The Stolen Prince Of Cloudburst
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- £7.99
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Esther Mettlestone-Staranise (cousin to Bronte) is looking forward to another year at Katherine Valley Boarding School. But she arrives to find a number of strange and unsettling changes. Her new teacher is rumoured to be an Ogre. The mountains surrounding the school - usually a delight of glaciers, teashops, lakes and Faeries - are now crowded with wicked Shadow Mages.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the kingdom, the little Prince of Cloudburst who was stolen from the seashore by a Water Sprite, has found his way home. The King and Queen are planning the biggest party in their Kingdom's history to welcome him.
As secrets and dangers escalate, Esther - who is not talented like her sisters, nor an adventurer like her cousin - must find answers to several puzzles. Why is her teacher behaving so oddly? Which of Esther's classmates is the Spellbinder? And could the Stolen Prince of Cloudburst be connected in some way…?
Perhaps Esther is more talented than she thinks as she must battle to save her school, her family, and possibly her whole world… Esther Mettlestone-Staranise (cousin to Bronte) is looking forward to another year at Katherine Valley Boarding School. But she arrives to find a number of strange and unsettling changes. Her new teacher is rumoured to be an Ogre. The mountains surrounding the school - usually a delight of glaciers, teashops, lakes and Faeries - are now crowded with wicked Shadow Mages.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Esther Mettlestone-Staranise—an unexceptional child from an exceptional family—returns to Katherine Valley Boarding School after summer break, she's distraught to learn that her two best friends have transferred elsewhere. What's more, the normally peaceful mountains surrounding the academy now teem with malevolent Shadow Mages, and sixth grade teacher Mrs. Pollock is a mean-spirited old lady who grades her harshly. Esther's initial strategy is to keep her head down and muddle through, but then illness sidelines the undercover Spellbinder tasked with protecting the campus. None of her teachers or fellow students knows, and Esther has been sworn to secrecy, so "ordinary" Esther resolves to do whatever it takes to protect her peers until reinforcements arrive. Scant worldbuilding aside, Moriarty's standalone book, set in the Kingdoms and Empires universe, largely succeeds thanks to Esther's earnest, enthusiastic narration. The start meanders, hindering drive, but the tale crescendos to an uplifting close that promotes honesty, bravery, and self-confidence. Ages 10–14. Agents: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management, and Tara Wynne, Curtis Brown Australia.
