by London Shah
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: October 29th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction
Synopsis:
Hope had abandoned them to the wrath of all the waters.
At the end of the twenty-first century, the world has changed dramatically, but life continues one thousand feet below the ocean's surface. In Great Britain, sea creatures swim among the ruins of Big Ben and the Tower of London, and citizens waver between fear and hope; fear of what lurks in the abyss, and hope that humanity will soon discover a way to reclaim the Earth.
Meanwhile, sixteen-year-old Leyla McQueen has her own problems to deal with. Her father's been arrested, accused of taking advantage of victims of the Seasickness-a debilitating malaise that consumes people,often claiming their lives. But Leyla knows he's innocent, and all she's interested in is getting him back so that their lives can return to normal.
When she's picked to race in the action-packed London Submersible Marathon, Leyla gets the chance to secure his freedom; the Prime Minister promises the champion whatever their heart desires. The race takes an unexpected turn, though, and presents her with an opportunity she never wanted: Leyla must venture outside of London for the first time in her life, to find and rescue her father herself.
Now, she'll have to brave the unfathomable waters and defy a corrupt government determined to keep its secrets, all the while dealing with a secretive, hotheaded companion she never asked for in the first place. If she fails, or falls prey to her own fears, she risks capture-and her father might be lost forever.
Author London Shah is a British-born Muslim of Pashtun ethnicity. She has lived in Britain's capital city for most of her life via England's beautiful North. When she's not busy re-imagining the past, plotting an alternate present or dreaming up a surreal future, then she's most likely drinking copious amounts of tea, eating all the sweets and cakes, strolling through Richmond Park or along the Thames, getting lost on an evening in the city's older, darker alleyways—preferably just after it's rained—listening to punk rock, or losing herself in a fab SFF book or film. If she could have only one super power, it would be to breathe underwater. THE LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD is her debut novel.
by Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: November 5th 2019
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis:
From the acclaimed author of DEFY, Sara B. Larson, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT is a timeless and fantastical tale of sisterly love and powerful magic
"The night my sister was born, the stars died and were reborn in her eyes…".
Zuhra and Inara have grown up in the Citadel of the Paladins, an abandoned fortress where legendary, magical warriors once lived before disappearing from the world―including their Paladin father the night Inara was born.
On that same night, a massive, magical hedge grew and imprisoned them within the citadel. Inara inherited their father’s Paladin power; her eyes glow blue and she is able to make plants grow at unbelievable rates, but she has been trapped in her own mind because of a “roar” that drowns everything else out―leaving Zuhra virtually alone with their emotionally broken human mother.
For fifteen years they have lived, trapped in the citadel, with little contact from the outside world…until the day a stranger passes through the hedge, and everything changes.
Can you briefly describe SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT and its characters?
SOSAL is the story of two sisters, Zuhra and Inara, who grow up trapped behind a sentient, magical hedge. They live in an abandoned citadel with their mother, who is emotionally broken from their father’s disappearance the night Inara was born—the same night the hedge grew, trapping them there. The citadel was once inhabited by the Paladin, a race of magical beings—the same magic that Inara inherited from their father, the last Paladin in their world. Without anyone to teach her how to harness and control her power, she ends up trapped in her own mind. They have little hope of escape…until the day the hedge lets a stranger through for the first time, and everything changes.
Zuhra, the older sister, is fiercely loyal and protective of Inara. She’s loving and strong-willed, but stifled by their entrapment and her mother’s rules—which include refusing to let her investigate any rooms the Paladin once used, beyond the few ones they inhabit. Inara is gentle and kind, but can rarely communicate because of the power that creates a roar in her mind, trapping her even more fully than the hedge. There are some other amazing characters in this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything!
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
The sisters are definitely my first favorites…I love both Zuhra and Inara so much. I am the oldest of five girls, so I can definitely relate to Zuhra and her desire to protect Inara and her deep love for her sister. But I do have a few other favorites, too…I just can’t say much because I don’t want to spoil anything!
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
It started with Inara and Zuhra first. I saw a picture of a girl with glowing blue eyes and it ignited this little idea I’d had sparking inside for a while. Then I saw an image of a citadel on a cliff with a waterfall that ran out from underneath it, and I thought—what if a huge hedge grew around that—trapping a family there? And from there, the rest of it blossomed into the story you now have!
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
Oof, that’s a hard question! I’m not sure it describes it necessarily, but one song I listened to on repeat for certain scenes was Breathe by Fleurie.
If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?
