Janelle McCurdy​

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Mia and The Lightcasters

Pokémon meets Stranger Things with a touch of Philip Pullman – a fresh, action-packed,
magical middle-grade adventure. 

Twelve-year old Mia has always dreamed of being an umbra tamer – a powerful warrior who
tames magical creatures made of shadows and stars in order to protect her home, Nubis. Like many other cities, it has been plunged into Darkness by the shadowy Reaper King – a figure the children of Nubis only know in their nightmares, and through horrible rhymes warning them to stay safe inside the city walls.

When the Reaper King’s minions capture her parents and take over the city, Mia, her friends
and her baby brother must travel across the Nightmare Plains to reach Stella, the City of Light– one of the only places the Reaper King hasn’t yet conquered. But getting there isn’t going to be easy – especially with the king’s deadly cult pursuing them.

Not only that, Mia must learn to harness her umbra taming abilities if she stands any chance of confronting the king and rescuing her parents. If she can’t, she’ll lose her soul, and her family, to the Darkness forever...  

Mia and the Lightcasters is the first in a bold, cinematic, commercial new series, perfect
for fans of Pokemon, Nevermoor and The Last Kids on Earth.

Publisher: Faber Children's
Publication Date: August 4th 2022​
ISBN:  978-0571368433

'A fresh, wild, gripping adventure.' Kieran Larwood, author of The Legend of Podkin One-Ear
'A thrilling, highly imaginative and action-packed fantasy.' Louie Stowell, author of Otherland and Loki
'Thrilling . . . a wonderful adventure.' L. D. Lapinski, author of The Strangeworlds Travel Agency
'I absolutely loved it.' Tol� Okogwu, author of Onyeka and the Academy of the Sun
'Pulse-pounding action.' A. F. Steadman, author of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief

Available for order:

WATERSTONES

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Janelle is an author and fully-fledged gamer. Having started writing and querying at only sixteen years-old, she joined JULA in her early twenties. After graduating from Royal Holloway University with a Criminology and Sociology degree, Janelle moved back home to London, and began writing middle-grade fantasy.

In her free time, you can find her holed-up in her room, gaming and watching anime (some of her favourites being Inuyasha, Dragon Ball Z and Death Note), or attending numerous comic cons and gaming events.​

Author website coming soon.

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Tags​: ​Middle Grade Fantasy, Horror, Magical Realism, BIPOC