Search results for ""author alane adams""

KEY SELLING POINTS: • There is a large audience for tween adventure fantasy novels right now, with competitors like Rick Riordan bringing out similarly themed books. • This series is targeted at younger readers interested in fantasy but not ready for longer, dense reads—a huge audience. • Book 1 in the Witches of Orkney series has done well, selling over 5,000 copies in its first two months, and received a positive Foreword and Kirkus review. • This series serves as a prequel for a younger audience to the Legends of Orkney series, which earned a five-star review from Foreword Reviews, reviews from Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal. AUDIENCE: • Middle grade readers • Chapter book readers • Book clubs • Elementary school classrooms • Tween fantasy readers

Read more less

In the two years since Surt and his army of red giants were defeated, life in Orkney has been quiet. Too quiet for a he-witch like Sam Baron. Until a messenger arrives from Galaway—a mysterious realm whose gods, the Tuatha de Danann, pleaded with Odin to take their small islands into the Ninth Realm the same as Orkney. The news is dire—Balor, a famed Fomorian sorcerer has his malevolent gaze set on raising the Ogma Stone, an ancient tablet that holds the secrets to the gods’ powers. Balor will stop at nothing to gain the stone and return the magic taken from his people by Odin. To do so Balor must obtain one of the ancient treasures of Galaway, the Retaliator Sword, and use it to shed the blood of a royal offspring—one his sorceress has foreseen the return of. Could Eithan, an orphaned slave who roams the lands with Fenrir the wolf, be the true heir to the Vanirian throne? With the help of a shadow elf named Seeth, Sam and his closest allies mus

Read more less

After defeating the Volgrim witches, life in Orkney is quiet. Too quiet. Before Sam Baron can catch his breath, an army of fire giants led by Surt gather in the Eighth Realm of Musspell, determined to destroy Orkney—and it's all Sam's fault. After all, he took Odin's life with an ancient cursed dagger, and now, mankind has lost its protector. To make matters worse, the God of Mischief, Loki, is on the loose and determined to reunite with his evil wife, Angerboda, and their three children: Fenrir the wolf, Jormungand the sea serpent, and Helva, Goddess of Death. Orkney's only hope lies with Sam and his stalwart friends. As Surt prepares to launch his forces against Orkney, Sam and two of his fellow witches, Perrin and Mavery, set out on a journey to rescue Odin, aided by Skidbladnir, a magical ship of the gods that can fly over land and sea, and Geela, a Valkyrie who can transform into a battle-ready goose. Meanwhile, Leo and Keely travel north to stop Loki from starting a war between the Eifalians and the Vanir, while Howie is left to watch over Skara Brae. With time running out, our heroes try frantically to prove once again that they can find the courage to do what's needed when the odds are stacked against them—even when the sacrifice asked is greater than any of them could imagine.

Read more less

As Abigail embarks on her third year at the Tarkana Academy, the coven is under a dark cloud: their coven leader, Madame Hestera, has fallen under a deadly curse and Anarae, a powerful High Witch, has taken over the coven. Worse, Abigail fears that Abignus, the malignant presence that once took possession of her, has moved on to Calla. While Hugo and Abigail seek answers, a surprising ally appears in Endera, Abigail’s long-time nemesis. Endera has sworn to help bring Hestera back, and now she must rely on Abigail to protect her from witchlings who want revenge and from the dark forces working to tear the coven apart. As clues surface that Anarae may not be a Tarkana witch at all but a powerful sorceress from a far-off realm, Hugo faces dire circumstances when he faces Anarae on his own. Meanwhile Abigail and Endera become stuck in the Netherworld, where they encounter nightmarish beings. Will Abigail and her companions stave off disaster one more time? Or does this spell the end of Orkney forever? Join Hugo and Abigail in their final adventure in the stunning conclusion to the Witches of Orkney series.

Read more less

2021 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards: Silver Winner in Young Reader: Fiction (8-12 Years) “This charming and brilliant novel is superbly plotted and will win over readers . . . Phoebe’s voice is dead on and authentic, as are those of her friends. The author's masterful prose and style serve the story instead of merely taking center stage . . . This author and novel are ready for prime time and the big time.” —Publishers Weekly, BookLife Prize Critic’s Report Meet Phoebe Katz, a twelve-year-old foster kid from New York City who’s been bounced around the system her entire life. Things happen around Phoebe, but it’s not like they’re her fault! But when a statue of Athena comes to life, Phoebe gets the stunning news she’s the daughter of Zeus, has a twin brother named Perseus—and was sent away from ancient Greece as a baby to stop a terrible prophecy that predicted she would one day destroy Olympus. Athena warns Phoebe to stay in hiding, but when the vengeful god Ares kidnaps her beloved social worker, Phoebe has no choice—she has to travel back to ancient Greece and rescue him! There, Phoebe and her friends Angie and Damian discover a new prophecy, one that may fix everything. The catch: Phoebe has to collect talismans from six Greek monsters, including the fang from a nine-headed hydra, a talon from the Nemean lion, and a feather from the sphinx. No problem for a girl with the power to call up lightning bolts and change the weather! But can Phoebe collect them all and stop the prophecy before she destroys Olympus?

Read more less

Abigail and Hugo have just helped restore the balance of power in Orkney by defeating the powerful alchemist Vertulious when Abigail discovers that Capricorn, the mermaid queen she trusted to help them, has unleashed the powerful Midgard Serpent named Jormungand—who, years ago, encircled the world of mankind and held it captive until Odin banished it to an underwater prison. Capricorn is determined to force Odin to make her goddess of the seas over Aegir, and she’s ready to use the massive serpent to bend him to her will—threatening all of Orkney. Abigail and Hugo must embark on an adventure across the seas to Odin’s island sanctuary to find a way to stop Capricorn and return Jormungand to his watery cell. But when Abigail finds that her powers are not enough, she has to tap into her dark magic again and again. As she is drawn further down this path, a dark presence makes itself known to her—one that may alter her path forever.

