teens to read and keeps you guessing what will come next.

"I loved this book. It was new, it was different and it was original. Not your normal run of the mill book by a long shot...." Read more

"...A must read, even if you aren't a sci-fi fan." Read more

"This book was definitely a page turner. You're constantly wondering what happens next...." Read more

"...The pace drags somewhat in certain areas. It is a fairly good read and I would probably recommend it to younger readers although the tome was not..." Read more

21 customers mention "Storyline"18 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the storyline. They find the premise imaginative and how it plays into the story. The book is described as an interesting dystopian novel with great plot twists. It looks like a foundation for a great trilogy with vivid imagination and an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world.

"...You will not regret buying these books and experiencing the brilliance of Francesca Haig." Read more

"...For the most part, it is action packed, with only a lull near the beginning, but it was an necessary lull, so stick it out...." Read more

"...The premise is interesting though. It has the same basic trope as Red Rising- a subjugated class vs. the subjugators...." Read more

"...This person has a vivid imagination that's for sure. I recommend it whole heartedly!" Read more

5 customers mention "Writing quality"5 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's writing quality. They say it's well-written and engaging from start to finish. The editing is also praised as good.

"...I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written, thoughtful, and gripping...." Read more

"...Also, the book is edited well (which is extremely refreshing)." Read more

"...Haig has a beautiful writing style and I look forward to the rest of the series...." Read more

"Writing quality: 4/5 Character development: 3/5 World creation: 3/5 Thought provoking: 2/5 Story: 3/5 Meh...." Read more

3 customers mention "Development"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the character development. They find the characters well-developed as the story progresses.

"...THESE ARE INCREDIBLE. This is the only series I re-read yearly. Amazing story...." Read more

"...Cass and Lip are so well developed as the story goes on that I felt as if they were my partners on their journey...." Read more

"...Brand new, not a mark on it. Came on time. Looks like a good book:)" Read more

3 customers mention "Originality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's originality.

"I loved this book. It was new, it was different and it was original. Not your normal run of the mill book by a long shot...." Read more

"...earth is years after we are gone and what has caused it in this book was original. Plus I enjoyed the "twins" dynamic." Read more

"...Loved it, could not put it down. Another original!" Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"4 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on the character development. Some find the main characters engaging and the female protagonist strong. Others feel the protagonist is reluctant and there is no logic to what motivates the secondary characters.

"...Cass is a strong female protagonist whose only liability is her world view, which is actually her strongest asset...." Read more

"...Additionally, the protagonist is So. Forking. RELUCTANT about being the protagonist! It's the most annoying thing in the book!..." Read more

"...I really enjoy the main character who you can root for but at the same time is very real, has flaws, definitely did not choose to be on the path she..." Read more

"...Character development is non-existent. Good premise- terrible storytelling." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Domonique Autrey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Favorite book series!!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I read the second book of the series first on accident and when I realized it was a sequel I came back to buy the other 2 books of the series. THESE ARE INCREDIBLE. This is the only series I re-read yearly. Amazing story. You will not regret buying these books and experiencing the brilliance of Francesca Haig.
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  • QueenBook
    4.0 out of 5 stars I liked this smart, well written book and I think I got my money's worth
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Centuries after the world is devistated by humanity's weapons, mankind has managed to rebuild. The technology that was linked with the downfall is shunned, the genetic fallout has shaped the society that emerged, and this civilization is on the fast track to cruel domination. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was well written, thoughtful, and gripping. For the most part, it is action packed, with only a lull near the beginning, but it was an necessary lull, so stick it out. Cass is a strong female protagonist whose only liability is her world view, which is actually her strongest asset. There is a romantic element to this story, but I will say it wasn't blatant in its sensuality, so it isn't full of hot moments but plays more of the companionship angle. I actually liked the concept of the twins. Though I thought it was going to be a ridiculous when I read the Amazon blurb, it worked really well. The ending might have a few readers crying foul, but I thought it made sense. My only complaint is the price. $13.99 for an ebook is ridiculous, and even though I feel I got my money's worth, I almost didn't read it on principle alone. I'm glad I overcame my impulse and read it anyway. I thought the whole concept was pretty smart, and I'm definitely going to be looking for the next book in the series.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • DNA Doc
    3.0 out of 5 stars The reluctant protagonist and tons of repetition
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    It's usually the second book in a series where nothing good happens and there is constant strife. In this series, it's the first book where nothing good happens. It's all just a big downhill slide from page one. It can be hard to take. I think I would hate it as a YA trying to get through the book, but that's me. Additionally, the protagonist is So. Forking. RELUCTANT about being the protagonist! It's the most annoying thing in the book! The people around her are forced to drag her kicking and screaming to her destiny. Her self esteem is so low, she cannot see her own value, even when it's described to her in great detail, the same way, over and over and over and over and over and over... It's literally mind-numbing!