I have such a hard time with this honestly…but I think Mackenzie Foy would be a lovely Inara (with glowing blue contacts, of course), or the model Bogdana from Russia reminds me so much of her from the pictures I saw on pinterest…as for Zuhra, I think Marie Avgeropoulos would do a great job!
Fall is here, and we love to find a cosy place to read our favourite books. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
I love hot chocolate on a brisk fall day (or night, or morning), and I have to say curling up in a cozy blanket by a fire is my perfect place to read a book when it’s cold out!
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT?
I’m working on the sequel to SOSAL, and a few other secret projects!
Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of the YA fantasy DEFY trilogy (DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE) and the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology. Her next YA fantasy, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT, comes out November 5th from Tor Teen. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.
Since her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie Ryan has basically given up. Her grades have plummeted, she’s quit her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become.
When she returns to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian one year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker Morgan, a local boy brimming with sunshine.
But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted. Will Callie be able to figure out what her sister is trying to communicate before it’s too late?
Can you briefly describe HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN and the characters?
Sure! How the Light Gets In is a summer-set ghost story that explores sisterhood, grief, guilt, and what it means to “get better” after the trauma of an enormous loss.
Here’s a more thorough summary, as well as some insight into a few of HTLGI’s characters: After her sister’s tragic death, seventeen-year-old Callie’s grades plummet, she quits her swim team, and she barely recognizes the people her parents have become. When she’s forced to return to her aunt’s run-down coastal Victorian a year after Chloe’s death, Callie resigns herself to a summer of guilt and home renovations. She doesn’t expect to be charmed by the tiny coastal town or by Tucker, a local boy brimming with sunshine. But even as her days begin to brighten, Callie’s nights are crowded with chilling dreams, unanswered questions, and eerie phenomenon that have her convinced she’s being haunted.
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
Callie, for sure. She was a huge challenge to write because she’s very, very sad for a great deal of the book. Her sadness sometimes makes her off-putting to the story’s other characters, but I didn’t want readers to feel that way about her. In an effort to make her more relatable—more than her grief—I gave her a passion: swimming. When I was Callie’s age, I was a swimmer, too, so it was cool to share that interest with this protagonist I was already spending tons of time with. I also love Callie for her fierce loyalty, her curiosity, and her huge heart. She adores her family, and she quickly comes to adore Tucker. I’m really proud of her and her journey throughout the story.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
How the Light Gets In was the third manuscript I wrote, way back in 2010. I knew I wanted to write about a haunting, I knew I wanted an old mystery to tie into the contemporary storyline, I knew there had to be romance, and I knew I wanted to set the story in a beach town. The story grew from there.
HTLGI has changed a lot since its early inception, but those original bits of ideas stayed the same. I found inspiration in lots of places: documentaries about the paranormal, movies like The Sixth Sense and The Man in the Moon, and Cannon Beach, Oregon, the real-life town my fictional Bell Cove is inspired by. I also tossed in a lot of the little things I love, like beach walks, kitties, and Jelly Bellies.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?
Oh, gosh – I’m so terrible at this question because I’m pretty unhip to current teen/young adult actors and actresses. BUT. I can kind of picture Dove Cameron as Callie; like, the Liv & Maddie girl-next-door “Maddie” version of Dove Cameron. (How weirdly specific is that?!) And I’ve always imagined Tucker to look like Luke Mitchell from this (probably obscure) mermaid show my daughter and I used to watch called H2O: Just Add Water.
Summer is still here and we love to go out and enjoy the sun. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
I happen to think How the Light Gets In makes a pretty fantastic beach book. Read it with your toes in the sand, sipping something tropical and refreshing, while the waves crash just beyond.
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN?
I have a couple of projects in the works, both contemporary YA romances that have me inspired. I can’t imagine writing anything other than contemporary YA romance, so I hope to be able to publish more books that are similar to Kissing Max Holden, The Impossibility of Us, and How the Light Gets In. Also, one of my favorite writer friends and I are in the earliest stages of planning something collaborative, which has been so much fun so far!
Author London Shah is a British-born Muslim of Pashtun ethnicity. She has lived in Britain's capital city for most of her life via England's beautiful North. When she's not busy re-imagining the past, plotting an alternate present or dreaming up a surreal future, then she's most likely drinking copious amounts of tea, eating all the sweets and cakes, strolling through Richmond Park or along the Thames, getting lost on an evening in the city's older, darker alleyways—preferably just after it's rained—listening to punk rock, or losing herself in a fab SFF book or film. If she could have only one super power, it would be to breathe underwater. THE LIGHT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WORLD is her debut novel.
