Description

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An action-packed, inclusive and breathtakingly magical middle-grade adventure, for fans of THE UNADOPTABLES and THE GIRL WHO STOLE AN ELEPHANT

A spellbinding, epic and heart-racing magical adventure from an exquisite new storytelling talent.

'An unexpected gem of a story . . . A stellar setting, a gut-punch of a twist, and an unforgettable heroine. This has all the hallmarks of classic children's storytelling' - Nizrana Farook author, The Girl Who Stole an Elephant

'A wonderful writer who paints a thoroughly convincing heroine' - The Daily Telegraph

India, 1855. The British rule, and all across the country, Indian magic is being stamped out. More terrifying still, people born with magic are being snatched from their homes. Rumor is that they are being taken across the sea - to England - by the all-powerful, sinister Company.

When Chompa's home is attacked and her mother viciously kidnapped, Chompa - born with powerful and dangerous magic that she has always been forbidden from using - must travel to the smoky, bustling streets of East London in search of her. But Chompa will discover far more treachery in London than she had bargained for - and will learn that every act of her rare magic comes with a price . . .

'A gripping and spellbinding fantasy woven together with threads of magic, secrets and colonial history . . . An incredible cast of characters and a truly multicultural Victorian London that we don't see often enough' - Rashmi Sirdeshpande, author, Dadaji's Paintbrush

'A wonderfully vibrant debut . . . A vivid magical adventure' - Jasbinder Bilan, author, Ash and the Spirit Bird

About the Author

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Nazneen Ahmed Pathak is a British Bangladeshi writer, historian and visual artist who lives in the port city of Southampton. She spent most of her teen years in commuter belt suburbia writing, reading, and listening to melancholy indie music, going on to study English literature at the University of Warwick and completing a PhD in Bangladeshi literature at the University of Oxford. As a historian she researches the geography and history of migration, a subject which is also at the heart of much of her fiction, poetry and visual arts practice.

She was selected as one of 12 mentees from 2000 applicants for the 2016/17 inaugural round of Penguin Random House's Write Now mentorship scheme which aims to support and publish underrepresented writers. She has held residencies at Southampton Central Libraries, John Hansard Gallery, Southampton Museums and Archives, and the Francis Crick Institute in association with Poet in the City. She has been published in Poem: International English Language Quarterly, Places of Poetry: Mapping the Nation in Verse (OneWorld Publications), The Puffin Book of Big Dreams (Puffin), and A Match Made in Heaven: British Muslim Women Write About Love and Desire (Hope Road Press).

Sandhya Prabhat is an independent animator and illustrator from Chennai, now living in the US, in the Bay Area. She has illustrated children's books, as well as animating for TV and movies, and designing for social media platforms. Her clients include Penguin Random House India, HarperCollins India, Candlewick and Lantana Publishing.

Praise For…

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"The author deftly weaves in themes of colonialism and racism to create an absorbing narrative about slavery, exploitation, and poverty, as she further explains in an author’s note that contains fascinating cultural context. Prabhat’s illustrations in the section openers and chapter headers are visual treats, inviting readers to linger and pore over the little nuggets tucked inside. A brave, pacy book with some spellbinding history."—Kirkus Reviews