The Darkest Hour by M.J. Ryder is a heroic fantasy novel for young adults featuring magic, adventure and a strong female protagonist. It also has strong themes of love and friendship, and explores the moving tale of one father's quest to find his little girl. The novel follows the story of Phae, a young mage with extraordinary gifts. Phae is a girl unlike any other. Her father is the most powerful mage in the realm, and her mother is a member of the Lintari - a small, secretive band of warriors bound to the earth as its sworn guardians. With such powerful blood inside her, growing up was never going to be easy. But when her powers bring about catastrophe and the death of her tutor, Phae finally decides she's had enough. With her unstable magic threatening to bring about even more danger to those she loves, Phae flees her home on the Magical Isle to seek sanctuary on the mainland. Only there does she realise her problems have barely just begun…