Listen to a sample
The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia
Sparrow Xia (Related to this series)
- Author
- Leia Ham
- Narrator
- Dana Wing Lau
- Publisher
- Penguin Random House Children's UK
- Publish Date
- 7 May 2026
- Run Time
- 6 hours 21 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: Magical realism / Magical fantasy, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Witches, wizards and magicians, Children’s / Teenage fiction: School stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Self-awareness and self-esteem, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Brought to you by Puffin.
Welcome to a world that depends on magic - but where each person's magic fades away before they reach adulthood.
The pressure is on for Sparrow Xia to develop her pitifully limited fire mage abilities at Zenith Academy. It doesn’t help that expectations are extra high for her because her older brother Ainsley’s magic is exceptionally powerful – the burn scar on Sparrow’s cheek is proof of that. Sparrow can only hope that her studies will help her discover her fire and finally make her family proud.
At Zenith, Sparrow does indeed gain magical strength – and new friends – but her life at school raises more questions than answers. Should she risk her own future in order to help others? And is Sparrow’s magic the most important thing about her?
Then a mysterious illness breaks out at school, draining students of their powers. Sparrow and her friends are drawn into the search for the cause, but they need to be careful: in a world where magic means everything, some people will go to terrible lengths to try to keep it…
© Leia Ham 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
-
Centring friendship and decency, rather than power, this debut novel feels both fresh and familiar. Readers will enjoy the magical school, and the diverse cast of characters - including a talking raven - and some may recognise the sibling dynamic of one feeling in the shadow of another. There is much to enjoy in this pacy story, not least the stylish and dynamic illustrations by the author herself.
BookTrust
-
Like the best escapes, The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is both warmly familiar and utterly inventive. Sparkling with alluring magical details, engaging artwork, and a brightly drawn community of characters – it’s the kind of book that makes you want to climb into it and never come out.
Jodi Lynn Anderson, New York Times bestselling author of the Thirteen Witches trilogy
-
Magic is easy. Becoming yourself — that’s the hard part. With luminous prose and cinematic illustration, The Missing Magic of Sparrow Xia is a stunning debut — a wondrous adventure of resilience and healing, where the greatest power isn’t found in a spell, but in self-acceptance and friendship.
Marjorie Liu, New York Times bestselling author and comic book writer
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Leia Ham
- Narrator
- Dana Wing Lau
- Duration
- 6 hours 21 minutes
- Release Date
- 7 May 2026
- ISBN
- 9780241827666
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Random House Children's UK
- Genre
- Children’s / Teenage fiction: Magical realism / Magical fantasy, Children’s / Teenage general interest: Witches, wizards and magicians, Children’s / Teenage fiction: School stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: Self-awareness and self-esteem, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Friendship stories
Synopsis
Brought to you by Puffin. Welcome to a world that depends on magic - but where each person's magic fades away before they reach adulthood.The pressure is on for Sparrow Xia to develop her pitifully limited fire mage abilities at Zenith Academy. It doesn’t help that expectations are extra high for her because her older brother Ainsley’s magic is exceptionally powerful – the burn scar on Sparrow’s cheek is proof of that. Sparrow can only hope that her studies will help her discover her fire and finally make her family proud.At Zenith, Sparrow does indeed gain magical strength – and new friends – but her life at school raises more questions than answers. Should she risk her own future in order to help others? And is Sparrow’s magic the most important thing about her?Then a mysterious illness breaks out at school, draining students of their powers. Sparrow and her friends are drawn into the search for the cause, but they need to be careful: in a world where magic means everything, some people will go to terrible lengths to try to keep it…© Leia Ham 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.