• Age: 10 to 14
• Grade: 5 to 9

In a gritty medieval world where the ruling houses are based on the constellations, betrayal, intrigue, and a king's murder force the royal sisters of the Bear House on the run!

Moody Aster and her spoiled sister Ursula are the daughters of Jasper Lourdes, Bear Major and high king of the realm. Rivals, both girls dream of becoming the Bear queen someday, although neither really deserve to, having no particular talent in... well, anything.

But when their Uncle Bram murders their father in a bid for the crown, the girls are forced onto the run, along with lowly Dev the Bearkeeper and the half-grown grizzly Alcor, symbol of their house. As a bitter struggle for the throne consumes the kingdom in civil war, the sisters must rely on Dev, the bear cub, and each other to survive—and find wells of courage, cunning, and skill they never knew they had.

"An epic, complex narrative."—Publishers Weekly
"Stellar… Thrilling… Enchanting."—Kirkus Reviews
"Truly wonderful."—School Library Journal
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

MEAGHAN MCISAAC was born and raised in Oakville, Ontario. She briefly lived in the UK, where she completed her MA in Writing for Children, and now lives in Toronto and is a full-time writer. Urgle is her first book.

Meaghan McIsaac's profile page

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"Weaves intrigue and adventure. . . . An epic, complex narrative."—Publishers Weekly

"The stellar worldbuilding is both expansive and accessible, and the action never falters. . . . Thrilling adventure set in an enchanting world makes this an easy pick for high fantasy fans."—Kirkus Reviews

"Truly wonderful."—School Library Journal

"Unique and complex. . . . This book features skillful world-building, an action-packed and fast-paced plot, and a magnificent cast of characters that each shine in their own right."—The Canadian Children’s Book Center

"An adventure that just pulls you in and sweeps you along. . . . The perfect book for me, because not only am I a giant astronomy geek, I also happen to love betrayal [and] intrigue. . . . I just didn’t want to put it down."—The Bookwyrm’s Den

"This is a fantastic start to a new middle grade fantasy series. . . . Quite the adventure, full of wonderful characters that are sure to keep the reader’s attention."—Books-a-Plenty Book Reviews

"Truly amazing."—Kait Plus Books