Your Next Page-Turning YA Urban Fantasy

Your Next Page-Turning YA Urban Fantasy

By Sarah Azman

"Leave nothing behind. Not your strength, not your will, not your heart. Use it all. Use every piece of yourself so that when it's all over, you'll know you did everything you could."

“Leave nothing behind.” That’s exactly what author Jenee Dutary did when writing Fire and Death, her new young adult contemporary fantasy novel. Fire and Death, the first installment of the Fire and Water series, releases 9/22/26.

Kirkus called the book a “suspenseful tale, brimming with romance and vicious creatures,”  spotlighting “a superbly developed cast.”

Here’s an inside peek at Fire and Death, a tale of grief and death, and of growth and loyalty.

About the Book

People around Aideen keep dying, and she fears it is her fault.

After both her mother and her friend Malcolm are murdered, Aideen vows not to let anything like that happen again. She plans to leave her hometown of Eastpointe and attend the University of Alaska, hoping that distance will keep those close to her out of harm’s way. 

Despite her efforts, Aideen soon learns that her best friend Emily has been kidnapped. She teams up with Jeff, Malcolm’s brother, to follow clues about Emily’s disappearance. Jeff has feelings for Aideen, but she refuses to risk his safety by allowing herself to get close to him.

Emily’s trail of clues leads Aideen and Jeff to a dangerous club in which the laws of reality are suspended, and magic and monsters are real. The club takes Aileen captive. During her captivity, she teams up with Noah, a sangere (vampire), and Nathaniel, a lupan (werewolf with steel fur), who reveal secrets about Aideen’s heritage that explain why she has been hunted her whole life.

Noah and Nathaniel know Emily’s whereabouts and help Aideen and Jeff make a plan to free her from a dangerous group of rebels. Tired of lives being lost around her, Aideen makes a deal with a faerie: her life in exchange for Emily’s.

As Aideen and Jeff fight side-by-side for their freedom and Emily’s, Aideen struggles to hold back her feelings for him. The depth of her feelings is revealed as they fight the final battle against the rebels, empowering her to destroy an enemy she has known since she was a little girl.

Early Reception 

Storygraph reviews by advance readers agree that the book is fast-paced and the characters are well-written. 

I absolutely devoured it in less than a day while doing literally nothing else *but* reading this book. It's one of those books. -Advance Reader taylorcof on Storygraph

Another user, Phdmomonamission, shared, “Aideen made me laugh out loud more than once. Her sarcasm is the best thing in this book, and it does more work than it first appears to, because she is carrying real guilt underneath it. That combination of grief and a fast mouth makes for a good series lead.”

Jeff was another favorite character. User arndthegalaxy said, “And Jeff? Can we please get more golden retriever MMCs who will follow the FMC into danger more in romantasies, please? No hesitation. Just full faith and love.”

User taylorcof reported, “I fell in love with the characters from page one.” 

Kirkus also raved about the characters:  “Although the mythical beings and their abilities are familiar (“Vampires? Werewolves? I don’t fucking know”), their hazy motives and longstanding loyalties give these characters entertaining texture.”

From the Author

Here’s what Jenee Dutary had to say about writing Fire and Death.

How did you research your book?

I did deep dives into weapons, cities, and history/folklore.

Do you ever experience writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?

I experience burnout. Normally I need to force myself to rest, take some time off, and then go yap to someone about what I'm supposed to be writing. That normally excites me into sitting down and punching out some words.

Which character was hardest to write? Which was easiest?

Nathaniel [the lupan/werewolf]  was the easiest. I think his humor comes to me very naturally, and he's also so much fun to work with. I'm not sure if any of the characters in Fire and Death have been difficult to write. I've known them all for so long, although I suppose sometimes Jeff would slip into the background due to his quiet nature.

How are you similar to or different from your main character?

Emotionally, I think I channeled a lot of myself in Aideen, especially the younger version of me. We both compartmentalize like it's our job, and can have a hair-trigger temper. We're not so similar in brains; while she graduated from high school by the skin of her teeth, I was in the top 10 of my graduating class.

What are your favorite quotes from the book?

  • "If this is a mental breakdown, I need to reschedule it."      

  • "Leave nothing behind. Not your strength, not your will, not your heart. Use it all. Use every piece of yourself so that when it's all over, you'll know you did everything you could."      

  • "Through life and death."

 

For more about Jenee Dutary, check out this post: Meet Jenee Dutary: Multi-Genre Author and Hockey Fan.

How to Get Your Copy and Connect with the Author

Order your copy of Fire and Death from the Alex Parker Publishing bookshop now! Order before 9/21/26 and enter the pre-order giveaway! Fire and Death is available 9/22/26 wherever books are sold.

Check out these book signing events:

September 

October 

 

For more about Fire and Death and Jenee Dutary:

Sources

Kirkus Reviews. “Fire and Death: Fire & Water Book 1.” Kirkus Reviews, June 29, 2026. https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jenee-dutary/fire-and-death-fire-and-water/.

“Fire and Death.” The StoryGraph. Accessed September 3, 2026. https://app.thestorygraph.com/book_reviews/81bc4f85-f4bb-4942-b24e-ea61253aa6e8?sort=highest_rated.

 

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