    This is not a book with a strong heroine. It's a book with a girl who has terribly low self esteem, and who carries around so much guilt that it just becomes tiresome to read (over and over and over and over).

    The premise is interesting though. It has the same basic trope as Red Rising- a subjugated class vs. the subjugators. Also, the book is edited well (which is extremely refreshing).
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  • Peggy J. Trussell
    5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book
    Reviewed in the United States on May 21, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I loved this book. It was new, it was different and it was original. Not your normal run of the mill book by a long shot. I actually won the hard copy of this book from a website I use and they sent me the hard copy. I couldn't read the small print so I ordered it on my Kindle. It will make a great trilogy and probably a great movie. It is much like the Divergent, Hunger Games type of dystopian after the world has changed type of book. This person has a vivid imagination that's for sure. I recommend it whole heartedly!
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  • N. Geuther
    4.0 out of 5 stars Very good, definitely worth a read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I thought the alpha/omega bit was going to be a bit lame at first but it turned out to be rather interesting and just got more and more intriguing as the story went on. I really enjoy the main character who you can root for but at the same time is very real, has flaws, definitely did not choose to be on the path she finds herself on. Her ability proves to be quite helpful and it's interesting how it plays into the story. I'm very eager to read the next in the series.
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  • Emily Andrews
    5.0 out of 5 stars Definitely worth the time!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    I saw the third book on the shelf and immediately knew I had to look up the series. Definitely a very interesting take on the dystopian idea and the main characters are just so enthralling you have to keep reading.
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  • Stephanie Russell
    4.0 out of 5 stars Slow but great
    Reviewed in the United States on April 25, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I found myself saying "I probably won't read the rest of the series, but I can't stop reading this one!" I never knew what was going to happen next, so I couldn't stop reading. On the treadmill, in between classes, on my lunch breaks and during my conference periods, I couldn't stop. The author catches your attention from the opening scene of Cass being talented never lets you go. There are a few moments where the story slows and loses your attention,but she gets it back quickly. Haig has a beautiful writing style and I look forward to the rest of the series. Cass and Lip are so well developed as the story goes on that I felt as if they were my partners on their journey. A must read, even if you aren't a sci-fi fan.
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  • Raechel Graham
    5.0 out of 5 stars Page Turner!!
    Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    This book was definitely a page turner. You're constantly wondering what happens next.

    It was soon good I made my 9 year old son read it to me. It's definitely a book I recommend.

    Has deeper meaning hidden in it as well... For instance how people fear what they don't know, and don't understand, and how we are all, in some way shape or form, in this together; Life.
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  • Nina R.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
    Reviewed in Germany on July 19, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Suuper spannend mehr kann man nicht sagen, außer echt lesenswert.
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  • Jo Hogan
    5.0 out of 5 stars A high-concept thriller: beautifully written and a compelling read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    The Fire Sermon is that rare thing: a high concept thriller that is both beautifully written and compelling to read. It imagines a post-apocalyptic world where humans only give birth to twins: one perfect Alpha and one mutated Omega. But the twins share more than a womb - they share their mortality: if one dies, then so does the other. In order to protect their own lives and power, Alpha's insist that all twins are separated at birth, with the mutated Omegas segregated and oppressed, barely surviving so that their stronger twins might live. But when Cass and Zach are born into this deeply divided society, it is not clear which is the Alpha and which is the Omega. The first hundred pages introduce the characters and the world, and whilst it is intriguing and well done, the story really kicked off for me when Cass rescues Kip, an Omega who has been imprisoned in appalling conditions. Together they go on the run, persued by the chilling 'Confessor' and the Council, with action packed twists and turns along the way, reminiscent of other picaresque adventures such as The Road. The character of Kip lifts what would otherwise be a dark novel into a really fun read, as the dialogue between him and Cass sparkles with wit and warmth. The relationship between them is skilfully done, offering an element of romance that is both believable and light of touch. Cass is a complex character, irrationally protective of her cruel, Alpha twin, and driven by a strong set of values. Some have likened The Fire Sermon to the Hunger Games, but I think what makes Cass a unique and admirable heroine, is that right from the start, she realises that every time you kill an Alpha, two people die, and visa versa. There can be no victory if the death of your enemy results in the death of your friend. This makes for a morally complex as well as an exciting read, because there are no simple answers. But this is not a worthy book - indeed, it is one of the most enjoyable books I have read for sometime. It is also extremely well-written, and it makes sense to discover that Francesa Haig is a poet, as she has chosen her words and descriptions with great care and skill, to help create a memorable set of characters in a believable world who find themselves confronting an impossible dilemma. This book should appeal to YA readers (both teens and adults, boys and girls) who enjoyed The Road, The Hunger Games and who want skilful writing as well as a page-turning thriller, as achieved by Maggie Steifvater. I thoroughly recommend this book, and look forward to the sequel and the film.
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  • Paul Tapner
    4.0 out of 5 stars Sibling conflict
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 6, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A post apocalyptic science fiction novel. One from the young adult genre of these.

