One Small Fire at a Time

In Overture, magic can cure all diseases, but not those of the mind. Society looks down on those whose illnesses are incurable by magic, and these "lunatics" must stay in madhouses until they recover their sanity—if they ever do.

But no one has a worse madness than 13-year-old Janis—not even those who long for death, or live in constant fear, or see and hear the unreal—because in a city where everyone can use magic, Janis alone can't. "Magic Deficiency Disorder," they call it.

Her disability makes Janis an easy target for bullying, but she still fights back despite always losing. One day, she is saved from her bullies by Aidan Woolf, a powerful mage and police commander.

In Woolf, Janis finds a father figure, but the commander didn't come to her madhouse just for a visit. He has a mission.

Characters:

Janis Janis has lived in a madhouse since she was a small child because she suffers from what many people call the worst madness ever - she can't use magic. Between her so-called "magic deficiency disorder" and the bullying she has to endure every day because of it, Janis is ready to give up hope, but her life is about to change...

Aidan Woolf As the commander of the Overture police's most elite special forces unit, Aidan Woolf comes to the madhouse on a mission from the king himself. There he meets Janis, a teenage girl who reminds him of the daughter he lost many years ago in an incident that transformed him into a hardened warrior who puts duty above everything else.

Candela Carroll Her sketchbook is the only thing in the world that can hold Candela Carroll's attention for more than five minutes, but she's Janis's best friend at the madhouse. However, since she's three years older, Candela will be forced to leave the children's ward before Janis does, and that time may come sooner than they think.…