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.
Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Cassia wakes up in another realm to find her missing best friend, Lucas, who knows how to save her sister.
Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them.
To keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them. Cassia needs to break the curse before her time runs out and she is trapped there forever.
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.
Her fantasy novel, The Last Feather is set to be published in 2022 by Flame Tree Press - it, at the very least, features a feather.
Industry Reviews
"I can't believe it's author's debut book. Because here I am lying in bed after finishing this book still under the spell of it. It was definitely a solid 5 read for me. Thank you Shameez Patel." -- Nida Shabbir, blogger * NetGalley *
"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