Water Worm and Siren Bone [eBook]
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- Homeschool Family Favorite
- Sibling Loyalty + Found Family
- Moral Integrity and Courage
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📘 Water Worm and Siren Bone
Book Two in the Five Kingdoms Chronicles
A thrilling sea-bound quest full of danger, loyalty, and magic—perfect for readers ages 12–17 and the families who love sharing stories together.
Katrin thought the worst was behind her. But when she and her companions set out to return to the Isle of Talisfarne, they find Duke Bartholomes is still hunting them—and this time, he isn’t alone. A shadowy figure known only as the Spider has discovered the growing power within Katrin and will stop at nothing to claim it for himself.
Pursued by pirates, mercenaries, and enemies on all sides, Katrin and her friends must cross treacherous waters where not even the sea can guarantee their safety. As secrets surface and alliances are tested, Katrin must decide what she's willing to sacrifice to keep her people—and her magic—safe.
🗝️ What readers will experience:
- 🧭 A courageous found family of teens navigating high-stakes choices and rising danger
- 🌊 Sea voyages, siren lore, water worms, and pulse-pounding confrontations
- 💙 Emotional themes: loyalty, trust, self-sacrifice, and inner strength
- 📚 Clean, immersive storytelling perfect for homeschoolers and classroom discussion
⚓ For fans of Slavic-inspired fantasy, sea-faring adventure, and multi-POV YA epics like The Chronicles of Narnia or The Queen’s Thief Series.
Genre: Historical fantasy, action & adventure, coming of age, mythological creatures and folklore
Audience: Middle schoolers, teens, young adults, adults
Recommended Reader Age: 12+
Explicit Language: None
Explicit Content: None. Later books in series contain sweet romance.
Violence: Action-packed battles that may include death, but without gore or graphic violence
"This fairy-tale-like story follows a pair of down-on-their-luck siblings as they try to outsmart a villainous duke.
In this book set in the fantasy world of Talisfarne (which sometimes resembles a bygone Russia), Katrin and her younger brother, Cyril, live by themselves on a small island. They were orphaned after their mother died of an illness, and their father was murdered by marauders who broke the government’s peace treaty not long after. Magic, or “magia,” abounds—alongside plenty of enchanted creatures like fey and even sirens: “Her silver tail [splashed] a shower of dazzling brightness so that Cyril felt he’d been sprinkled with the shards of fallen stars.” After losing their house (and everything in it) in a contest, Cyril makes a deal with Ilya, the contest’s winner: Deliver a mysterious package to Ilya’s father, and Ilya will return the property to Katrin. This seemingly simple task leads to wild twists and turns. Cyril winds up in jail, and Katrin discovers the power behind her exceptionally beautiful singing voice. Along the way, readers meet a colorful cast, including the Princess Astrid, Diogenes the woodsman, and an evil duke. Stuffed with traditional fairy-tale references, such as clever disguises and an old woman with mysterious gifts, the novel tackles multiple storylines and characters. Swanson ably juggles everything and everyone, delivering both an intriguing plot and lyrical prose that may remind some readers of Erin Morgenstern’s The Starless Sea, from 2019. (“Cyril huffed and grumbled and shrugged into his cloak. His gait looked stiffer than usual as he departed the cottage for tutors or prayers or whatever it was he did these days between sun-up and midnight.”) The author conjures a vivid world where her characters discover themselves in endlessly surprising ways, melding ancient folklore with politics and enchantment.
A charming tale brimming with magic, beauty, action, and memorable characters."
OUR VERDICT: GET IT
(Publishers note: this book was originally published as TSARINA SCHOLAR WOODSMAN THIEF)
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