    It's the first of a trilogy. Recommended reading age would be thirteen and up. Thanks to some mild violence.

    It runs for four hundred and sixteen pages and is divided into thirty one chapters.

    Being volume one of three means that it naturally ends with lots left hanging.

    Main character is a girl called Cassandra. Who narrates things in the first person past tense.

    Her world is seemingly ours, some unspecified amount of time after a nuclear war and the end of life as we know it. In this new world, people are born twins. One male. One female. One perfect. The other with a mutation, that can give them special abilities.

    But hurt one twin and you'll hurt the other. Which makes them vulnerable should one be killed.

    The perfect ones are called Alphas. The others are called Omegas. Alphas are persecuting Omegas. When we first meet Cassandra, she is living in exile amongst a community of Omegas. Till she is taken and brought back to where the Alphas rule. Her brother Zach needs her.

    How did things get this way?

    All this is delivered at the start of the book with a narrative that flashes back and forwards, the former to get all the exposition in. It thus becomes one of those books that throws the reader in at the deep end, and you do take a while to get into things.

    It's readable enough in due course, and pretty good at portraying siblings growing up together. But it takes a while to settle down and it takes longer before you actually start caring in the least about whats going on.

    Around about page fifty or so, you do get interested, and then start to wait to see where the story will go.

    Answer to that is, it doesn't really go anywhere new or desperately interesting.

    The world of the story is intriguing, and the writing's not bad, and the prose is readable. Which is why this rates four rather than five stars. But this doesn't quite do enough to really stand out in it's genre. The characters are never that three dimensional. And Cassandra never really comes to life nor do you care about her desperately. A couple of rebels whom she meets later on have their moments, thanks to having slight edges to their characters, but that's about all.

    It's hinted at the fact that there's more to Zach's activities than meets the eye. And frankly you end up thinking it would be more interesting if this was focused on both of them to an equal extent. But it isn't.

    There's some decent enough plot developments or two in the last few chapters. And there's set up for more story to come.

    This book really promises a lot, but just never quite delivers all that it could. Not a terrible read, but one that could have been so much more. Whether or not you'll want to read what comes next in this series will end up being a matter of opinion.
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  • Rebekah
    3.0 out of 5 stars The most original dystopia I've read in ages!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 5, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    The whole premise of this novel is really unique and interesting. The basic idea is that there was some sort of blast (I'm assuming a nuclear one, but I don't think it's explicitly mentioned) that sent out a load of radiation across the world. A lot of animals died from the blast, others suffered mutations. A lot of infants, human and otherwise, died at first because of the mutations they were suffering from in the womb. Humans adapted in a unique way, by having twins whenever they had children. One child was totally normal, the other absorbed the radiation in the womb, and came out deformed. The normal kids are known as Alphas, the others as Omegas. Omegas are different in many different ways, some of them are missing limbs, some have extra ones, some of no eyes, one, two or three eyes. Most Omegas have physical deformities, but, rarely, some Omegas are born looking perfect, but they're minds are different. These are seers, and they live with visions of the blast that almost destroyed humanity, but can sense their environment, and sometimes have visions of things to come in the near future.

    That's all I knew going into the novel. Haig manages to tell us a lot of this in the first 50 or so pages, without info-dumping, which is an achievement in itself. We meet Cass, and the whole book is from her point of view. In the beginning we get her past and present life woven together, so we see her and her twin, Zach, as children and then her in the Keeping Rooms at the Council years later. Francesca Haig manages to weave the past and present together really well, and you can definitely tell she's a poet when you look at her writing.

