Emily is far from your average thirteen-year-old girl. She’s lost her mum. Her dad (the world’s greatest ever Warrior) is off searching for her missing brother, and she possesses the powers of a Warrior herself. Namely, Emily can fly, create fireballs in her bare hands and teleport. But since she hasn’t yet mastered controlling these powers, she’s sent to Osaki Training School (think Hogwarts with fireballs in place of potions and broomsticks) to hone them. Cue all manner of school scrapes before Emily becomes the target of a seriously evil villain.
As the saying goes, never judge a book by a cover, and that’s certainly true in this case. Its cutesy Middle Grade-esque artwork belies the high-stakes grittiness contained within. Driven by the universal themes of not fitting in, facing fears, feeling like you’re failing to live up to familial expectations, and the power of friendship, this is a quick-to-read page-turner for fantasy fans. See also the second book in this series, Emily Knight I am....Awakened.
Emily Knight is a thirteen year old warrior who is far from ordinary and she hates it! The daughter of a heroic warrior and the press’s favourite problem child, Emily is destined for greatness.
At the Osaki Training School, Emily learns to fly, create fireballs and breathe under water. When she encounters an old face, Emily has to choose between the two people that she loves. The wrong choice could destroy warriors everywhere.
Abiola Bello is a children's author who's passionate about creating strong diverse characters for young people. Her second book, Emily Knight I am. . . Awakened, was nominated for the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2019 and Winner of London's Big Read 2019.
She is the founder of The Lil' Author School, co-founder of The Author School. The Author School was shortlisted for The Great British Entrepreneur Awards 2016. In 2018, Abiola won the London Book Fair's Trailblazer Award 2018.
Abiola is regularly called to talk at literary events and within the media, she has appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, Female First Magazine, The Bookseller and The Mirror to name a few.