Above the Star - (The 8th Island Trilogy) by Alexis Marie Chute (Paperback)

About the Book

When frumpy senior citizen Archie goes in search of his missing son in the Spanish Canary Islands, he stumbles upon a higher mission: to locate a magical cure for his ailing fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Ella. Using a portal-jumping device called the Tillastrion, Archie and a stone-headed creature named Zeno are transported to the magnificient yet terrifying island of Jarr-Wya in a connected realm. Unbeknownst to them, Ella and her strong-willed mother, Tessa, accidentally stowaway on this not-so-secret quest. What they find on Jarr-Wya is an island tortured by a wicked Star anchored in the sea. There, a three-way battle for dominion rages between the stone-wielding Bangols, the fiery Olearons, and the evil Millia sands. When Ella is captured, her wit and resourcefulness emerge as she fights against all odds to survive. At the same time on another part of the island, an enchanted river exposes Tessa's long-buried secrets and forces her to confront her broken marriage and a confusing new love triangle. She and Archie - with the help of a company of peculiar allies - track Ella and seek to unravel the terrible mystery of her cure. A mesmerizing, stay-up-all-night adventure of three unlikely heroes, Above the Star reminds us that no matter how young, or how old, even the smallest act of bravery transforms our lives and the fates of the worlds around us.

Book Synopsis

Above the Star is an epic fantasy adventure experienced through the eyes of three unlikely heroes transported to a new world: senior citizen Archie; his daughter-in-law, Tessa; and his fourteen-year-old granddaughter, Ella. In this otherworldly realm, all interests are at war, all love is unrequited, and everyone is left to unravel the truth of who they really are.

Review Quotes

2019 Readers View Literary Awards Winner: YA category
2018 IPPY Bronze Medal Winner in Fantasy
2018 International Book Awards Finalist in Best New Fiction
2018 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Fantasy
2018 International Book Awards Finalist in Fiction: Young Adult

"Though reminiscent of beloved fantasies-think A Wrinkle in Time meets The Princess Bride-Above the Star is a magical rendition of a wholly creative tale. Chute imagines unheard of lands, mythical characters, and irresistible folklore, weaving all the magic together with what we know to be true: everyone is searching for something. Her sympathy for the characters-both human and not-is palpable, leaving even the most despicable anti-heroes with room for redemption. And while the story is relentless in its conflict, there are enough moments of tenderness to keep the reader from being overwhelmed. Above the Star is as fanciful as it is grounded, and as gritty as it is fantastic. Chute's visual, visceral storytelling will pull you into a reality you never saw coming and a world you'll be sad to leave behind."
-Lee Lee Thompson, publisher of The Perpetual You magazine

"Above the Star is one weird and wild ride full of memorable characters created by an imaginative writer. A mesmerizing and other-worldly read that kept me off-balance from beginning to end. Think of Star Wars, The Lord of The Rings and Homer's Odyssey all wrapped up together in a gift box called Above the Star. A spellbinding tale of a hero's quest to save his daughter from the clutches of illness and evil."
-Raymond Gariepy, editor of WestWord magazine

"Above the Star is a creative tour de force from the wildly talented author/artist Alexis Marie Chute. Part adventure, part fantasy, part family saga, part quest, the novel leads its heroines and heroes-some human, some extra-human-into peril and redemption, love and loss, and terrors generated by both illness and magic until they finally emerge into a world where courage makes everything possible. The first in the 8^th Island Trilogy, Above the Star ingenuously incorporates Chute's own drawings as important clues that keep the tale racing forward. Her images help to create a strange new world so thoroughly real that when you put the book down-if you do-you won't remember where you are."
-Pamela Petro, author of Sitting up with the Dead and the artist's book AfterShadows

"Alexis Marie Chute's vivid, descriptive passages transported me into a fantastic yet dangerous world. But this is more than an incredible voyage; this is a story about family - it raises the question: How far would a parent go to save the life of a child? You will cheer for Ella, as she transforms from helpless victim to savvy heroine, spurred to greatness by her strange new allies. This is a book that combines adventure, mysticism and also offers a worthy character study."
-Steven Sandor, editor of Avenue Magazine

"Infused with the mysterious and the fantastical, Above the Star is both a page-turning story of a young girl's coming-of-age and a gripping tale of a family's journey through illness, grief, aAbove the Star will leave readers reluctant to leave this magical world and breathlessly awaiting more."
-Laurie Foos, author of Ex Utero and The Blue Girl

"Chute's debut fantasy novel takes you on an exhilarating trip to an enchanting, dangerous world where adventure, discovery, and the cure to a young girl's illness awaits . . . an enticing first installment to the 8^th Island Trilogy."
-Naomi Maharaj, Masters of Library Information Studies

"In this endlessly inventive fantasy, Alexis Marie Chute handles a prismatic but utterly compelling plot with the skill of an expert

About the Author

Alexis Marie Chute is an award-winning artist, writer, and filmmaker. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and photography from the University of Alberta, and her Masters of Fine Arts in creative writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Chute is a highly regarded public speaker and has traveled around the world presenting on art, writing, and the healing capacities of creativity. She is widely published in anthologies and magazines, and her artwork has been exhibited internationally. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with her husband and their three living children.