The Plentiful Darkness - by Heather Kassner (Paperback)

About the Book

"Orphaned twelve-year-old Rooney de Barra chases a thieving boy into a magician's realm of darkness"--

Book Synopsis

In Heather Kassner's spine-chilling fantasy novel, reminiscent of Serafina and the Black Cloak, an orphaned girl chases a thieving boy into a magician's land of starless, moonless gloom where other children have gone missing before her.

"Though the darkness is indeed plentiful, this book gleams with an eerie magic, its characters burning bright and fierce. A visual treat of a tale." --Stefan Bachmann, international bestselling author of Cinders and Sparrows

In order to survive on her own, twelve-year-old Rooney de Barra collects precious moonlight, which she draws from the evening sky with her (very rare and most magical) lunar mirror. All the while she tries to avoid the rival roughhouse boys, and yet another, more terrifying danger: the dreaded thing that's been disappearing children in the night.

When Trick Aidan, the worst of the roughhouse boys, steals her lunar mirror, Rooney will do whatever it takes to get it back. Even if it means leaping into a pool of darkness after it swallows Trick and her mirror. Or braving the Plentiful Darkness, a bewitching world devoid of sky and stars. Or begrudgingly teaming up with Trick to confront the magician and unravel the magic that has trapped Warybone's children.

Review Quotes

"Though the darkness is indeed plentiful, this book gleams with an eerie magic, its characters burning bright and fierce. A visual treat of a tale." --Stefan Bachmann, international bestselling author of Cinders and Sparrows

Praise for The Forest of Stars

* "Irresistible." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Kassner's writing dazzles . . . a tale of hope, courage, and friendship." --Newbery Honor winner Ingrid Law

"Like the carnival at its heart, this story is richly magical and delightfully eerie." --Cassie Beasley, New York Times bestselling author of Circus Mirandus

"Fans of Kelly Barnhill and Neil Gaiman will love Kassner's sometimes sinister, always magical carnival in this evocative fantasy about finding your place in the world." --School Library Journal

"The writing is rich and sensuous, and stylized black-and-white drawings add to the dreaminess. It's a captivating tale, brimming with magic, marvels, and the reminder that "friendship [is] a sort of magic all its own." --Booklist

"A dark and dazzling tale, glistening with marvels, mysteries and the magic of friendship." --Sophie Anderson, author of The House with Chicken Legs

"Woven together with atmospheric, lyrical language, this is a sparkling tale about grief, hope, and found families. The magic of this book will touch your heart and send it soaring." --Amanda Foody, author of Ace of Shades

"A spellbinding tapestry of dreams and nightmares, shadows and hope." --J.A. White, author of The Thickety

"A dark, glimmering story that combines the coziness of a classic fairy tale with the joyful inventiveness of poetry, THE FOREST OF STARS is a heartfelt, hopeful novel about owning your magic and finding your place in the world that fans of Catherynne Valente will love." --Hayley Chewins, author of The Turnaway Girls

"Told in prose both dark and glittering, Kassner's mesmerizing, magical story of friendship, belonging and loss will have readers eager to join the Carnival Beneath the Stars and the extraordinary characters found inside its tents." --R. M. Romero, author of The Dollmaker of Kraków

About the Author

Heather Kassner loves thunderstorms, hummingbirds, and books. She lives with her husband in Arizona, waiting (and waiting and waiting) for the rain, photographing hummingbirds, and reading and writing strange little stories. She is also the author The Forest of Stars and The Bone Garden.