The Fire Sermon

By Francesca Haig

BORN AS TWINS
RAISED AS ENEMIES
BOUND BY DEATH

Cass is born a few minutes after her brother, Zach. Both infants are perfect, but only one is a blessing; only one is an Alpha.

The other child must be cast out. But with no discernible difference, other than their genders, their parents cannot tell which baby is tainted.

Perfect twins. So rare, they are almost a myth. But sooner or later the Omega will slip up. It will eventually show its true self. The polluted cannot help themselves.

Then its face can be branded. Then it can be sent away.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Feb 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9780007563074

Francesca Haig

Francesca Haig grew up in Tasmania, gained her PhD from the University of Melbourne, and was a senior lecturer at the University of Chester. Her poetry has been published in literary journals and anthologies in both Australia and England, and her first collection of poetry, Bodies of Water, was published in 2006. She lives in London with her husband and son. Francesca’s novel, The Fire Sermon, is the first in a post-apocalyptic trilogy.

Reviews for The Fire Sermon

[shetreadssoftly · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig is a recommended first book to a new YA dystopian series.

Centuries ago a nuclear apocalypse destroyed the known world, leaving behind a blighted land. In this new world all babies are born as twins, one male and one female, one Alpha and one Omega. The Alpha's are the "perfect" twins (either male or female), without any birth defect or mutation. The Omegas are the "weaker" twins, the one with some "defect" that sets them apart. The Omegas are all branded on the forehead and sent away to live in separate hardscrabble communities where, while the Alphas shun them, they also rule the Omegas and require them to pay tithes. If either one of the twins experiences something painful, the other twin will feel the pain too. More importantly, if one of the twins dies, the other will too. Their lives and deaths are inexplicably connected.

Cassandra is an Omega whose defect is that she is a seer, which means she has a kind of psychic ability. In her case she was able to hide her defect until she was 13, at which point her twin, Zach, tricks her into admitting it. Cass goes to live in an Omega hovel while Zach rises to the Alpha Council. Once there he imprisons Cass but sends a seer in who is working for the Alphas, to try and get her to reveal what she sees in her visions, especially wondering if she sees an island where only Omegas live.

There is no doubt that Haig, a poet, has a way with words. Technically her ability to write and capture a scene and the emotions surrounding it add a depth and richness to the narrative which elevates the story about just another YA dystopian novel. It is the quality of writing that kept me reading this novel. This is the first of a planned trilogy and rights have already been purchased by Dreamworks.

That said, I almost stopped reading this novel for several reasons. The abelism, disability discrimination, is disturbing. I was never able to buy into the whole Alpha/Omega system where you send the "defective" twin away, treat them badly, etc, etc, and yet if the Omega twin dies so will the Alpha. It just doesn't make sense to me and I can't suspend my disbelief enough to get all the lingering questions out of my head. I also found the plot rather slow moving. It was difficult to believe in Cass's abilities, which seem to be rather random, present when they are needed for the plot. The big plot twist was not a surprise for me.

So, for me, this is a technically very well written novel with an unbelievable world. YA readers may be able to set aside any niggling disbelief or questions about how this society is set up, but, in the end, I couldn't.

Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Gallery Books for review purposes.

[janerawoof · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Yawn. Another dystopia novel, first of a trilogy, piling onto the current popularity of this genre. I even believe that film rights have been picked up. I had thought, from the neat title, it would be something on the Buddha, but was disappointed.A post-apocalyptic primitive world has arisen from the ashes of a great nuclear fire, devastating the earth. All births are of fraternal twins, one perfect, called an Alpha, the other saddled with a physical deformity, or, rarely, a psychical aberration, called an Omega. If this society has started from scratch as implied, how come it knows Greek letters? The Omegas are separated out, branded with an omega, and sent away to live in horrific conditions. Shades of the Spartans? Killing or injuring one twin will affect the other. An Omega, Cassandra, a seer like her mythological namesake, [except that she is believed,] escapes with a young man, Kip, whom she has rescued from a gruesome punishment: living in a tank filled with a viscous liquid and kept alive through tubes connecting him to--what? They journey towards an island, supposedly a safe haven for Omegas. The island turns out to be more than just a legend. Even after they arrive, the Alphas find them and they must escape further. Now they search for the Elsewhere, where they hope to be safe. The characters were bland and I felt no connection with any of them. I didn't even react when certain ones were killed. The story did keep up with feverish excitement with very good pacing. I felt the categorization of people, using Greek letters, was lifted from [Brave New World] and that the treatment of the Omegas was based on ancient Spartan practice. I preferred the red and black cover; this one was unremarkable. Recommended only for diehard fans of this genre.

[angelafries · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

From page one I was completely absorbed in this book. It is truly a GREAT story. I really hope that she writes a part 2!!

[francinezane · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Fire Sermon by Francesca Haig had all the potential for a unique novel, and as the mother of twins, I was anxious to find another series that the twins and I could enjoy together. What could be better than a book about polar opposite twins, right? Eh, not so much.

