On the night of her engagement, Princess Tamara is caught in the palace garden with her fiance’s brother, Ivan. They claim to have been watching a firebird, a rare and wonderful creature-and it’s true: the bird has left a feather. The Tsar, desperate for the bird, promises half his kingdom to whoever finds it. This might just give Princess Tamara and Ivan the chance to live happily ever after.

First published in 2001, The Firebird was shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards Science Fiction and Fantasy that same year.