The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf

A compelling debut novel asks what happens when children develop inexplicable abilities--and the government sees them as a threat.

They're known as Firestarters. Boomers. Skychangers. The government calls them Illegals -- children with inexplicable abilities -- and detains them in menacing facilities so that society is kept out of harm's way. Ashala Wolf and her Tribe of fellow Illegals have taken refuge in the Firstwood, a forest eerily conscious of its inhabitants, where they do their best to survive and where they are free to practice their abilities. But when Ashala is compelled to venture outside her territory, she is betrayed by a friend and captured by an enemy. Injured and vulnerable, with her own Sleepwalker ability blocked, Ashala is forced to succumb to a machine that will pull secrets from her mind. It's only a matter of time before the machine ferrets out the location of the Tribe. Her betrayer, Justin Connor, is ever-present, saving her life when she wishes to die and watching her every move. Will the Tribe survive the interrogation of Ashala Wolf?

Ambelin Kwaymullina loves reading sci-fi and fantasy books and has wanted to write a novel since she was six years old. She comes from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia. When not writing or reading, she teaches law, illustrates picture books, and hangs out with her dogs. She has previously written a number of children’s books, both alone and with other members of her family. The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is her first novel. Ambelin Kwaymullina lives in Australia.