As others have said, the world building is good. As others have also said, characterization is not Haig's strong suit. I couldn't buy into the motivations and finished the book not really caring who won or lost.

[skybalon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a good read and good start to yet again another post-apocalyptic trilogy. It does border on the edge of either being too obvious in being a modern social commentary, and somewhat of a romance novel. The premise is unique and fortunately they don't spend too much time trying to explain it.

Will definitely read #2 in the series.

[nbmars · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book of a post-apocalyptic trilogy that takes place four hundred years in the future, after a nuclear war laid waste to civilization and nature. Now, for reasons unknown, every person is born with a twin of the opposite sex. One is an “Alpha” - physically perfect - and the other is an “Omega” - either having a physical deformity, or with the invisible but equally reviled characteristic of psychic foresight. This latter group, rare Omega seers, relive the nuclear conflagration in their dreams, and they also have an ability to sense current coming events. But all the Omegas of any kind are branded on the forehead and ostracized, while the Alphas take the best resources for themselves. The Omegas have a built-in insurance policy, however:"Though proclaiming their superiority, for all their effort Alphas cannot escape one harsh fact: Whenever one twin dies, so does the other.”Even severe illness or injuries affect the twins simultaneously. Thus, Alphas are forced to protect their twins, at least to the extent of giving them the bare means to stay alive.Cassandra (“Cass”) is one of the rare Omega seers, who was able to hide her difference until she was 13. She felt close to her twin, Zach, but he resented her because he knew she must be the Omega but wouldn't admit it. Since everyone in their village knew one of them was a “freak,” they were both shunned, and Zach grew to hate Cass. Finally, he forced her to confess, and she was branded and sent away to an Omega settlement.Over time, treatment of Omegas became worse. Zach became more powerful in the ruling council of Alphas, and it was rumored that he, now going by the name Reformer, was behind all the new anti-Omega policies. And after seven years, Cass was taken away by Zach’s men and put into a “Keeping Room,” a secret prison where Councilors kept their Omega twins to prevent enemies from killing them by killing their twins. Cass spent every day in a small cell, at first receiving visits only from the Confessor, a powerful Omega seeress who apparently worked for Zach, and who tried to plumb Cass’s mind for information about a rumored resistance.It is over three months before Cass sees Zach himself, who informs Cass that he is doing big things, and can’t let her get in the way. She responds, “So you’re ruining my life, to protect yours.” And he answers “There’s only one life between us - that’s what you don’t realize.”But Cass still loves Zach, and believes he can’t be all bad. Nevertheless, after three years in the cell, she starts getting visions of something even more sinister, and she knows that somehow, she has to get out.Discussion: It is inevitable that a large number of YA post-apocalyptic dystopian trilogies have been written to take advantage of the apparently huge market for them. This one includes the usual tropes with the twin situation adding a bit of difference to the mix. But there are some plot lines that don’t seem consistent with the main premise, such as: improbable technological developments; the need to brand Omegas, since - except for seers, they are all pretty obviously identifiable; the ability of the Confessor to read minds but not be able to find out about the resistance from any mind but Cass’s; and the eager cooperation by Alphas in the destruction of Omegas (which of course may result in their own destruction).It’s sort of bizarre that Cass was given the name Cassandra, the Greek goddess of prophecy, before the parents even knew which twin was which, much less that she would be a seer. In addition, presumably they would have been unaware of Greek mythology. In any event, for all of Cass’s powers of sight, she isn’t all that interesting, and remains rather amazingly naïve, which, however, enables her to take heroic steps that she might not otherwise do.There are a few other characters in the story besides Cass and Zach, but all of them also tend to be either Purely Evil or Heroic But Bland.The story does have come to a conclusion, but it leaves open the way for the next two volumes, and suggests it will follow the usual YA trilogy arc of a war between the downtrodden resistance and the evil hegemons, with some romance thrown in to keep us interested.Evaluation: I like the interesting twin premise, but felt that the execution needed a lot of work.

[swingdancefan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It seems as though every writer who wants to make their name big in a hurry says, “Hey, I’ll write a dystopian YA trilogy.” Francesca Haig is a poet of some renown, and I have to wonder what made her decide on this genre.That said, being a poet, where it’s all about saying more in fewer, but more potent, words, serves her well. Her writing is richly descriptive and the vocabulary is beautiful. She describes scenes and emotions vividly. (That would account for the higher Lexile of these books.)Yes, the formula is more-or-less followed. Young woman with a special gift, who feels responsible for some of the bad in the world around her. Oppressive society in which one group is pitted against another. No love triangle, at least. In trying to stay with her twin, Zach, Cass inadvertently gives him a hatred of Omegas. He can’t exterminate them, though, for if one twin dies, the other does, too. They feel each other’s pain. But Zach comes up with a startling plan to make Omegas “disappear” nonetheless, and it is this plan which Cass and her associates discover and fight to stop.The first book sets up the action, and is not without its climactic and heartbreaking moments. I received book two as an advance reader copy, and was glad that my library had the first book available. It’s a shame there wasn’t a longer wait for it—that means not enough people are reading it!I could not have understood the second book without having read the first. The author does spend some time on exposition, but there is a lot that would have gone right past me without it. I look forward to reading the third installment.I recently reviewed the second book of another dystopian YA series, Glass Sword. This hits the mark in all the ways in which that one let me down. Yes, it’s a middle volume. They always consist of a lot of stage-setting for the climactic volume, but this one does so in a more satisfying way.My biggest criticism is that a lot of time is spent in just traveling, in the first book and even more in the second. It’s somewhat like the final Harry Potter volume in that respect. It could probably have been tightened up and been even better.Possible Objectionable Material:A couple of same-gender couples. Violent deaths, not graphically described. Physical mutations described, such as missing limbs or having three eyes. A couple sleeps together; it is left to the reader to decide if they are lovers.Who Might Like This Book:Fans of the genre. Strong female protagonist, but shouldn’t put off the male readers if they can handle Katniss and Tris. Late middle-school on up. I’m older than the target demographic and quite enjoyed it. Approximate Lexile: 1090Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC of The Map of Bones.

