South African born, debut author brings a threat-and-danger, hidden-world fantasy with touches of Suzanne Collins which fans of VE Schwab or Sarah J Maas will love.
After returning to her realm, Cassia continues to use the magic she'd discovered in Selene. Little did she know, that wasn't allowed and because of it, she's abducted by the king. Luckily, Prince Lochlan is still living in the castle pretending to be under the king's command. After Lochlan frees Cassia, they all need to flee Selene to escape the king and find allies elsewhere.
But in this new realm, all the inhabitants are afraid of the dark where a shadow is lurking, feeding upon them.
With nowhere else to go, they have to choose, either they face the king or this eternal shadow.
FLAME TREE PRESS is the imprint of long-standing independent Flame Tree Publishing, dedicated to full-length original fiction in the horror and suspense, science fiction & fantasy, and crime / mystery / thriller categories. The list brings together fantastic new authors and the more established; the award winners, and exciting, original voices.
About the Author
Shameez Patel Papathanasiou was born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. She lives there with her husband, child and two cats named Turbo and Charger. During the day she juggles her time between singing Baby Shark to her daughter and working as a civil engineer where she designs roads and analyses traffic, but at night she writes fantasy worlds with magic, monsters and someone to fall in love with.
She considers herself a professional binge-watcher and fangirl. Don't be surprised to bump into her dressed as a Hobbit or Lady Loki. Should you need anything from her, offer a choc-chip cookie and her heart is yours forever.
Shameez fell in love with fiction, especially fantasy fiction at a young age. Her parents fondly recall receiving her first handwritten story before the age of ten, titled The Treasures of Zombie Island, which surprisingly featured no zombies at all. She has been writing ever since.
Industry Reviews
"Papathanasiou debuts and launches the Selene Trilogy with a fierce, appealing story of determination, magical spells, and the bonds of friendship. [Her] 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." -- Publishers Weekly
"Teen readers will enjoy this tale of a stubborn, clever heroine mixed up with court politics, magic, and a hint of romance." -- STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
"Fans of Catherynne M. Valente's Fairyland series will find a heroine of similar stubbornness, cleverness, and loyalty in a grown-up setting, while Sarah J. Maas or Laurell K. Hamilton enthusiasts will enjoy the fantasy politics, magic, and hints of romance." -- STARRED REVIEW, Booklist
