Esme’s Wish
by
Elizabeth Foster
YA Fantasy
248 pages
A warm-hearted, whimsical fantasy tale, with lashings of mystery, magic, and mythology, and prose that 'flows like water.' Prepare to fall in love with Esperance!
248 pages
A warm-hearted, whimsical fantasy tale, with lashings of mystery, magic, and mythology, and prose that 'flows like water.' Prepare to fall in love with Esperance!
"A
fresh new fantasy, of an enchanting world." - Wendy Orr, author
of Nim's Island and Dragonfly Song
When
fifteen-year-old Esme Silver objects at her father's wedding, her
protest is dismissed as the action of a stubborn, selfish teenager.
Everyone else has accepted the loss of Esme's mother, Ariane - so why
can't she?
But Esme is suspicious. She is sure that others are
covering up the real reason for her mother's disappearance - that
'lost at sea' is code for something more terrible, something she has
a right to know.
After Esme is accidentally swept into the
enchanted world of Aeolia, the truth begins to unfold. With her
newfound friends, Daniel and Lillian, Esme retraces her mother's
steps in the glittering canal city of Esperance, untangling the
threads of Ariane's double life. But the more Esme discovers about
Ariane, the more she questions whether she really knew her at all.
This
fresh, inventive tale is ideal for readers fifteen and under,
including pre-teens keen to step up to YA. A wholly unique take on
the genre, perfect for fans of Cornelia Funke or Rick Riordan.
SNEAK PEEK
Esme stared ahead at the city, desperately hoping it wasn’t just a mirage.
From a distance, Esperance appeared to be drifting on the lagoon’s surface,
as if its hold on existence was so tenuous that it could slip back into the depths
at any moment. High above the city, sinuous shapes pinwheeled across the sky.
Daniel trained his spyglass on them.
as if its hold on existence was so tenuous that it could slip back into the depths
at any moment. High above the city, sinuous shapes pinwheeled across the sky.
Daniel trained his spyglass on them.
“What are those things?” she asked him.
“You mean the dragons?”
“Dragons?” she spluttered. She rubbed at her eyes before staring skyward
again. As she rose unsteadily to her feet, the boat rocked violently beneath
her.
again. As she rose unsteadily to her feet, the boat rocked violently beneath
her.
“Here.” He passed her the spyglass. “Have a closer look.”
Through the lens, she could see the sun refracting off the golden wings of
dozens of creatures, gliding effortlessly through the clouds: scaled beasts,
with crested heads and long snouts.
dozens of creatures, gliding effortlessly through the clouds: scaled beasts,
with crested heads and long snouts.
“That’s what I was doing over at Laertes,” Daniel went on, seemingly
oblivious to Esme’s disbelief. “Dragon-spotting. A wild mother
and her brood are supposed to have settled down there. But I’d
just about given up looking when you ran into me.”
oblivious to Esme’s disbelief. “Dragon-spotting. A wild mother
and her brood are supposed to have settled down there. But I’d
just about given up looking when you ran into me.”
“They’re really... real?” Esme stuttered, as she retook her seat.
Daniel laughed. “Of course they’re real. As real as anything else here.”’
Wow, that’s reassuring.
But it all felt real enough. The boat rocked in the wash of other vessels
that passed by. The air was saturated with salt, just the way it was
back home. Gulls scoured the shores for food, scattering when pedestrians
displaced them. Columned mansions with arched windows and
ornate balconies lined the shores; squares and fountains filled the
gaps between the blocks of buildings. Winding streets of water curled
up into the city and disappeared out of sight.
that passed by. The air was saturated with salt, just the way it was
back home. Gulls scoured the shores for food, scattering when pedestrians
displaced them. Columned mansions with arched windows and
ornate balconies lined the shores; squares and fountains filled the
gaps between the blocks of buildings. Winding streets of water curled
up into the city and disappeared out of sight.
Links to Previews
Preview an excerpt from the first chapter on Amazon or here on Kobo.
https://www.kobo.com/au/en/ebook/esme-s-wish-1
Elizabeth Foster read avidly as a child, but only discovered the joys of writing some years ago, when reading to her own kids gave her the urge to create a story of her own. Once she started writing, she never looked back. She’s at her happiest when immersed in stories, plotting new conflicts and adventures for her characters. Elizabeth lives in Sydney, Australia, and Esme's Wish is her first novel.
For
more information, please visit her website:
www.elizabethfoster.com.au. Sign up to her mailing list (on the first
page of the website) to hear news about her writing journey and
upcoming books.
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1 comment:
An interesting concept.
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