• Age: 14 to 18
• Grade: 9 to 12
• Reading age: 14 to 18

Paste magazine's Best New Fantasy Books of January
Indie Next Pick
A stunning Celtic YA fantasy adventure set in the ancient kingdom of Eire, inspired by the legend of the first true queen of Ireland, perfect for fans of Shelby Mahurin and Adrienne Young.
In the kingdom of Eire, banshees chill the air, and water-wights lurk in the rivers. But magic is outlawed by the king, and jealously hoarded by his Druid priests.
Neve is the youngest daughter of the king, and Ronan is a Druid's apprentice turned thief, making a living by selling stolen spells. They should be enemies, but their shared hatred of the Druids—and a dark magic that has marked them both—makes them unlikely, if uneasy, allies.
When Eire is threatened by a power struggle, Neve must seize the chance to take her rightful place on her family's throne, with the help of Ronan and the realm's most dangerous outcasts. Their journey takes them to the outskirts of Eire, where magic still runs free . . . and where an outlaw and a warrior princess might carve out a future with spells and swords.
Lesley Livingston vividly reimagines Irish legends and fairytales to craft a YA fantasy adventure that will captivate readers of Brigid Kemmerer and Tricia Levenseller.

Lesley Livingston est une auteure lauréate de romans pour ados, dont la trilogie Wondrous Strange et la série Valiant. Elle a également coécrit, avec Jonathan Llyr, la série pour jeunes The Wiggins Weird. Avant de devenir auteure, Lesley a été actrice principale dans une troupe de théâtre shakespearien. Son superpouvoir consiste à manipuler les flux temporels sans le vouloir de façon à arriver systématiquement treize minutes APRÈS l’heure prévue, peu importe la destination.

Lesley Livingstonis an award-winning author of teen fiction, including the Wondrous Strange trilogy, which won the 2010 CLA Young Adult Book of the Year Award, and was named one of the "100 young adult books that make you proud to be Canadian" by CBC Books. Her newest series, Valiant, is being developed for television.

Lesley Livingston's profile page

“By blending thrilling adventure with ancient Celtic legend, Livingston (the Valiant series) delivers an elevated tale of magic and strife . . . a fierce and capable heroine, dynamic supporting characters, an original magic system, and myriad intriguing subplots will prove irresistible to fans of mythology-inspired fantasy.” —Publishers Weekly
“History and magic intertwine in this fantasy retelling of ancient Celtic mythology . . . filled to the brim with sorcery and treason and with a pinch of romance . . . A lovely story fit for a mythical queen.” —Kirkus Reviews
“Lesley Livingston spins her own dark magic upon the page in this gorgeously lush tale filled with dangerous shapeshifters, power-hungry Druids, and a rebel princess who will have you howling at the moon alongside a fearsome, feral warband. Livingston’s ability to balance epic battle scenes and crackling adventure with soul-shattering romance is nothing short of legendary.” —Shea Ernshaw, New York Times bestselling author of Long Live the Pumpkin Queen and The Wicked Deep
"This lyrical tale includes everything from sorcery and treason to a surprisingly deft exploration of the tension and social injustices between the original peoples of the kingdom of Eire and the king which has outlawed all their magic." —Paste magazine
“Queen Among the Dead is bright, authentic and spellbinding. The story takes place in a kingdom where magic is outlawed and druids hoard and misuse magic. When Eire is threatened, an outlaw and a princess team up to secure a safer future.” —Kahill Perkins, Raven Book Store (Lawrence, KS)