Read more less

Phoebe Katz is back on a new mission to save Olympus and undo the fallout from her first visit. Damian has troubling news—the epic mythology stories in the books are changing. Instead of Perseus slaying Medusa and becoming a hero, the books now say he’s turned to stone. Worse, thanks to Phoebe slaying the Nemean lion and the Lernean hydra to complete the Eye of Zeus, Hercules failed his first two trials—which means he’s not the immortal hero he’s supposed to be. After speaking with the oracle who brought her to New York, Phoebe learns that without great heroes, the entire fabric of Greek mythology is in peril. She must go back to Olympus and right the history she wrecked. To do that, she must embark on a quest to collect the items she will need to help Perseus defeat Medusa, including the curved blade the Argus Slayer, the winged shoes of Hermes, and Hades’s Helmet of Invisibility, and convince Hercules to complete his new trials without giving up—despite the efforts of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to see the demi-god children of Zeus destroyed. Can Phoebe collect the items she needs and save Olympus once again?

Read more less

2020 IPPY Awards Bronze Winner in Cover Design, Fiction 2019 American Fiction Awards: Best Cover Design: Children's Books—Finalist 2019 American Fiction Awards: Juvenile Fiction—Winner 2019 Readers' Favorite Awards Gold Medal Winner in Children's Mythology/Fairy Tale 2019 Moonbeam: Gold Medal Winner in Pre-Teen Fiction/Fantasy “An enchanting new book full of magical mischief and adventure, Alane Adams’s The Blue Witch is guaranteed to please” —Foreword Clarion Reviews Before Sam Baron broke Odin's curse on the witches to become the first son born to a witch and the hero of the Legends of Orkney series, his mother was a young witchling growing up in the Tarkana Witch Academy. In this first book of the prequel series, the Witches of Orkney, nine-year-old Abigail Tarkana is determined to grow up to be the greatest witch of all, even greater than her evil ancestor Catriona. Unfortunately, she is about to fail Spectacular Spells class because her witch magic hasn't come in yet. Even worse, her nemesis, Endera, is making life miserable by trying to get her kicked out. When her new friend Hugo's life is put in danger by a stampeding sneevil, a desperate Abigail manages to call up her magic―only to find out it's unlike any other witchling's at the Tarkana Witch Academy! As mysteries deepen around her magic and just who her true parents are, Abigail becomes trapped in a race against time to undo one of her spells before she is kicked out of the coven forever! Rich in Norse mythology, The Blue Witch is the first of a fast-paced young reader series filled with magical spells, mysterious beasts, and witch-hungry spiders!

Read more less

2017 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards: Gold Medal, Best Book Series – Chapter Book "Sam's internal struggles and focus on the dark side of his witch heritage are reminiscent of Anakin Skywalker and will likely appeal to fanboys and fangirls, particularly as he 'must face the darkness inside.' Combined with strong female leads, both heroic and villainous, the ever growing and changing cast of characters has something for everyone. Fantasy, mythology, a touch of romance, and enough sword fights and battles to appease even the most action-hungry make Kalifus Rising a well-rounded, solid choice for those craving a new type of adventure.” —Foreword Reviews FIVE STAR review Sam Baron just freed Orkney from the ravages of the Red Sun—but now, imprisoned by Catriona, leader of the Volgrim Witches, Sam finds the darker side of his half-god, half-witch heritage released, and he fears he might destroy what he saved. Unable to resist the witches' enchantments, Sam has become their most potent weapon, and is leading an army of monstrous men against Skara Brae. Sam’s only hope for salvation lies with his three best friends and a mystical artifact known as the Moon Pearl. Keely travels north in search of the pearl, while Howie prepares for the gathering onslaught. Leo seeks a powerful artifact in the underworld, and faces an ancient evil that could be an even greater threat than Catriona and her cronies. As Sam's friends rush to save him, other forces are at work in Orkney's shadows—forces that could help free Sam, or condemn him to the darkness forever.

Read more less

Abigail’s second year at the Tarkana Academy has been an all-out disaster. She’s just unwittingly helped Vertulious, an ancient he-witch and powerful alchemist, destroy Odin’s Stone and restore his powers, and now all of Orkney is caught up in the threat of war as the witches prepare to destroy the helpless Orkadians. Determined to set things right, Abigail and Hugo set off for Jotunheim, the land of the giants, to find a weapon to restore the balance. All they have to do is track down the God of Thunder and convince Thor to turn his hammer over to them. When their former-friend-now-foe Robert Barconian arrives with a band of dwarves, intent on stopping them, Abigail and friends must unite to prevent a war that will destroy them all. But has Abigail made the biggest mistake of all by trusting in the wrong ally?

Read more less

Brrr! Georgie wakes up to a freezing morning in 1920s Pennsylvania and gets the bad news that there is no coal to heat the farmhouse—and he knows there is no money to buy more, either. Just after he finds this out, along comes his friend Harley, who drags him off on an adventure to find some mysterious “black gold.” Before Georgie can catch his breath, he’s in a pile of trouble—all the way up to his ears! Take a trip back in time and join Georgie in this heartwarming tale of mischief made and lessons learned in America’s storied past. USA Best Book Awards: Children's Picture Book: Hardcover Fiction, Finalist

Read more less