Archives de catégorie : Frankfurt 2024 Children’s Books

THE NIGHT MOTHER de Jeremy Lambert & Alexa Sharpe

Endless night befalls a sleepy seaside town, leaving it to young Madeline Tock to save her community from a threat known only as the Night Mother . . .

THE NIGHT MOTHER #1
by Jeremy Lambert
illustrated by Alexa Sharpe
Oni Press, October 2024
(via Defiore and Company)

The moon is stuck like a broken clock in the midnight sky, the sun a distant memory. No one in this quiet seaside town can remember how long this unnatural darkness has lasted. No one, that is, except for the curious girl who lives in the graveyard, caring for the dead: twelve-year-old Madeline Tock. In gratitude, the departed whisper their worries to her: beware this endless night and she who causes it.

Because there’s someone else who can hear the whispers, too. Someone whose gown is a map of the cosmos, hair a tangled constellation, eyes like the lights of faraway stars. The Night Mother. Her elemental duty is to gather the souls of the dead in her lantern, then send them to their eternal rest as beautiful moonlight.

But when her hunger for power drives her to take souls from the living, Madeline bravely stands up to defend her town and those she loves. Can Madeline help bring back the sun, or will she be lured by the starry promises of this mysterious woman?

THE NIGHT MOTHER is a lush gothic tale perfect for readers of all ages who relish in the wonder of the night sky.

« Myth-making with a majestic monster at its heart, laced with style and suspense. » —Kirkus Reviews

« A haunting yet poignant story that will leave readers hungry for more. » —Publishers Weekly

Jeremy Lambert is a writer and filmmaker from Bowie, Maryland. He’s known for his comics work on Doom Patrol, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Hellmouth, Dungeons & Dragons, Goosebumps, The Hollywood Special, and his stories for Warhammer, among others. As a film producer, his productions for reakwater Studios, Ltd. have won an Academy Award and James Beard Award. He believes there are few things in life better than a nice pair of socks.
Alexa Sharpe is a Los Angeles–based book illustrator, who has worked on Lumberjanes, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rolled & Told, and Uncanny Magazine. Her art is a window into dreamlike worlds that frighten and delight in equal measure.

THE LAST GREAT HEIR de Carina Finn

The female heirs of two opposing families must duel to rule the land for the next generation in this dazzling fantasy adventure debut!

THE LAST GREAT HEIR
(Feast and Famine, Book 1)
by Carina Finn
Sourcebooks Fire, February 2025

Merriment Feast’s life is one constant party, complete with dazzling gowns and delicious pastries. Well, except for her aunt’s physically grueling training. Merri believes it’s her responsibility to protect her family’s traditions and the power they’ve held for generations.

Rue Famine knows that only Feasts benefit from Feast rule. As the heir of House Famine, she spends her days studying potion-making in an enormous, dusty library and learning how to use her magic to help others.

Custom dictates that the heirs of Feast and Famine must duel on their thirteenth birthday. Only one family can rule the land of Fauret, and Merri and Rue have been raised as rivals. But as the contest draws near and dangers escalate, their true enemy may be a shared one.

Carina Finn is a food-obsessed writer, editor, and content creator. She has written for numerous publications including Bon Appetit, Epicurious, Food Network Magazine, Eater, Bustle, and others. THE LAST GREAT HEIR is her debut middle-grade novel. She splits her time between Brooklyn and upstate New York, and loves sharing her adventures in cooking, eating, and writing on social media. Find her everywhere on the internet at @sheneedsasnack.

SPICE ROAD TRILOGY de Maiya Ibrahim

Raised to protect her nation from the monsters lurking in the sands, sixteen-year-old Imani must fight to find her brother, whose betrayal is now the country’s greatest threat.

SPICE ROAD TRILOGY
by Maiya Ibrahim
Delacorte Press, 2023 – 2024
(via Park & Fine Literary and Media)

SPICE ROAD (Book 1 – January 2023)

In the hidden desert city of Qalia, there is a secret spice magic that awakens the affinities of those who drink the misra tea. Sixteen-year-old Imani has the affinity for iron and is able to wield a dagger like no other warrior. She has garnered the reputation as being the next great Shield for battling djinn, ghouls, and other monsters spreading across the sands.

Her reputation has been overshadowed, however, by her brother, who tarnished the family name after it was revealed that he was stealing his nation’s coveted spice—a telltale sign of magical obsession. Soon after that, he disappeared, believed to have died beyond the Forbidden Wastes. Despite her brother’s betrayal, there isn’t a day that goes by when Imani doesn’t grieve him.

But when Imani discovers signs that her brother may be alive and spreading the nation’s magic to outsiders, she makes a deal with the Council that she will find him and bring him back to Qalia, where he will face punishment. Accompanied by other Shields, including Taha, a powerful beastseer who can control the minds of falcons, she sets out on her mission.

