The Serpent Rider

In a fantasy world inspired by Filipino mythology, 12-year-old Tanikala is impatient to join the ranks of the Serpent Riders as the chosen one, destined to stop the Great Bakunawa from devouring the moon. But there’s a hitch—in her Kalinawan village, every Serpent Rider must rear and bond with their own elemental serpent, and Tani’s egg still hasn’t hatched. Frustrated by her peers’ training advancement and anguished by the most recent monster attack on her village, Tani makes a dangerous deal with a mysterious stranger who gives her a serpent of shadow and ash. At first, Tani is delighted by the success she and her serpent have on the training field. Yet when Tani’s younger sister is kidnapped by the stranger as payment, Tani realizes the price for glory is more than she’s willing to pay. With friends Kiri and Bato, Tani strikes out into the wilderness, encountering terrifying and legendary creatures on a quest for her sister and, hopefully, redemption. Meanwhile, the Great Bakunawa’s foretold reappearance draws closer, adding tension to this high-octane adventure that incorporates Filipino language and folklore, coalescing in an immersive debut by Diño. Ages 8–11. Agent: Penny Moore, Aevitas Creative. (Sept.)