The Starthorn Tree

The kingdom of Estelliana is troubled. The young starkin count is trapped in a cursed sleep, and not even the light from the Astronomer's Tower, built from precious glass by the bound hearthkin, can rouse him. Then a prophecy turns the starkin against two hearthkin boys, Pedrin and Durrik, forcing them to run from the town and hide in the Perilous Forest.

Here they meet up with another two runaways, the spoilt Lady Lisandre and her servant, Briony, a young weaver with strange skills, seeking a cure for the count, Lady Lisandre's brother. With nothing but a prophecy to guide them, the four must outrun and outwit soldiers, giant spiders, bandits and the outcast wildkin that live in the forest. A miserable old man and a belligerent bandit girl join their journey to the Well of Fate to find the cure.

They must race against time to find the cure that will awaken the sleeping count and hopefully bring a new era of peace to the divided kingdom of Estelliana.

The Chronicles of Estelliana

In the words of Kate Forsyth:
"They are a series of three novels for readers aged 12+, set in a faraway land of magic and monsters, valiant heroes and wicked villains. Each book tells the story of a new generation of heroes who must each fight their own battle before peace can at last come to the embattled land of Estelliana.

I have always loved books filled with adventure, magic, romance, and humour, stories set long, long ago and far, far away. When I set out to write the 'Chronicles of Estelliana', I wanted to recapture the feel of the books I had loved so much as a child, books like The Princess Bride, The Silver Curlew, The Hobbit and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe."

Each novel can be read by itself, though it's recommended that they're read in order.

About the Author

Kate Forsyth is a bestselling fantasy novelist whose books have been published in the US, Germany and in Australia. Her series, The Witches of Eileanan, is six books in total. The first book, Dragonclaw, was shortlisted for the 1997 Aurealis awards for Best Australian Fantasy Novel, debuted at No. 8 on the Locus Bestsellers list and was chosen as one of the best fantasy books of the year in a Locus readers poll. Book 3, The Cursed Towers, was also shortlisted for the 1999 Aurealis awards in the same category. Kate lives with a black cat called Shadow, her husband Greg and her three beautiful children in Sydney.