The magical world of Vriksha is unknown to humans. Each night in soft moonlight, from towering trees to the tiniest shrubs, lively plant souls roam free. Yet they must not travel too far, or they may perish forever. On Earth is a hidden realm where the whispers of the trees hold ancient secrets. When sandalwood smugglers threaten to destroy the forest, Siah, a fiery young tree soul, must embark on a perilous journey to save her kind. In the winding paths of the woods, she encounters Avni, a young girl who often visits the sandalwood grove for solace. Siah and Avni must follow their own quests to preserve the harmony of their worlds. Until, in a twist of fate, a remarkable connection blooms between the two, and the forest witnesses a miracle in the face of danger - and life finds a way. The Forestborns is a heart-wrenching story of resilience, a shared past and the undeniable bond between humans and nature, reminding us that magic lives within us all.

A young, orphaned shapeshifter in a world that fears magic must risk everything if she hopes to save her only friend in Elayne Audrey Becker's Forestborn, first in a new fantasy series with a timeless feel. TO BE BORN OF THE FOREST IS A GIFT AND A CURSE. Rora is a shifter, as magical as all those born in the wilderness—and as feared. She uses her abilities to spy for the king, traveling under different guises and listening for signs of trouble. When a magical illness surfaces across the kingdom, Rora uncovers a devastating truth: Finley, the young prince and her best friend, has caught it, too. His only hope is stardust, the rarest of magical elements, found deep in the wilderness where Rora grew up—and to which she swore never to return. But for her only friend, Rora will face her past and brave the dark, magical wood, journeying with her brother and the obstinate, older prince who insists on coming. Together, they must survive sentient forests and creatures unknown, battling an ever-changing landscape while escaping human pursuers who want them dead. With illness gripping the kingdom and war on the horizon, Finley’s is not the only life that hangs in the balance. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Rin, Razo's little sister, is haunted by the forest she has always loved. When Razo invites her back to the city to be one of Queen Ani's waiting women, she happily accepts . . . only to end up on the adventure of her lifetime, following the queen, Enna and Dasha into the countryside in search of a fire-starting enemy that no one can see. As she learns more about the three women's magical talents, she finds her own strength comes from places both expected - the forest - and unexpected - the sound of her own voice. A brilliant addition to the Books of Bayern, this book is a treat for fans of this series, and stands alone for readers who might be discovering the joys of Shannon Hale's writing for the first time.

An exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood and the extravagant court of Versailles, from the author of Cruel Beauty. A doomed warrior and the king's most notorious bastard must join forces to defeat a dark evil in this gorgeously intricate fantasy—perfect for fans of An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses. When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless—straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat. Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in a vain effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her hunt for the legendary sword that might save their world. Together, they navigate the opulent world of the courtly elite, where beauty and power reign and no one can be trusted. And as the two become unexpected allies, they discover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic . . . and a love that may be their undoing. Within a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

‘Suddenly, towards the late afternoon, darkness fell and a monstrous pre-monsoon storm broke loose. Leaves of the bamboo and the jackfruit tree, dust and bits of straw came whirling into their courtyard filling it up in seconds. Durga sped out of the house to pick up falling mangoes and Apu ran after his sister . . .’ In the little village of Nishchindipur, a brother and sister grow up, their days filled with discoveries of the world around them, and innocent play. Apu, a six year old towards the beginning of the book, and his elder sister Durga, roam the beautiful countryside gathering fruits, getting into scrapes with other children, trying their hands at cooking, and even make a long trek to the railway line in the hope of seeing the majestic steam train---until one day, poverty and fate deal a tragic blow. Making a Mango Whistle (Aam Anthir Bhenpu) was first published in 1944, when the author’s path-breaking Song of the Road (Pather Panchali) was abridged for children. Immortalized on film by Satyajit Ray, the story of Apu and Durga is a classic of Bengali children’s literature. Evocative of the joys and traumas of childhood, Making a Mango Whistle, now available to a wider readership in this brilliant new translation, is sure to touch hearts with its simple yet poignant story.

If you’re excited about the upcoming Disney film Beauty and the Beast, starring Emma Watson, don’t miss Cruel Beauty. The romance of Beauty and the Beast meets the adventure of Graceling in this dazzling fantasy novel about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny. Perfect for fans of bestselling An Ember in the Ashes and A Court of Thorns and Roses, this gorgeously written debut infuses the classic fairy tale with glittering magic, a feisty heroine, and a romance sure to take your breath away. Betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom, Nyx has always known that her fate was to marry him, kill him, and free her people from his tyranny. But on her seventeenth birthday when she moves into his castle high on the kingdom's mountaintop, nothing is what she expected—particularly her charming and beguiling new husband. Nyx knows she must save her homeland at all costs, yet she can't resist the pull of her sworn enemy—who's gotten in her way by stealing her heart.