Firstborn by M. J. Hastings

In this epic dystopian romantasy, one eldest daughter must fight for her survival in a world where birth order determines your fate--and defiance comes at a deadly cost.

The first children take up arms.?The second children take up books.?The third children are taken.

The Long Night is the final trial for Firstborn soldiers, and Bryn Ruelle must prove she can take a life--or face immediate exile. If she survives, she'll graduate to defending the country's borders against their magic-wielding neighbors. Bryn has never made a kill before tonight. By dawn, someone will be dead by her hands.

But when Bryn discovers a plot to kidnap the Lastborn, she must discern if the threat to her youngest sister is real, or merely a ruse to throw Bryn off her game. Her search for the truth forces her to work side-by-side with an alluring traitor-born enemy. As adrenaline and rage ignite a dangerous desire she refuses to name, Bryn must choose: her country, or her family? Her siblings, or herself?

Perfect for fans of The Hunger Games and Fourth Wing.

Praise for Firstborn:

"I couldn't put the book down." --Ann Liang, New York Times bestselling author of A Song to Drown Rivers

"Dark, propulsive, and unflinchingly sharp." --Aiden Thomas, New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys

"[A] fierce, unstoppable heroine." --Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of A Thousand Pieces of You

"A riveting romance and twists that made me gasp." --Julia Riew, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tiger

• Hardcover
• ISBN: 9781464244513
• 464 pages
• Published by Stonefruit Studio
• Published on September 08, 2026