Book excerpt: By renowned screenwriter Irena Brignull (The Boxtrolls and The Little Prince) comes a major new Young Adult series about the power of sisterhood, fate, and magic. Followed by the sequel The Hawkweed Legacy. A stunning debut tells a bewitching story: two girls, one ancient prophecy. Only one can be queen of the witches. Poppy Hooper and Ember Hawkweed couldn't lead more different lives. Poppy is a troubled teen: moving from school to school, causing chaos wherever she goes, never making friends or lasting connections. Ember is a young witch, struggling to find a place within her coven and prove her worth. Both are outsiders: feeling like they don't belong and seeking escape. Poppy and Ember soon become friends, and secretly share knowledge of their two worlds. Little do they know that destiny has brought them together: an ancient prophecy, and a life-changing betrayal. Growing closer, they begin to understand why they've never belonged and the reason they are now forever connected to each other. Switched at birth by the scheming witch Raven Hawkweed, Poppy and Ember must come to terms with their true identities and fight for their own place in the world. Enter Leo, a homeless boy with a painful past who -- befriending them both -- tests their love and loyalty. Can Poppy and Ember's friendship survive? And can it withstand the dark forces that are gathering?