Cover Reveal of Lionborn and the Secret of Dark Rider by Sharique Zea, presented by The Children’s Book Review.
Magic, friendship, and a dangerous new mystery await! We’re revealing the cover of Lionborn and the Secret of Dark Rider by Sharique Zea.
Bursting with electric blues, flashes of gold, and fantastical creatures in motion, the cover throws readers straight into the magic and danger of Fionn’s next adventure. The second installment in the Lionborn series returns to the world of Arborea, where Fionn and his friends face new challenges that put their courage, relationships, and sense of belonging to the test.
Take in all the details of the cover below, then read our interview with Sharique Zea about the personal experiences woven into Fionn’s journey, the friendships at the heart of the story, blending real-world struggles with fantasy, and what might be waiting for Fionn and his friends next.
Cover Reveal
Author Interview
The protagonists in this second book are really growing into their friendships with one another. What ideas and themes about friendship did you draw on as you developed this thread in the new book?
Sharique Zea (SZ): True friendship is one of life’s most precious gifts. It brings comfort, strength, and reassurance during moments of weakness, reminding us that we never have to face life’s challenges alone. I wanted to capture the pure and selfless connection built on understanding, loyalty, and genuine care that makes friendship such a timeless and beautiful bond.
One of the first difficult themes that readers encounter in this book is that parents might have to do things you don’t like because they love you. Were you drawing on any particular real-life experiences as you wrote Fionn and Ella’s dialogue and interiority during these scenes?
SZ: Yes, it draws heavily from my own life experiences. There was a time when life struck me in ways I never expected, pulling me away from my children and turning each day into a challenge. Not every struggle can be put into words, especially as a parent, but one thing never changes: a parent’s love remains constant, even through the hardest times.
While Lionborn may be a story for readers, for me it is a deeply personal journey. I lived every word and felt every dialogue as I wrote them, because beneath the adventure lies a message of love, hope, and resilience for my children.
Uks’ has a real big-brother vibe going once the dragon arrives, and it’s absolutely adorable. What do you hope readers who have younger siblings can learn from watching his relationship with the baby dragon develop?
SZ: I hope readers with younger siblings see a little of themselves in Uks. Having a younger sibling is a bit like being given every role in a story at once. One moment you’re the boss, the next you’re their partner-in-crime, and most of the time you’re finding creative ways to annoy them just for fun.
But beneath all the teasing is something much deeper. Like Uks, older siblings are often the first to step in when things go wrong, ready to catch them when they stumble and stand beside them when they need support.
One of my favorite things about this book is the fact that it blends exciting fantasy tropes with difficult real-world situations, like adoption tensions and school bullying. How difficult was it to get the balance between fantasy adventure and real-world themes just right?
SZ: The characters came first. I knew who they were long before I fully understood the world they lived in. My goal was always to let their choices, struggles, and growth drive the story.
Emotional resilience was especially important to me because, in many ways, I was trying to cultivate that same inner strength within myself. I wanted my characters to face hardship and doubt, yet continue moving forward, growing stronger through the challenges they encountered. Everything else, from the fantasy world to the creatures and adventures, was designed to support that journey.
As a result, blending real-life struggles with fantasy felt surprisingly organic. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is a great example of this approach.
One of the most important messages in the book is that our decisions have real consequences for other people. Was this a difficult message to craft in a way that wouldn’t make the story feel too dark?
SZ: That’s a great question. It was very important to me that the characters experience the real impact of their parents’ decisions, because those consequences matter to the people living with them and cannot simply be wished away or ignored.
At the same time, it’s important to understand that while we may be affected by the choices of others, we are not defined by them. Life can place burdens on us that feel unfair or even unbearable, but that doesn’t mean our story ends there.
That’s why I wanted to balance the difficult moments with things that give the characters strength and hope. Fionn has the love of his adoptive family, the unwavering friendship of Ella and Tiny, and the excitement and wonder of exploring Arborea. Those relationships and experiences don’t erase the pain, but they help him carry it and move forward.
How do you envisage this story could be used in classrooms to help young people think more about identity and belonging?
SZ: Young people often feel different, unsure of their strengths, and uncertain about where they fit. Fionn’s lion companion is a good metaphor to help explore students’ inner identity:
- What qualities does the lion represent?
- If you had a magical companion, what would it be and why?
- What does your creature say about your identity?
Each trial in the story tests a different aspect of courage – not just bravery. Teachers can guide students to see how identity is shaped by choices:
- Which trial would be hardest for you?
- What does each trial reveal about Fionn’s character?
- How do challenges help us learn who we are?
