This book contains mature themes, strong violence, and strong language. If you are below 15 years of age, we recommend you do not continue reading.
______________________
“...The world around her reflected all that she’d lost…” Amari’s life has always been shadowed by tragedy. It had trailed her familiar footsteps since before she could remember, and now its cold fingers draw in, clasping at those she holds most dear.
Join Amari as she navigates through a sea of magic, lies and family ties as she is forced down a path of self-discovery only to finally see her world for what it truly is. Plagued by looming threats old and new and monsters that would stop at nothing until Amari is tripped up into death’s waiting arms. Will she muster up the courage to stay and fight, or will she run and hide, a mouse in a cat's game?
______________________
Fartun Ali is a high school student who has always had a particular fondness for crime fiction and fantasy novels. She inherited her love of reading from her older sister Yasmin, who frequently wrote short spooky stories that Fartun found bewildering. They bonded over words, with Yasmin teaching a young Fartun the basic concepts of writing. Now through Story Factory Fartun is able to bring an idea to life and try her best to use the new skills and writing styles she’s acquired to inspire the same joy she felt in stories in someone else..
This opportunity has allowed Fartun to consider writing more in the future. She hopes to publish at least one more book.
______________________
Over the course of 2023, a select group of young writers was invited to take part in a year-long writing program at Story Factory. Their goal was to produce a fully realised novella. This is one of the novellas produced in these workshops.
Year of the Novella 2023 was supported by the NSW Government through Create NSW.
This project was also made possible thanks to the support of a group of generous donors:
Rosebrook Foundation
Shand Foundation
Caroline Beecham & John Lydon
Greg Dean
Bernadette Brennan & Justin Gleeson
Deena Shiff & James Gillespie
Kim E Anderson
This publication would not have been possible without the unstinting support of the editorial and production teams at Penguin Random House. Thanks also to our all-round fantastic Story Factory volunteers. Finally, massive thanks to our typesetters, Midland Typesetters and Post Pre-press, and our printer, Griffin Press.
______________________