Imani will soon find that many secrets lie beyond the Forbidden Wastes—and in her own heart—but will she find her brother?

★ “A beautifully written, surprise-filled page-turner.” ―Kirkus Review, Starred Review

★ « Overflowing with culturally specific details and set in a fictional, Arabian-inspired world, this high-octane adventure maintains a steady clip toward a scintillating conclusion. »―Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

★ “Spellbinding magic, lush description and whirlwind action define Maiya Ibrahim’s YA debut….readers will find much to admire in this powerful young woman who learns that thinking for herself is as vital as the magic she wields. » ―Shelf Awareness, starred review

SERPENT SEA (Book 2 – September 2024)

Imani is a magic-wielding warrior sworn to protect her land from the monsters that roam the desert. But an even worse enemy now threatens the Sahir. As the powerful Harrowlanders march south with their greatest weapon—spice magic—Imani knows it’s only a matter of time before their invasion of her land begins . . . and it will be a losing battle for her people.

But Imani also knows that one way to fight magic is with monsters. If she can restore Qayn’s stolen powers, together they can summon a supernatural army to defend the Sahir from the Harrowlanders. Forming an alliance with a djinni king is risky, but Imani will do anything to save her people, even embarking on a dangerous quest beyond the sands to find the magical jewels of Qayn’s lost crown.

As Imani journeys far from home, she will discover monsters that warriors have only heard about in myths . . . monsters that can strike at any moment. Meanwhile, her rival, Taha, has been captured and is on a dangerous mission of his own.

One wrong move could cost them their lives—and everyone they love. But they may find that there is more than meets the eye crossing the Serpent Sea . . . and betrayal cuts deeper than any dagger.

In this richly imagined Arabian-inspired fantasy told from a riveting dual perspective, critically acclaimed author Maiya Ibrahim dives into the complexities of love and war.

Maiya Ibrahim is the debut author of SPICE ROAD, an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Born and raised in Sydney, she has been writing stories since she learned how to boot up a PC and open her notepad. When not writing, Maiya can be found indulging in Lebanese food with her family, playing Skyrim, watching Game of Thrones, or swimming with friends at one of Australia’s many spectacular beaches.

THISTLEMARSH de Moorea Corrigan

Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

THISTLEMARSH
by Moorea Corrigan
Berkley, Winter 2026
(via Sterling Lord Literistic)

In the wake of World War I, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Misneach “Mouse” Dunne. Mouse once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Somme, her cousin Bertie’s body disappeared into the mud, and her brother Roger came home with devastating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle, Lord Dewhurst, has left her Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she has to return to her childhood home and claim her birthright. Thistlemarsh was blessed by the Faerie King himself before the Faeries left England for good. But there is a catch in Lord Dewhurst’s offer: if Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month’s time, Mouse will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother. 

It quickly becomes clear it’s impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh…for only the price of a pinky finger. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie—especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant—but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries meets Divine Rivals with a dash of The House in the Cerulean Sea, in this endlessly charming, poignant, romantic, cozy-historical fantasy that will make you happy when you turn the final page.

Moorea Corrigan holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in English Literature from the University of Edinburgh and a Master of Publishing degree from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. She currently works at Lynne Rienner Publishers, an academic press in Boulder, Colorado. When she is not writing, you can find her singing, spending time with her menagerie of pets, or attending Jane Austen conventions in full Regency regalia. THISTLEMARSH is her debut adult fantasy novel.

THE EIGHTY-NINTH WITCH de Dimitri Balcaen

Music, art, and magic meet in this spellbinding tale about a young witch recruited to a mysterious coven that draws its powers from the stars. When the coven discovers there is an imposter among them, she must help find and stop them.

THE EIGHTY-NINTH WITCH
The Observatory Series, Book 1
by Dimitri Balcaen
ReadMore Publishing, April 2023
(via JABberwocky)

Seren has enjoyed her cozy life by the sea with her Granny Calloway, until the day she is whisked away to the mysterious Observatory to join the coven of eighty-eight witches who help protect the universe, along with members of the Zodiac.

There must always be that eighty-eight witches at the Observatory in order to keep the balance of the magic. But when there suddenly turns out to be one witch too many at the initiation, the search begins for who among them is the one who doesn’t belong.

Seren and her new friends take it up on themselves to solve the mystery of who the intruder is and what her purpose might be. Is this mysterious false witch here to bring down the Observatory? Is she responsible for the growing disappearances of the members of the Zodiac?

As Seren develops her magical powers, she will uncover more secrets about the Observatory than she ever imagined.

Book 2 THE KNIGHT OF ORION published in April 2024.

Dimitri Olivier Balcaen is a Belgian novelist and screenwriter. He has written several books for Readmore Publishing, including the Peter & Pan series and Grimoire the World Tree cycle.