Kali Wallace – författare

Years ago, powerful sorcerers waged a terrible war, unleashing strange monsters and a deadly plague that swept over the land. Now the people of Vittoria never leave the safety of their high walls except to hunt and scavenge nearby. Venturing farther is strictly forbidden by the town council, and no one has ever survived an attempt-including Octavia's sister, Hana. But one day, the impossible happens: Octavia is stuck outside the walls at nighttime, and she meets a stranger. Everything Octavia thought she knew is called into question, and so she embarks on an epic quest to uncover the truth of her town, the rest of the world, and her own family. Packed with twists, frightening monsters, and timely themes, this is a page-turning fantasy adventure by the critically acclaimed Kali Wallace.

A young apprentice fights to save an ancient grove of magical trees in this page-turning fantasy adventure, perfect for middle grade fans of Kelly Barnhill and Jessica Townsend. Nick Sixsmith has spent her whole life on the road. The daughter of a traveling arborist, she moves from town to town with her mother, caring for the ironwood groves that people rely upon for survival. When a dangerous blight threatens these magical trees, the Sixsmiths must journey to the city of Mistwood for answers. Nick can t wait to explore everything Mistwood has to offer: the bustling markets, the neighborhoods nestled behind a roaring waterfall, and the vast ancestral grove of ironwood trees. But dark secrets simmer beneath the surface as people start to disappear and tensions in the city reach a boiling point. As the mystery grows, Nick and her new friends must follow the trail where it leads them underground, to a strange and enchanting place called Underhill. Only there, among the roots of the ancestral grove, will Nick find a way to save the ironwood trees and the city she s come to love. This immersive fantasy adventure combines vivid world-building with timely themes of environmentalism, and young readers will be riveted until the final page. Story Locale:The fantastical world of Underhill, reminiscent of a Miyazaki world.