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Firstborn
Not yet published
Expected 1 Sep 26The Hunger Games meets Fourth Wing in this crackling debut epic fantasy about a dystopian world where birth order determines fate, and the young woman who must choose between her family and her country.
The first children take up arms.
The second children take up books.
The third children are taken.
Bryn Ruelle was never supposed to rank first. Yet there it her face, flashing across every scoreboard with 5:1 odds of winning. The top contender for the Long Night, the final test for the eldest daughters and sons of Durst. The Firstborn must prove they can take a life—or be exiled themselves. If they survive, they'll graduate into soldiers dedicated to defending their borders against their magic-wielding neighbors in Arcania. Bryn has never made a kill before tonight. But by dawn, someone will be dead by her hands.
In case she doesn't make it, she should say her goodbyes. To Asa, her brilliant younger brother, studying anti-magics at Midborn University. To little Wren, her odd duckling of a sister, soon to be taken away with the other Lastborn to a place from which none of the youngest children have ever returned. But Bryn has always key to their survival is loyalty to their class—to Dursti—before family.
Then Bryn finds an encryption revealing an Arcanist plot to kidnap the Lastborn, and she must discern if the threat to Wren is real—or a ruse to throw Bryn off her game before the Long Night. When her search for the truth forces her side-by-side with a traitor-born enemy, she risks everything she's trained for, and faces an impossible her country, or her family? Her siblings, or herself?
The first children take up arms.
The second children take up books.
The third children are taken.
Bryn Ruelle was never supposed to rank first. Yet there it her face, flashing across every scoreboard with 5:1 odds of winning. The top contender for the Long Night, the final test for the eldest daughters and sons of Durst. The Firstborn must prove they can take a life—or be exiled themselves. If they survive, they'll graduate into soldiers dedicated to defending their borders against their magic-wielding neighbors in Arcania. Bryn has never made a kill before tonight. But by dawn, someone will be dead by her hands.
In case she doesn't make it, she should say her goodbyes. To Asa, her brilliant younger brother, studying anti-magics at Midborn University. To little Wren, her odd duckling of a sister, soon to be taken away with the other Lastborn to a place from which none of the youngest children have ever returned. But Bryn has always key to their survival is loyalty to their class—to Dursti—before family.
Then Bryn finds an encryption revealing an Arcanist plot to kidnap the Lastborn, and she must discern if the threat to Wren is real—or a ruse to throw Bryn off her game before the Long Night. When her search for the truth forces her side-by-side with a traitor-born enemy, she risks everything she's trained for, and faces an impossible her country, or her family? Her siblings, or herself?
464 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 1, 2026
5 people are currently reading
407 people want to read
About the author
M.J. Hastings
1 book10 followersM. J. HASTINGS is the oldest (and bossiest) of five sisters, which explains how she grew up to become an attorney, one who refused to have the imagination beaten out of her. She graduated from law school with honors and went on to serve as a federal law clerk and practice complex civil litigation. Her greatest education, however, was her childhood in rural Kentucky, which left an indelible mark on her life and her writing. M.J. lives in Louisville with her family. FIRSTBORN is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
ARC Review
A massive thank you to M.J. Hastings, Stonefruit Studio and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of Firstborn. I am obsessed, emotionally devastated and I need more of this story asap 🙌🔥
Firstborn is an incredible NA fantasy in a dystopian world where birth order determines your path in life and defiance is deadly. In this book, we follow a stubborn, feisty and equally vulnerable FMC, Bryn Ruelle. She is an eldest sibling whose path as a Firstborn in Durst is to take up arms against the magic-wielding neighbour country, but soon discovers a plot to kidnap her youngest sibling and must work alongside a traitor-born enemy magic wielder.
Pitched as The Hunger Games x Fourth Wing, Firstborn lives up to the comparison and I would also consider it to have some Divergent vibes in there too. The world is complex, but M.J. Hastings makes it easy to understand through immersive worldbuilding and gripping prose. It is 400+ pages of fast-paced and high stakes adventure, tension and plot twists that will have your jaw to the floor! The last 15% of the book had me feeling whiplash from the constant twists, turns and emotional devastation. The cliffhanger though... I need book two like I need air!
You will love this book if you like:
- morally grey characters
- unique magic system
- who did this to you?''
- love triangle
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- secret identities.
A massive thank you to M.J. Hastings, Stonefruit Studio and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an eARC of Firstborn. I am obsessed, emotionally devastated and I need more of this story asap 🙌🔥
Firstborn is an incredible NA fantasy in a dystopian world where birth order determines your path in life and defiance is deadly. In this book, we follow a stubborn, feisty and equally vulnerable FMC, Bryn Ruelle. She is an eldest sibling whose path as a Firstborn in Durst is to take up arms against the magic-wielding neighbour country, but soon discovers a plot to kidnap her youngest sibling and must work alongside a traitor-born enemy magic wielder.
Pitched as The Hunger Games x Fourth Wing, Firstborn lives up to the comparison and I would also consider it to have some Divergent vibes in there too. The world is complex, but M.J. Hastings makes it easy to understand through immersive worldbuilding and gripping prose. It is 400+ pages of fast-paced and high stakes adventure, tension and plot twists that will have your jaw to the floor! The last 15% of the book had me feeling whiplash from the constant twists, turns and emotional devastation. The cliffhanger though... I need book two like I need air!
