Coming Soon:
Book 3: The Lost Book of Magic — 1895
Return to the world of Magical Melbourne in the final instalment of my Grandest Bookshop Trilogy, The Lost Book of Magic.
Two years after the adventure that began with The Grandest Bookshop in the World, Melbourne’s glory days have come to an end. With profits down at Cole’s Book Arcade, Ma and Pa are away exploring new horizons to secure the children’s futures. Pearl, now 12, and Vally, almost 15, are struggling to adjust to the uncertain times in which they find themselves growing up. The world feels like it might end before the 19th century does.
It’s an extraordinarily bad time for the Obscurosmith to return.
It’s an even worse time to meet Autonomous Wraith: a reckless, invisible spirit who possesses immense magical talent — and one of the Cole siblings.
The Book Arcade, the whole of Melbourne, and their own lives hang in the balance. But should Pearl, Vally and their unexpected allies choose the lesser of two evils, or the greater of two powers?
Not every riddle has a perfect right answer.
Although the Obscurosmith’s usually do.
Solving them will take the Cole siblings across Melbourne and around the world in The Lost Book of Magic, coming in October 2024 from Affirm Press.
Come back soon for the cover reveal!
Coming Soon:
New High Fantasy Series
Coming from Affirm Press in 2025: a new five-book fantasy series for ages 8+.
Set in a fantastical island world on the brink of ruin, the series follows a fiery young girl named Coriel who finds the magical gauntlet of an ancient king. With the help of Tarn, a boy who can speak with animals; and Jem, a drop-out witch, Coriel must make a perilous journey throughout the islands to find the king’s armour and restore his life. Surely, when the king returns to live out his legendary deeds of slaying monsters, subduing rebellions and uniting the islands, life in the archipelago will be peaceful again.
As they navigate coral reefs, volcanic peaks, mangrove swamps and bustling cities, Coriel and her companions face pirates, sea monsters, witches, merfolk and a mysterious cult. But deciding whom to fight against, fight beside, or fight for isn’t always obvious or easy. Some monsters aren’t what they seem.
This series takes inspiration more from natural history than human history, with creatures based on animals both living and extinct, magic embedded in the rocks and soil of its world, and a strong thread of ecological themes.