• Age: 13 to 18
• Grade: 8 to 12

The second in a sweeping and action-packed fantasy duology loosely inspired by the early climbers of Mount Everest—perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce and Kristin Cashore.

After the terrifying events on Mount Raksha, the witches have returned, and River has betrayed Kamzin to regain his dark powers. The witches’ next step: march on the Three Cities and take over the Empire—led by River’s brother, Esha.

If Kamzin is to save Azmiri and prevent the destruction of the Empire, she must find a star that fell in the Ash Mountains to the north. Fallen stars have immense power, and if Kamzin and Lusha can find the star, they can use its magic to protect their homeland. To get there, Kamzin has allied with Azar-at, the dangerous and deceptive fire demon, who can grant her great power—in exchange for pieces of her soul. But River wants the star too, and as their paths collide in dangerous and unexpected ways, Kamzin must wrestle with both her guilt and her conflicted feelings for the person who betrayed her.

Facing dark magic, a perilous journey, and a standoff against the witches, can Kamzin, Lusha, and Tem find the star and save their Empire?

Heather Fawcett is also the author of the middle grade novels The School Between Winter and Fairyland, The Language of Ghosts, and Ember and the Ice Dragons as well as the young adult Even the Darkest Stars series. She has a master’s degree in English literature and has worked as an archaeologist, photographer, technical writer, and backstage assistant for a Shakespearean theater festival. She lives on Vancouver Island, Canada. Heather can be found online at www.heatherfawcettbooks.com.

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Praise for EVEN THE DARKEST STARS: “An utterly inventive and wholly original debut.” — Booklist (starred review)

Praise for EVEN THE DARKEST STARS: “With a dash of romantic entanglement, a rich original mythology, and a sizzler of a twist at the end, this duology opener will appeal to fans of femalecentric fantasy by such authors as Leigh Bardugo and Sarah Maas.” — Kirkus Reviews

Praise for EVEN THE DARKEST STARS: “Brilliantly rendering aspects of mountaineering, debut novelist fawcett makes readers feel the constant danger and bitter cold.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)

Praise for EVEN THE DARKEST STARS: “Fawcett brings snow-capped mountains—and their baleful secrets—alive in this magical, atmospheric debut.” — Evelyn Skye, New York Times bestselling author of The Crown’s Game and The Crown’s Fate

Praise for EVEN THE DARKEST STARS: “Cinematically vivid…immersive and absorbing.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for EVEN THE DARKEST STARS: “A lush adventure filled with magic, myth, and monsters. Even the Darkest Stars will sweep you off your feet, steal your heart somewhere between the mountains and sky, and leave you breathless.” — Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of Fear the Drowning Deep and Reign of the Fallen