Nina of the Dark — Ken Catran

Against the forces of evil and night, who will stand true? Slave-born, fated to seek a terrible truth from lost centuries, her only allies are a thief, a giant and an ancient prophecy.
A sweeping epic fantasy adventure from a master of the genre, Nina of the dark tells the story of a slave girl in a medieval world where humans battle for existence in fortified towns scattered through a fertile lowlands, dominated by the grim mountains of Backbone. Beyond backbone is a land of demons, flying dragons, witchers, ogres and goblins. Born to fulfill the prophecy of a young woman with hair the colour of sunlight on snow, Nina the foundling is suspected of witchcraft when she starts to experience sharp pain in her thumbs, and has to flee for her life. A classical fantasy adventure for YA readers, Nina of the dark marks a new beginning for Ken Catran, back once again in the HarperCollins list.