    I loved the characters, and I didn't realise how much I connected to them until certain events happened, and I found myself feeling so many emotions. I felt like Cass and Kip were the most likeable and unique characters, the others kind of fit into the stereotypical slots of their character types, but I found myself not minding because I enjoyed their personalities. I would love to spend more time with Zach and learn more about him, because I'm really curious about what he's doing and why he's doing it. He kept saying he'd come too far and he had things left to do, but at the same time the explanation for his actions is his hatred of Omegas and of the life that was taken away from him from being split from Cass so late in life, but I feel like there's so much more to him than that.

    The thing about this book was that a lot of things happened but at the same time nothing happened. There were a couple of big events at the beginning and end of the novel, and of course there were fights and stuff in between, but it kind of felt like there was no end point, like, I'm not sure why they happened. (view spoiler) I don't know. Maybe I'm just used to authors dragging things out and so everything felt like it happened so quickly.

    In short, this was a really enjoyable read, and I'm left wanting more in the best way, but, like I said, the fact that so much happened but nothing actually happened pulled this down a bit for me. Saying that, I'll definitely be picking up the sequel!
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  • Andrew Wallace
    5.0 out of 5 stars So good I bought it twice
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    … once as an ebook and once as a paperback, for a gift. Yes, it’s one of those novels you end up buying for other people.
    The set up is disarmingly simple: in a world reshaped by an ancient nuclear war, people only ever give birth to twins. One twin will be healthy and the other will have some defect, which ranges from obvious physical deformity to the more subtle kind, like that experienced by the heroine, Cassandra. She has a predictive psychic ability, which she is able to hide and thus put off the separation from her twin demanded of the population both by tradition/superstition and what operates as a governing power. Her brother, Zach, is thus an Alpha while Cass is an Omega.
    Their relationship is not a yearned-for opposition to the status quo defined by sibling love so much as an early-life cold war, characterised by fear, distrust and manipulation. There is good reason for this constant unease. Omegas are shunned and despised; we sense that the only reason they are not exterminated is because in this world when one twin dies, so does the other.
    From this ingenious premise, the author spins a gripping tale that places our sympathies firmly with the Omegas. Not since Katniss put her hand up to volunteer for the Hunger Games in her sister’s place have a set of young characters so effortlessly engaged our understanding.
    Once Cass has been outed for saving her brother’s life from a falling tree branch, she is banished from her parents’ home to live in a much poorer village, as Omegas are not allowed to settle or farm productive land. The ruthless Machiavellian Zach, meanwhile, joins the ruling Council and quickly begins to accrue power.
    Cass is a humble young woman, although talented and increasingly resourceful, even driven, particularly when on her brother’s orders she is kidnapped and incarcerated. These sequences are genuinely upsetting, particularly when the imprisonment lasts for years and is interspersed with visits from the Confessor, another Omega who for a particularly nefarious reason is allowed and willing to work with the Alphas against her own kind. The Confessor scours Cass’s mind for clues to the whereabouts of an island that may harbour the beginnings of an Omega revolution.
    Cass finally manages to escape, but finds more horror. To ensure that their Omega twins do not accidentally die, some Alphas have had them preserved alive in glass tanks. Cass helps one of these, the charming but amnesiac Kip, to get out and the two begin their perilous journey towards the island, which Cass’s ability has discerned with increasing clarity.
    Many dystopian novels describe a world that is merely a bit unpleasant, a bit depressing with a set-up that would not withstand a moment in reality. Very few take a proper SF idea and interrogate it with the same degree of ruthless yet oddly joyous thoroughness as this one. From its deceptively simple premise, the author weaves a complex and involving tale whose directness approaches the mythic, a resonance borne out by the religious overtones of the book’s title. ‘The Fire Sermon’ also has a number of emotional sucker punches in store which make the story even more exceptional.
    That nothing in the world of ‘The Fire Sermon’ is quite what it seems should come as no surprise, not least because any politics that rejects an entire group of people for something that isn’t their fault is at best flawed. Indeed, this big-hearted novel is a genuine antidote to the current real-world political horror show. For it is in this regard that Cass is a truly great character. She will not, perhaps cannot, see things in the conveniently binary way demanded of her by vested interests and stupid, intolerant tradition. A lesser character, and indeed a lesser novel, would have taken this easier road. It is a credit to both character and author that things get messy, then devastating in a wholly believable fashion without sacrificing an essential, fundamental optimism.
    Recommended, to say the least.
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