The Starthorn Tree

The Starthorn Tree
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Pan Australia
Total Pages: 468
Release: 2005
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 9780330421874

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 Starthorn Tree

The Starthorn Tree
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Walker
Total Pages: 509
Release: 2005
Genre: Children's stories
ISBN: 9781844286577

A thrilling fantasy adventure for younger readers. With the young King of Estelliana mysteriously ill, the kingdom is placed under the harsh rule of a starkin regent, Lord Zavion. One day a hearthkin boy, Durrik, has a vision telling him that the regent is planning to kill the new king and take over Estelliana, and that he must go on a quest to find a cure for the King and save the kingdom. He and his best friend Pedrin set out on their journey and are soon joined by a noble girl, Lisandre, and a servant girl called Briony. On their travels they meet with soldiers, wildkin, pirates and monsters before they reach their final destination - the magic Starthorn Tree - which may hold the miraculous cure...

The Cursed Towers

The Cursed Towers
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 560
Release: 2000-05-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 9780451456915

A new age dawns in the kingdom of Eileanan, but not without resistance. Now the Righ, Lachlan the Winged, overturns his dead brother’s decrees against witchcraft. But sixteen years of hatred and superstition have cloaked Eileanan in darkness. And though he has won the power of the Lodestar, Lachlan’s rule is challenged by a mere babe—and a civil war erupts. The flame-haired twins—Iseult the Scarred Warrior and Isabeau the apprentice-witch—must go their separate ways. Iseult to fight side by side with her husband, Lachlan. Isabeau to the Cursed Towers, to master her powers and to find the family she has never known. One woman battling for a new reign, one woman learning the old ways, their separate threads will twist and turn into a tale of mayhem, mystery, and magic.

The Witches of Eileanan

The Witches of Eileanan
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 417
Release: 1998-07-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101659939

Named Best First Novel by Locus 'Twas a time when dragons left their lair and evil shadowed the land.... On the Day of Reckoning, the witches of Eileanan were outlawed--and violations of the new order were punishable by death. Eileanan's Great Towers, once meccas of magic and learning, were left in ruins. And now, the entire land trembles in fear.... Yet deep in the mountains, in the shadow of Dragonclaw, a young girl is being tutored in the old ways. Ignorant of her past, uncertain of her future, the foundling Isabeau will soon be forced down a dangerous path of prophesy, conspiracy, and magic. It is a world where dragons possess the key to ancient mysteries...where a lost prince will discover a strange and wondrous destiny...and where the ultimate battle between good and evil will be waged.... A new Day of Reckoning is at hand....

The Gypsy Crown: The Chain of Charms 1

The Gypsy Crown: The Chain of Charms 1
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Pan Australia
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2007-11-10
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1741971217

Once there was a gypsy queen who wore on her wrist a chain of six lucky charms – a golden crown, a silver horse, a butterfly caught in amber, a cat's eye shell, a bolt of lightning forged from the heart of a falling star, and the flower of the rue plant, herb of grace. The queen gave each of her six children one of the charms as their lucky talisman, but ever since the chain of charms was broken, the gypsies had been dogged with misfortune. It is even worse for the Finch tribe – they have been thrown into gaol with only three weeks to live. The only members of the family to escape are thirteen-year-old Emilia and her cousin Luka, who have been entrusted to find the six charms and bring them together again. What Emilia and Luka do not realise is that there is a price to be paid for each lucky charm, and that the cost may prove too high... Book 1: The Gypsy Crown: 9th August – 12th August 1658 Maggie has given them the first charm – an old gold coin – but Luka and Emilia must escape the brutal thief-taker, Coldham. With a horse, a monkey, a dog, and a huge brown bear in their train, it is hard to travel secretly as they flee across the Surrey countryside. With a little bit of luck – or, as Emilia believes, magic – they manage to escape, but Coldham will not give up so easily.

The Lightning Bolt: Chain of Charms 5

The Lightning Bolt: Chain of Charms 5
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Pan Australia
Total Pages: 240
Release: 2007-11-10
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1742625401

The final three paperbacks of the award-winning six-book series by Kate Forsyth. Life is always hard for the gypsies, who live to their own rhythm and their own rules, but since Oliver Cromwell had seized control of England, life had been harder - and drabber - than ever. But now life for the Finch tribe has gone even more horribly wrong. They have been accused of vagrancy and murder, and thrown into gaol with only three weeks to live. The only members of the family to escape are 13-year-old Emilia and her cousin Luka. They have been entrusted to find the six charms and bring them together again. Then, perhaps, the gypsies could once again have some luck... and the Finch tribe could walk free. What Emilia and Luka do not realise is that there is a price to be paid for each lucky charm, and that the cost may prove too high... 27th August 1685: Sussex was the first county secured by the Roundheads because of its iron foundries. Here in the Weald, the Smith tribe are working for Parliament, making cannons and weaponry. They have prospered under Cromwell's rule, and have no interest in old gypsy charms. And it is here where Luka and Emilia must find the fifth charm, a finely-wrought lightning bolt, and amidst the smoke and noise of the Horsmonden foundry, the gypsy children run into old friends... and old enemies. Winner of Aurealis Awards' Best Children's Long Fiction 2007

The Wildkin's Curse

The Wildkin's Curse
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Pan
Total Pages: 377
Release: 2010
Genre: Adventure stories
ISBN: 9780330426053

Merry, Zed and Liliana - three children born between those of hearthkin blood and starkin blood - are on a perilous quest to the Palace of Zarissa. Amid the splendour and treachery of court, they watch and wait - planning the rescue of Princess Rosalina, held captive in the dazzling Tower of Stars. And as their pasts and presents unfold, their destinies become clear.

The Silver Horse: Chain of Charms 2

The Silver Horse: Chain of Charms 2
Author: Kate Forsyth
Publisher: Pan Australia
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2007-11-10
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 174262541X

Once there was a gypsy queen who wore on her wrist a chain of six lucky charms - a golden crown, a silver horse, a butterfly caught in amber, a cat's eye shell, a bolt of lightning forged from the heart of a falling star, and the flower of the rue plant, herb of grace. The queen gave each of her six children one of the charms as their lucky talisman, but ever since the chain of charms was broken, the gypsies had been dogged with misfortune. Book Two: The Silver Horse 13th-14th August 1658 Emilia and her cousin Luka have the gypsy crown, and are travelling with their menagerie in search of the Hearne tribe. They hope that this family, to whom they will soon be related, will surely help release their kin from gaol. Luka and Emilia find the Hearnes horseracing on the Downs above Epsom. But Emilia must compete to win their support. Will she have to give up her beloved mare in exchange for the Hearne family's charm - a small silver horse? And can they escape Coldham again? Book Two in the exciting new six-book series by bestselling author, Kate Forsyth. Winner of the Aurealis Awards' best Children's Long Fiction 2007

The Dead Path

The Dead Path
Author: Stephen M. Irwin
Publisher: Anchor
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2012-03-06
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0307739562

Nicholas Close has always had an uncanny intuition, but after the death of his wife he becomes haunted, literally, by ghosts doomed to repeat their final violent moments in a chilling and endless loop. Torn by guilt and fearing for his sanity, Nicholas returns to his childhood home seeking a fresh start. But he is soon entangled in a disturbing series of disappearances and murders. He finds himself a suspect, and as the evidence mounts against him and the ghost continue to haunt him, Nicholas will need to confront the woods that surround his hometown--the origin of his troubles and where a malignant evil may be lurking, waiting.