The Gravedigger's Apprentice - by Linda Cheng (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A young apprentice graverobber must infiltrate a highly dangerous tomb to rescue her found family in this spooky, illustrated supernatural historical adventure set in 1930s China.

For orphan Qin Lanfeng, being taken in by the Gravediggers Guild was the best thing that ever happened to her. Finally, she's found a place to belong, even if it's with a gang of thieves who operate in Tianjin's criminal underground.

So when her guildmates are captured by a corrupt army officer called the Warlord, Lanfeng jumps at the opportunity to rescue them--and to prove her skills--by plundering the most dangerous tomb in the province on his behalf. Looming with known dangers--like spring-loaded traps, rockslides, and noxious fumes--and the unknown, undead ones that emerge when you offend sacred funerary rites, the tomb could be the key to her freedom--or her eternal cage.

To infiltrate it, Lanfeng is forced to team up with rival apprentice Nie Beichen. The two of them, with Lanfeng's best friend Yiyi and an unexpected tagalong, set off for the mountains of the North China Plain, intent on saving the only family they have ever known. But Lanfeng must keep her wits about her, because it isn't just the dead that mean her harm--the living keep secrets too.

About the Author

Linda Cheng was born in Taiwan and spent her childhood moving between cultures and continents. She received her BFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design and worked as an art director across South Carolina and Georgia where she developed a deep love for sweet tea, grits, and Southern Gothic stories. She currently resides in Vancouver, Canada, with her family.

Kristina Kister is an illustrator and character designer from Essen, Germany. She is a freelance illustrator with a focus on middle grade novels and all kinds of whimsical stories. She has a soft spot for fiction and nonfiction books involving mythical creatures, the mysteries of the universe, and everything magical and mysterious. Having a background as a graphic designer, she's developed a style is characteristic for geometric shapes and bright color palettes. She can be found on Instagram @NichtLicht.