A first novel by a former opera singer has won the Costa children's book award and is now in the running for the Costa book of the year award.

Moira Young's Blood Red Road is the tale of Saba, a girl growing up in a lawless future land, and her epic, desperate quest to find her twin brother after he is captured and kidnapped by myserious black-robed riders. It is currently being made into a film by Ridley Scott's production company.

According to the judges - author Eleanot Updale, television presenter Helen Fospero and bookshop manager Tony West - "It's astonishing how, in her first novel, Moira Young has so successfully bound believable characters into a heart-stopping adventure.  She kept us reading, and left us hungry for more.  A really special book."

Moira Young was born in British Colombia but moved to London after university to go to drama school, perform as an alternative comedian and become a tap-dancing chorus girl in the West End. She later retrained as an opera singer and sang at venues around Europe before moving to Bath and becoming a full-time writer.

She beat established authors Frank Cottrell Boyce (The Unforgotten Coat) and Lissa Evans (Small Change for Stuart) as well as another first-time writer, Martyn Bedford (Flip) to the £5,000 award.

Previous winners of the Costa children's prize include Jason Wallace with his debut Out of Shadows, Patrick Ness with The Ask and the Answer and Michelle Magorian with Just Henry.

Philip Pullman is the only children's author to have won the overall prize, in 2002 with The Amber Spyglass.

Watch the trailer for Blood Red Road: