Into the Glades

Informationen zum Autor Laura Sebastian grew up in South Florida and attended Sa­vannah College of Art and Design. She now lives and writes in London with her two dogs, Neville and Circe. Laura is also the author of the New York Times bestselling young adult Ash Princess series and Castles In Their Bones , as well as Half Sick of Shadows, her first novel for adults. Klappentext New York Times bestselling author Laura Sebastian makes her middle grade debut with an emotional fantasy adventure about four friends who journey through a magical, Everglades-inspired swampland to break a curse tied to the death of a loved one. Best friends Cordelia and Larkin have always called the Gladesa peaceful swamp full of magical creatureshome. But when Oziris, Cordelia's father and the leader of their village, dies unexpectedly, a dark curse sweeps over the land. The girls know that the curse must be tied to Oziris's death, and they're determined to break its hold on their home and bring Oziris back to life. Together, Cordelia, Larkin, and their two little brothers set off into the wild Glades in search of an elusive and enigmatic witch who is rumored to have the power to reverse death. The Glades are no longer a familiar and friendly place, though, and danger lurks around every corner. But on their journey, the children discover that the most difficult challenge isn't wild marsh-maids or bogilisks or dragon-gatorsit's the grief threatening to consume them. Leseprobe CHAPTER ONE Deep in the Glades, as the sun set on the evening of the winter solstice, two girls crept toward a sleeping dragon-gator. One held a pair of tweezers; the other kept her hands buried deep in the pockets of her blue cotton dress. Both took quiet, careful steps through the marsh, the brackish water nearly up to their knees, and their skirts tied to keep them from getting ruined. I don't want to do this, Larkin, the girl with the tweezers, whispered. Her blond hair hung in two stick-straight braids, each tied with a scrap of yellow ribbon. A few strands had slipped free, shoved hastily behind her ears. But you want the scale, the other girl, Cordelia, whispered back. She was taller by a couple of inches, with hair the color of mahogany bark. It desperately needed brushing, but that suited her. Everything about Cordelia was a bit untamed. Even the sky-blue dress she wore--the best one she owned--was hopelessly wrinkled. Larkin didn't want the scale. She needed the scale. But there was no time to explain that when they were already running late, and even if there were, she wasn't sure Cordelia would understand the difference between wanting and needing. Larkin didn't think Cordelia knew what it was to need something, only to have everything. She pushed the flare of jealousy from her mind and focused on the sleeping dragon-gator. Can't you do it? she asked her friend, but Cordelia shook her head. It has to be you. And don't be so dramatic--it's just a dragon-gator, Cordelia said, though she was careful to keep her voice low to avoid drawing its attention. A dragon-gator with sharp teeth and claws and a mouth big enough to swallow me whole, Larkin muttered under her breath even as she took a step closer, then another, Cordelia at her side. A sleeping dragon-gator whose big mouth isn't good for anything more than snoring, Cordelia countered. Besides, they're docile. You know that. Larkin did know that. She knew it the same way she knew that the phoenix-flies that illuminated the banyan trees always flickered back to life eventually or that marsh-maids swimming in the Beguilement River were more illusion than flesh and bone--no matter how many times she told herself those things were true, it was difficult to remember when she came face to face with the creatures in question. Especially when the face of said...

Autorentext
Laura Sebastian grew up in South Florida and attended Sa­vannah College of Art and Design. She now lives and writes in London with her two dogs, Neville and Circe. Laura is also the author of the New York Times bestselling young adult Ash Princess series and Castles In Their Bones, as well as Half Sick of Shadows, her first novel for adults.

Klappentext

New York Times bestselling author Laura Sebastian makes her middle grade debut with an emotional fantasy adventure about four friends who journey through a magical, Everglades-inspired swampland to break a curse tied to the death of a loved one.

Best friends Cordelia and Larkin have always called the Glades-a peaceful swamp full of magical creatures-home. But when Oziris, Cordelia's father and the leader of their village, dies unexpectedly, a dark curse sweeps over the land.

The girls know that the curse must be tied to Oziris's death, and they're determined to break its hold on their home and bring Oziris back to life. Together, Cordelia, Larkin, and their two little brothers set off into the wild Glades in search of an elusive and enigmatic witch who is rumored to have the power to reverse death.

The Glades are no longer a familiar and friendly place, though, and danger lurks around every corner. But on their journey, the children discover that the most difficult challenge isn't wild marsh-maids or bogilisks or dragon-gators-it's the grief threatening to consume them.

Zusammenfassung
New York Times bestselling author Laura Sebastian makes her middle grade debut with an emotional fantasy adventure about four friends who journey through a magical, Everglades-inspired swampland to break a curse tied to the death of a loved one.

Best friends Cordelia and Larkin have always called the Glades—a peaceful swamp full of magical creatures—home. But when Oziris, Cordelia’s father and the leader of their village, dies unexpectedly, a dark curse sweeps over the land.

The girls know that the curse must be tied to Oziris’s death, and they’re determined to break its hold on their home and bring Oziris back to life. Together, Cordelia, Larkin, and their two little brothers set off into the wild Glades in search of an elusive and enigmatic witch who is rumored to have the power to reverse death.

The Glades are no longer a familiar and friendly place, though, and danger lurks around every corner. But on their journey, the children discover that the most difficult challenge isn’t wild marsh-maids or bogilisks or dragon-gators—it’s the grief threatening to consume them.

Leseprobe

CHAPTER ONE

Deep in the Glades, as the sun set on the evening of the winter solstice, two girls crept toward a sleeping dragon-gator. One held a pair of tweezers; the other kept her hands buried deep in the pockets of her blue cotton dress. Both took quiet, careful steps through the marsh, the brackish water nearly up to their knees, and their skirts tied to keep them from getting ruined.

“I don’t want to do this,” Larkin, the girl with the tweezers, whispered. Her blond hair hung in two stick-straight braids, each tied with a scrap of yellow ribbon. A few strands had slipped free, shoved hastily behind her ears.

“But you want the scale,” the other girl, Cordelia, whispered back. She was taller by a couple of inches, with hair the color of mahogany bark. It desperately needed brushing, but that suited her. Everything about Cordelia was a bit untamed. Even the sky-blue dress she wore--the best one she owned--was hopelessly wrinkled.

Larkin didn’t want the scale. She needed the scale. But there was no time to explain that when they were already running late, and even if there were, she wasn’t sure Cordelia would understand the difference between wanting and needing. Larkin didn’t think Cordelia knew what it was to need something, only to have everything.

She pushed the flare of jealousy from her mind and focused on the sleeping dragon-gator. “Can&rsqu…