You will love this book if you like:
- morally grey characters
- unique magic system
- who did this to you?''
- love triangle
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- secret identities.
March 18, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of Firstborn. I’m not okay and I already need the next book 😭🔥
I absolutely devoured this. The last half, especially the ending, had me genuinely spiraling. There were so many holy crap moments and twists I did not see coming at all. I was completely hooked and could not put it down.
The world-building is immersive and detailed without ever feeling overwhelming, and the magic system is so interesting and well done. I really loved that this is a plot-first, romance-second kind of story. There is a love triangle, but it’s subtle and adds to the tension rather than taking over, which I appreciated so much.
The tension? Incredible. The betrayal? Painful. The stakes? So high I was stressed the entire time (in the best way). Everything just works together so well. And Poe, I loved him. Such a standout character with so much personality.
And that ending… I’m still recovering. I need book two immediately.
If you’re into high-stakes dystopian worlds, messy tension, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and twists that will leave you reeling… this one’s for you.
I absolutely devoured this. The last half, especially the ending, had me genuinely spiraling. There were so many holy crap moments and twists I did not see coming at all. I was completely hooked and could not put it down.
The world-building is immersive and detailed without ever feeling overwhelming, and the magic system is so interesting and well done. I really loved that this is a plot-first, romance-second kind of story. There is a love triangle, but it’s subtle and adds to the tension rather than taking over, which I appreciated so much.
The tension? Incredible. The betrayal? Painful. The stakes? So high I was stressed the entire time (in the best way). Everything just works together so well. And Poe, I loved him. Such a standout character with so much personality.
And that ending… I’m still recovering. I need book two immediately.
If you’re into high-stakes dystopian worlds, messy tension, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, and twists that will leave you reeling… this one’s for you.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What. A. Joy. Thank you so much to the lovely M.J. Hastings and Stonefruit Studio for granting me an early e-ARC!
Firstborn is a fantasy set in the post-war land of Durst, where bastard-born Bryn Ruelle has spent her entire life fighting to prove her worth. She's favored to win the annual Long Night, a brutal competition that serves as the final trial standing between Firstborns and their lives as soldiers. Her fellow siblings have their paths - Asa the academic and Wren the Lastborn with an unknown future. But when nothing turns out to be what it seems, Bryn must choose between everything she's been trained to believe and everyone she's come to love.
The magic system is thoughtful and the world-building complex yet digestible, with just enough romance sprinkled in. Fans of Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, Divergent and The Serpent & the Wings of Night will immediately be hooked.
Hats off to the pacing! I devoured 400+ pages in a weekend. When is book two coming?! I am so excited for everyone to read so I have someone to discuss my theories with.
Firstborn is a fantasy set in the post-war land of Durst, where bastard-born Bryn Ruelle has spent her entire life fighting to prove her worth. She's favored to win the annual Long Night, a brutal competition that serves as the final trial standing between Firstborns and their lives as soldiers. Her fellow siblings have their paths - Asa the academic and Wren the Lastborn with an unknown future. But when nothing turns out to be what it seems, Bryn must choose between everything she's been trained to believe and everyone she's come to love.
The magic system is thoughtful and the world-building complex yet digestible, with just enough romance sprinkled in. Fans of Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, Divergent and The Serpent & the Wings of Night will immediately be hooked.
Hats off to the pacing! I devoured 400+ pages in a weekend. When is book two coming?! I am so excited for everyone to read so I have someone to discuss my theories with.
Review of advance copy received from Author
The first children take up arms.
The second children take up books.
The third children are taken.
What an epic debut from M.J. Hastings. I had the extreme privilege of receiving an advance reader copy from the author, and this story is as captivating as it is relevant. From the stunning prose to the lush world building and the jaw-dropping twists, FIRSTBORN absolutely lives up to the hype. This book was pitched as THE HUNGER GAMES X FOURTH WING and that expertly encapsulates this crossover fantasy. This book has it all—morally gray characters, a sizzling love triangle, and more twists and turns than a labyrinth. This book compelled me to keep reading late into the night, uttering the phrase just one more chapter more times than I can count. The ending left me RAVENOUS for book two…it can’t come fast enough.
The second children take up books.
The third children are taken.
What an epic debut from M.J. Hastings. I had the extreme privilege of receiving an advance reader copy from the author, and this story is as captivating as it is relevant. From the stunning prose to the lush world building and the jaw-dropping twists, FIRSTBORN absolutely lives up to the hype. This book was pitched as THE HUNGER GAMES X FOURTH WING and that expertly encapsulates this crossover fantasy. This book has it all—morally gray characters, a sizzling love triangle, and more twists and turns than a labyrinth. This book compelled me to keep reading late into the night, uttering the phrase just one more chapter more times than I can count. The ending left me RAVENOUS for book two…it can’t come fast enough.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Dark, propulsive, and unflinchingly sharp. "Firstborn" is a harrowing, deeply thoughtful fantasy that understands the allure — and the danger — of absolute loyalty. Hastings delivers a world that feels terrifyingly plausible. Truly a stunning examination of how nations manufacture enemies and heroes in equal measure.
Want to read
December 5, 2025Giving this book a chance because the main character has my name, and it's coming out in my birthday month.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book!!!!
March 10, 2026
This is amazing.
Want to read
March 18, 2026NEED THIS ASAP!!!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews