Origins is the second instalment in the Ascension series, which follows Sena – a young woman who must travel to the past in order to protect the future. Each step of her journey is made difficult by obstacles and life-changing revelations. With the help of her friends, both old and new, Sena must try to fight a dark disease that is spreading through her world. As she trains and learns, she struggles to adjust to the truths revealed to her and to accept that nothing – especially her identity – is as it seems as she undergoes a metamorphosis which leaves her feeling like a stranger in her own skin. Sena travels through a portal to another dimension – a whole new world of strange, and yet oddly familiar, creatures, in which she faces the most perilous journey of all. Battling ferocious beasts and coming up against powerful spells, Sena must reach the Tree of Stone in order to finally learn how to save the world from the spreading darkness. Inspired by Ursula Le Guin and Isaac Asimov, Ela Lourenco's second book stretches younger readers' imaginations as they accompany Sena on her travels through an invented planetary system, encountering new worlds and magic. Origins will appeal to young readers aged 10 and over that enjoy fantasy and adventure stories, as well as fans of the first book in the Ascension series, Radiant.