Beth Bernobich

Beth Bernobich writes speculative fiction that combines political intrigue, magic, and characters negotiating loyalty across divided societies. Fox and Phoenix follows Kai Zōu, a former street child whose friendship with Princess Lian draws him into a mission involving the ruler of the ghost dragons. The Penguin Random House page names Viking Books for Young Readers as publisher and places the novel for readers twelve and older. Kirkus independently reviews it as a fantasy adventure shaped by court danger, spirit companions, and a journey toward the Phoenix Empire. Bernobich builds a world where magical phones and talking animal companions coexist with royal statecraft, giving the quest both playful invention and serious political stakes. Fox and Phoenix expands ideas from Bernobich’s short story Pig, Crane, Fox: Three Hearts Unfolding, published in the anthology Magic in the Mirrorstone. Readers meet a resourceful hero whose practical knowledge matters as much as magic while he crosses unfamiliar territory to bring the princess home. The publisher also records a 400-page hardcover edition released in September 2011.