Three times a babe shall be born,
between star-crowned and iron-bound.
First, the sower of seeds, the soothsayer,
though lame, he must travel far.
Next shall be the king-breaker, the king-maker,
Though broken himself he shall be.
Last, the smallest and the greatest -
in him, the blood of wise and wild,
farseeing ones and starseeing ones.
Though he must be lost before he can find,
Though, before he sees, he must be blind,
If he can find and if he can see,
The true king of all he shall be.
Merry, Zed and Liliana - three children born between those of hearthkin blood and starkin blood - are on a perilous quest to the Palace of Zarissa. Amid the splendour and treachery of court, they watch and wait: planning the rescue of Princess Rosalina, held captive in the dazzling Tower of Stars.
And as their pasts and presents unfold, their destinies become clear.
The engrossing companion to The Starthorn Tree by one of Australia's best fantasy storytellers, Kate Forsyth.
Click here to see video clips of Kate discussing her writing for the Centre for Learning Innovation
Author Information
Kate Forsyth is the award-winning author of more than 20 books for children and adults, including a picture book about an adventurous boy called I Am; a series of magical misadventures for younger readers called Dragon Gold, Wishing for Trouble and Sea Magic; and The Puzzle Ring, an exciting timeslip adventure for older readers which sees four children go back to the dangerous days of Mary, Queen of Scots to try and break an ancient fairy curse. Since her first novel was named a Best First Novel of 1998 by Locus Magazine, she has won or been nominated for numerous awards, including a CYBIL Award in the US. She's also the only author to win five Aurealis awards in a single year, for her Chain of Charms series - beginning with The Gypsy Crown - which tells of the adventures of two Romany children in the time of the English Civil War. Book 5 of the series, The Lightning Bolt, was also a CBCA Notable Book.
Her latest book is The Starkin's Curse, a tale of high adventure and true love for readers aged 12+, set in the same world as her bestselling novels The Starthorn Tree and The Wildkin's Curse.
Kate's books have been published in 13 countries around the world, including Russia, Germany, Japan, Turkey, Spain, Italy, Poland and Slovenia. She is currently undertaking a doctorate in fairytale retellings at the University of Technology. Kate is a direct descendant of Charlotte Waring, the author of the first book for children ever published in Australia, A Mother's Offering to her Children.