[shelleyraec · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A dystopian blend of fantasy, sci-fi and adventure with a touch of romance, The Fire Sermon is the first book in a planned trilogy from Australian author, and award winning poet, Francesca Haig.In the world four hundred years after The Blast, every person is born with a twin. One is always healthy and whole, while the other suffers from some abnormality. Identified as the Alpha and Omega, the twins are separated in early childhood, the Alpha is given the privileges of education and power, while the Omega, whose life only has value because their fate is entwined with the Alphas, is branded and banished to a life of poverty.Cass and Zach have been raised together much longer than most twins while waiting for the Omega trait to surface. They are thirteen when Zach, eager to embrace his birthright of entitlement, finally betrays Cass as a seer and she is cast out.Seven years later, Zach has risen to a position of power on the Alpha Council and to protect himself from his rivals, imprisons Cass in an Alpha facility where she is confined to a cell, her only regular visitor The Confessor, an Alpha colleague of her brother, determined to exploit Cass’s ability as a seer. It’s another four years before Cass has an opportunity to escape and she sets out to find the Omega Resistance, hoping to change the world.The idea of Alpha and Omega twins is interesting though the general concept of a society, where one faction is privileged and another oppressed in a post apocalyptic setting, isn’t a new one. Haig doesn’t offer any explanation for the ‘twinning’, but I like the way it allows her to exploit the ‘greys’ of the premise. The physical link between the twins raises some philosophical and ethical questions that relates to issues in our own society.AU CoverI’m in two minds about Cass. I admired her determination to escape and search for something better but she is more pious and naive than I was comfortable with, with her compassion, and her eagerness to find excuses for her brother’s behaviour, verging on being a weakness of character rather than a virtue of idealism. Neither did I find Cass particularly brave or heroic and overall I didn’t feel her character demonstrated much growth over the course of the novel.The pacing is somewhat uneven, Cass and Kip’s road trip in particular drags on a bit and I felt that Haig waited a bit too long to introduce the Resistance, but the writing is strong enough to encourage momentum. The tension is there when needed and there are a couple of twists designed to surprise the reader.Marketed at a crossover adult/YA audience I’m sure the Fire Sermon will find readers among fans of dystopian fiction. Though the Fire Sermon didn’t wow me, I do think the trilogy has potential and I’m interested to see how the story develops.

[strider66_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pros: fascinating premise, interesting protagonistsCons: limited plot400 years ago the Blast wiped out most of humanity. Now everyone is born as twins. One child, the Alpha, is perfectly formed. Alphas teach that the second child, the Omega, is born of the poisons that haven’t entirely dissipated from the Blast, thereby explaining their deformities: a missing limb, an extra eye, the inability to speak. Visions. The Omegas, unpleasant to look at and more prone to disease, are sent away, but kept in decent enough conditions because when one twin dies, so does the other.Cassandra is a seer, a rare Omega with no distinguishing features but the ability to sense things about the world around her. Raised with her twin brother Zach longer than usual, due to her unblemished appearance, both their lives are impacted. Zach’s fear of Omegas and the rejection of his peers causes him to have ambitions that will change the lives of Omegas everywhere, starting with Cass.I find myself somewhat conflicted about this book. I really liked the premise surrounding the twins and the political and ethical questions regarding the treatment of the Omegas, but there’s very little plot. Most of the book is about Cass running away from her brother. That’s not to say that the book isn’t interesting, the characters pass through a cross-section of the world, and it’s a very interesting world.While I liked Cass and Kip - a fellow hunted Omega - I didn’t end up with the emotional connection to them that I expected given the character driven nature of this book. I liked that Cass had the idea that Alphas and Omegas shouldn’t be considered separate groups, especially given their death connection, but the few times she brings it up her idea is shot down by others. I recognize how hard changing such ingrained beliefs would be and kind of hoped to see the author tackle it by having Cass bring it up more often, wearing her compatriots down or finding new and more concrete ways of getting her views across to more people. I’m wondering if book 2 will deal more with this.The book was enjoyable to read but left me wanting more from it than I got.