Heather Kassner

Age range 9+ With echoes of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and Jonathan Auxier's The Night Gardener, debut author Heather Kassner crafts a gorgeously written story humming with magic, mystery, and dark imaginings. A dark, compelling debut fantasy about a mysterious girl seeking the truth about the magic that brought her to life. Made of dust and bone and imagination, Irreelle fears she's not quite real. Only the finest magical thread tethers her to life -- and to Miss Vesper. But for all her efforts to please her cruel creator, the thread is unravelling. Irreelle is forgetful as she gathers bone dust. She is slow returning from the dark passages beneath the cemetery. Worst of all, she is unmindful of her crooked bones. When Irreelle makes one final, unforgivable mistake by destroying a frightful creature just brought to life, Miss Vesper threatens to imagine her away once and for all. Defying her creator for the very first time, Irreelle flees to the underside of the graveyard and embarks on an adventure to unearth the mysterious magic that breathes bones to life, even if it means she will return to dust and be no more.

The Bone Garden

In this mysterious and mesmerizing fantasy novel, perfect for fans of Splendor and Glooms and Circus Mirandus, a windswept girl who can float among the stars searches for her long-lost father at a shadow-filled carnival. Left all alone after her mother passes away, twelve-year-old Louisa LaRoche watches the sky for her father. Long ago, a powerful gust of wind swept through town, stealing him away on the wings of his untamed magic—the same magic that stirs within Louisa. As if she is made of hollow bones and too much air, her feet never quite touch the ground. But for all her sky gazing, Louisa finds her fortune on the leaf-strewn street when she spots a gleaming black-and-gold invitation—a ticket to the Carnival Beneath the Stars. If her father fits in nowhere else, maybe she’ll find him there, dazzling crowds alongside the other strange and wonderful feats. Only, soon after she arrives, a tightrope act ends disastrously—and suspiciously. As fate tugs Louisa closer to the stars, she must decide if she’s willing to slip into the injured performer’s role, despite the darkness plucking at the carnival’s magical threads. Heather Kassner weaves a spectacle of wondrous magic, unexpected friendship, and dark secrets. "A dark and dazzling tale, glistening with marvels, mysteries and the magic of friendship." —Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs "Woven together with atmospheric, lyrical language, this is a sparkling tale about grief, hope, and found families. The magic of this book will touch your heart and send it soaring." —Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades "A spellbinding tapestry of dreams and nightmares, shadows and hope." —J.A. White, author of The Thickety

The Forest of Stars

In this spine-chilling fantasy novel, reminiscent of Serafina and the Black Cloak, an orphaned girl chases a thieving boy into a magician’s land of starless, moonless gloom where other children have gone missing before her. In order to survive on her own, twelve-year-old Rooney de Barra collects precious moonlight, which she draws from the evening sky with her (very rare and most magical) lunar mirror. All the while she tries to avoid the rival roughhouse boys, and yet another, more terrifying danger: the dreaded thing that's been disappearing children in the night. When Trick Aidan, the worst of the roughhouse boys, steals her lunar mirror, Rooney will do whatever it takes to get it back. Even if it means leaping into a pool of darkness after it swallows Trick and her mirror. Or braving the Plentiful Darkness, a bewitching world devoid of sky and stars. Or begrudgingly teaming up with Trick to confront the magician and unravel the magic that has trapped Warybone’s children.

The Plentiful Darkness

A spooky and adventurous debut illustrated fantasy novel about a girl made of dust and bone and imagination who seeks the truth about the magic that brought her to life. Featuring illustrations by Matt Saunders! "This magical story—and the brave girl in its pages—will haunt you in the best way." —Natalie Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of Over the Moon “Remember, my dear, you do not really and truly exist.” Irréelle fears she’s not quite real. Only the finest magical thread tethers her to life—and to Miss Vesper. But for all her efforts to please her cruel creator, the thread is unraveling. Irréelle is forgetful as she gathers bone dust. She is slow returning from the dark passages beneath the cemetery. Worst of all, she is unmindful of her crooked bones. When Irréelle makes one final, unforgivable mistake by destroying a frightful creature just brought to life, Miss Vesper threatens to imagine her away once and for all. Defying her creator for the very first time, Irréelle flees to the underside of the graveyard and embarks on an adventure to unearth the mysterious magic that breathes bones to life, even if it means she will return to dust and be no more. With echoes of Neil Gaiman's The Graveyard Book, debut author Heather Kassner's The Bone Garden is a gorgeously written story--illustrated by Matt Saunders--humming with magic, mystery, and dark imaginings. Perfect for fans of Holly Black, Jonathan Auxier, and Katherine Arden. Praise for The Bone Garden "A gorgeously creepy tale with a timeless feel. With her vulnerability and courage, Irréelle is a heroine you can't help but love." —Elly Blake, New York Times bestselling author of Nightblood "[Evokes] the dreamy tone and themes of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline and The Graveyard Book . . . an impressive new fairy tale that will appeal to fans of Lisa Graff’s subtly magical stories." —Booklist "The pages of this book are filled with imagination incarnate—in the form of a haunting heroine made from dust, bone, and a heart of gold. A deliciously dark, unique tale!" —MarcyKate Connolly, author of Shadow Weaver.

Heather Kassner

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