Reaper’s Return, by Ren Cummins, a steampunk fantasy novel for young adults. I recorded the audiobook version in November 2013.

It’s the first book in the series The Chronicles of Aesirium, and features the adventures of Romany, an 11 year old orphan, who discovers that she herself is a “Reaper” – one of a line of mythological creatures who gather the spirits of the undead and help them to move on to the next world.

For Rom, discovering she has inherited this secret legacy is a shock that leads her to encounter heroic allies and terrifying foes. But it also rescues her from a miserable existence in the Oldtown orphanage, where her stark white hair and unconventional attitude had made her a target for bullies.

Now that she is possessed of new powers and awe-inspiring responsibilities, everything in Rom’s life is about to change…

Listen to an extract from Reaper’s Return.