The Last Feather

Papathanasiou debuts and launches the Selene Trilogy with a fierce, appealing story of determination, magical spells, and the bonds of friendship. Medical student Cassia Khan is distraught that she cannot help her ailing 11-year-old sister, Calla, who suffers from waves of pain that no doctor has been able to diagnose and is tormented by dreams of her best friend, Lucas, who disappeared four years ago and is presumed dead. Then Cassia is kidnapped by a mysterious warrior who teleports her to the Selene Realm, a parallel world where select humans are reborn with magical powers after they die. There, she’s reunited with Lucas, who orchestrated her kidnapping to ask for her help in defeating the Rahlog, monstrous creatures created by the First, the original inhabitants of Selene. In exchange, the Reborn will give her a potion she can use to cure Calla. But for Cassia to return to Earth, she must complete her task before the last of seven feathers falls from the necklace that protects her in Selene. Along the way, she finds an unlikely ally in her kidnapper, Prince Lochlan, one of the First. Papathanasiou’s talent for writing resolute characters makes her diverse cast sing, and she infuses Cassia’s adventure with emotion. This enchanting portal fantasy will have readers hooked. Agent: C.H. Armstrong, Purcell Agency. (July)