Breakthrough Books is delighted by NYC Big Book AWARD WIN for 'The Fire In Their Eyes' by Stephanie Bretherton

"The Fire in Their Eyes" by Stephanie Bretherton Receives International Recognition by the 2025 NYC Big Book Award.

CORNWALL, UNITED KINGDOM, September 30, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Taking gold in the Medical Thriller category in the NYC Big Book Award "The Fire In Their Eyes" is described by Jude Cook (literary critic with bylines that include The Guardian) as:

"An engrossing, urgent, polyphonic novel about the connections between the planet’s deep past and our present unstable, unpredictable world, driven by a memorable cast of characters. A joy to read."

Following characters first introduced in the Kindle-bestselling Bone Lines, it’s a multi-narrative, dual timeline novel of 314 pages which will have diverse appeal, including to fans of Margaret Atwood, David Mitchell, Ursula le Guin, Richard Powers, Madeleine Miller, Jean M. Auel, Yuval Noah Harari and Michael Crichton… as well as fans of BBCTV’s recent Human series (starting soon on PBS in the US.)

The book tackles hot-button issues such as melting ice, glaciers and permafrost, pandemic preparedness, genetic medicine, human evolution and the growing risks of anti-science, alternative-fact sentiments. A speculative fiction novel with overtones of cli-fi, sci-fi and historical fiction, the book is informed by contemporary science and the ongoing revelations of archaeology and pre-history.

It asks the questions ‘what makes us human?’ and ‘how will our species survive and thrive?’ while exploring answers through fascinating characters, gripping storylines, gut-wrenching twists, elegant prose and epistolary interludes. There is also a touching love story at its heart.

Teaser:
An ancient cave newly unearthed in Yemen. A scientific research facility in the Norwegian Arctic. A fertile valley, home to an isolated tribe in prehistoric Kenya.

In present day London, Dr Eloise Kluft is wrenched from a life at last filled with love to join the battle against a new biological threat. In a distant era, an ageing shaman must draw on inherited gifts and hard-earned wisdom to face the terrifying dangers foreseen for her family. Looking to an uncertain future, a hopeful young couple navigate the fraught path to parenthood in a world where little makes sense except the courage to love.

"The Fire in Their Eyes" follows characters first encountered in Bone Lines, as they negotiate life’s risks and joys, and as the heritage of our remarkable human journey is passed along.

“Arcing back and forth through time, 'The Fire In Their Eyes' is a fast moving, thrilling and absorbing read. At its heart lie questions about the nature of humanity, knowledge, information and misinformation, making it very much a novel for our time.”
-Jane Johnson, renowned author and editor

Author Bio:
Born in Hong Kong to a pair of Liverpudlians (and something of a nomad ever since) Stephanie Bretherton now lives on a cliff in Cornwall in the UK. Before returning to her first love of writing fiction, Stephanie spent many years pursuing alternative forms of storytelling, from stage to screen and media to marketing. Inspired by a lifelong fascination for science, spirituality and what makes us human, her debut novel Bone Lines was published in 2018, becoming a Kindle bestseller. Stephanie also writes short stories which have been published in various anthologies. The Fire In Their Eyes is her second novel.

Book Details:
ISBN Print: 978-1-0687185-6-4 ISBN e-book: 978-1-0687185-9-5
Pages: 314
Publication date: June 4th 2025
Publisher: Breakthrough Books (www.breakthroughbookcollective.com)
Price: Paperback £12.99 e-book £2.99
Available on all key online retail platforms and to order from bookshops (Gardner’s extended catalogue, or sale or return direct through Ingram Spark, or from the publisher) and retail on the publisher’s own webshop.

Notes to Editors:
The NYC Big Book Awards is judged by experts from different aspects of the book industry, including publishers, writers, editors, designers, booksellers and librarians. Winners and distinguished favourites are based on overall excellence. NYC Big Book Award receives submissions from around the world, from big five, traditional and indie presses, with well-established and debut authors participating in record numbers in 2025 https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/

For further information and review copies please contact: Jamie Chipperfield
E: publisher@breakthroughbookcollective.com T: +44 (0) 20 7609 1151

Gabby Olczak
NYC Big Book Award
+1 973-969-1899
gabby@NYCBigBookAward.com
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