Fledgling
Shori is a mystery. Found alone in the woods, she appears to be a little black girl with traumatic amnesia and near-fatal wounds. But Shori is a fifty-three-year-old vampire with a ravenous hunger for blood, the lost child of an ancient species of near-immortals who live in dark symbiosis with humanity. Genetically modified to be able to walk in daylight, Shori now becomes the target of a vast plot to destroy her and her kind. And in the final apocalyptic battle, her survival will depend on whether all humans are bigots-or all bigots are human.
What you might want to know about Fledgling
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
A young-looking woman wakes in a cave with no memory and a powerful hunger. She is in fact a long-lived being who needs human partners to survive, and someone has tried very hard to kill her.
Yes. Fledgling (2005) was Octavia Butler's last completed novel before her death in 2006. It reimagines vampires through a 53-year-old who appears to be a 10-year-old girl. The book engages with consent, race, and biological community.
Fledgling is a standalone and works as a starting point. Many readers begin with Kindred (1979) for its tighter premise, or Parable of the Sower for its scope. All three are common entry points.
Fledgling was written by Octavia E. Butler, published in 2005 by Blackstone.
Fledgling is 317 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Fledgling takes most readers 5 to 7 hours to finish.
Fledgling is a standalone novel by Octavia E. Butler, not part of a series.
Fledgling is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