Fionn moves between:
- A familiar world where he feels invisible
- A magical world where he is suddenly important
Teachers can use this contrast to explore:
- What makes a place feel like home?
- How do communities show acceptance?
- Can you belong in more than one place?
Aunt Chloe reminds me very strongly of Aunt Petunia from the Harry Potter books, and Tiny’s animate furniture can’t help but call to mind some of Disney’s beloved animations (Beauty and the Beast, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Sword in the Stone). Were there any particular influences on your world-building from especially loved books and films?
SZ: I didn’t have any particular book or film in mind while writing the story. That said, when you spend your childhood surrounded by stories, they have a sneaky way of settling into your imagination and refusing to leave.
Looking back, I suspect a few of those influences quietly tagged along for the journey. It’s entirely possible that Aladdin’s magic carpet and the delightfully animated household objects from Beauty and the Beast found a comfortable home somewhere in the back of my mind and decided to make a cameo appearance when I wasn’t paying attention!
Aunt Chloe’s character emerged from a need to show Fionn just how important his adoptive family is. It’s natural to wonder about your origins, but I also wanted him to consider a different question: What would it mean to lose the family you’ve always known and loved?
What advice do you have for readers who are struggling with love for both adoptive and birth parents the way Fionn is throughout this series so far? Are there lessons they can draw from this series about navigating the emotions that come with adoption?
SZ: It’s only natural to want to know about your biological parents. Questions about where you come from are deeply human and should never be dismissed or minimized.
However, I think it is important to view the following questions as distinct from one another:
- Where did I come from?
- Who found, raised, and cared for me?
- Where do I belong?
Each of these questions matters, but they are not the same question. When these questions become tangled together, they can create confusion and emotional conflict.
Knowing where you came from may help you understand your history, but it doesn’t automatically define where you belong. Likewise, not knowing your origins doesn’t diminish the love, care, and sacrifices of those who chose to stand by you. And belonging is not something determined solely by biology. It’s built through relationships, trust, and shared experiences.
What are your favorite childhood hero stories that you would recommend to readers who have enjoyed reading the Lionborn books?
SZ: There are far too many to choose from, but the ones I’ve listed below are the books that have stayed with me over the years. They’re the stories I find myself returning to whenever I want to revisit a little of that childhood wonder.
- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
- His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
- The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
- The Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Readers are unlikely to have had enough of the Lionborn world yet—can you give us a sneak preview of what’s next in store for Fionn and his friends?
SZ: Of course. The next adventure takes Fionn and his friends somewhere far more dangerous than they’ve ever been before: the past. Every step they take will matter, because history is fragile. One wrong choice, one moment of hesitation, and they could lose far more than their future. Because waiting for them in the past is the ultimate threat: Lord Morsius himself.
About the Book
Lionborn and the Secret of Dark Rider
Written by Sharique Zea
Ages: 10-14 | Pages: 238
Publisher: Silverhush Press (2026) | ISBN13: 978-1-0669013-5-7
Publisher’s Synopsis: Some enemies seek power. This one seeks Fionn Hurley — and knows exactly how to break him.
Fionn Hurley thought life between London and the magical realm of Arborea couldn’t surprise him anymore. He was wrong. When his bonded shadow-beast whisks him back to Arborea and straight into a burning village, he fears that a banished enemy has returned.
As Fionn and his friends at Arborea’s school of magic wrestle with unpredictable powers, intense magical training, and a baby dragon who depends on him, unsettling clues surface: an aunt who suddenly can’t stand him and visions that suggest his ties to Arborea run deeper than he ever believed.
With enemies closing in, Fionn realizes there’s only one way to track the real threat before it finds him first: earn a coveted place on a magical investigations team.
The thrilling second book in the Lionborn series — a fast-paced middle-grade fantasy adventure packed with magic, courage and friendship, and the next step in Fionn’s journey from uncertainty to confidence.
Perfect for fans of Percy Jackson, Skandar, and the Amari series.
One of those rare fantasy books that readers 10 and up race through in a single sitting.
Pre-Order the Book
About the Author
Sharique Zea was born in Ranchi, Eastern India, and grew up in a home where books were part of everyday life. With a headmaster for a father and a college professor for a mother, he spent countless hours in his local library, where his imagination took root in tales of magic, courage, and faraway worlds.
He holds a Bachelor of Commerce from St. Xavier’s College and an Executive MBA from XLRI Jamshedpur, one of India’s leading management institutions. Now based in London, Sharique works as a Chartered Accountant, balancing financials by day and building fantasy worlds by night. When he is not writing, he’s reading, collecting story ideas, or chasing that same sense of wonder that first drew him into fiction.
