Palyku (Bailko)

A gripping YA fantasy with a deadly contest to win a crown, a fierce heroine determined to right the wrongs done to her people, and a smoldering love story that could change everything...

I didn’t want to rule the Risen. Wreak a little havoc upon them, though? That was something else entirely.

Bell Silverleaf is a liar.

It’s how she’s survived. It’s how all Treesingers have survived, after they were invaded by the Risen and their gods. But now—thanks to some political maneuvering—Bell is in the Queen’s Test. She’s one of seven girls competing in deadly challenges to determine who rules for the next twenty-five years. If Bell wins, she’ll use the power to help her people and get her revenge on the Risen.

But Bell doesn’t know how much she’s been lied to. She’s part of a conspiracy stretching back generations, and she’s facing much bigger dangers than the Queen’s Test. She’s up against the gods themselves.

Getting hold of that crown might just be the least of her problems.

Aboriginal writer Ambelin Kwaymullina has created a fast-paced, twisty narrative and an unforgettable heroine inspired by the strength and power of Aboriginal women.

Reviews
"Intriguing and layered worldbuilding that draws on the author’s Australian Indigenous culture steals the show in this serpentine fantasy adventure." —Publishers Weekly

"Tucked into a twisty, fast-paced narrative that explores legacies of colonialism are subtle messages about the ever-changing, symbiotic web of life. Intriguing and imaginative." —Kirkus Reviews

"Kwaymullina spins a fabulous, otherworldly mythology around the dominant gods, the world they invaded, and Treesinger culture. Bell is a sarcastic, personable narrator, a smart-mouthed Chosen One who discovers friends in unexpected places and learns to acknowledge the pain beneath her own tough-girl exterior." —Bulletin

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+

Additional Information
272 pages | 5.50" x 8.25" | Hardcover

This brilliantly written thriller explores the lives--and deaths--of two girls, and what they will do to win justice. Sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year!

Nothing's been the same for Beth Teller since the day she died.

Her dad is drowning in grief. He's also the only one who has been able to see and hear her since the accident. But now she's got a mystery to solve, a mystery that will hopefully remind her detective father that he needs to reconnect with the living.

The case takes them to a remote Australian town, where there's been a suspicious fire. All that remains are an unidentifiable body and an unreliable witness found wandering nearby. This witness speaks in riddles. Isobel Catching has a story to tell, and it's a tale to haunt your dreams--but does it even connect to the case at hand?

As Beth and her father unravel the mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town.

Awards

• Winner of Australia's prestigious Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Writing for Young Adults

Reviews
"An #ownvoices story that empowers its female heroines, giving them pride in their lineage and power in remembering." —Kirkus Reviews, Starred

"An intense, addictive book. Shocking and heartbreaking truths come to light, and the book deftly examines racism, violence, terrible historic injustices and corruption within the police force. This is a book that shows trauma and survival. It's completely gripping, and while highly recommended for young adults, it also deserves a wider readership." —Readings, Australia

"A fusion of ghost story and crime thriller, it also combines poetry and fiction to striking and exciting effect." —The Saturday Paper, Australia

"Fascinating, gripping, innovative." —Magpies Magazine

"A ghost story as well as a psychological thriller, The Things She's Seen seamlessly weaves together the poetic and the everyday. A magnificent and life-giving novel." — Justine Larbalestier

"Terrible crimes lie at the centre here; viewed through the eyes of young women of unquenchable spirit, they can be approached, examined, and ultimately solved. This novel will turn gazes in the right direction, and make the caw of every crow more resonant." —Margo Lanagan

“The two Australian Aboriginal girls at the center of this The Things She’s Seen discover just how poisonous silencing can be and how much power it takes to finally break through it.”—Bulletin

Educator Information
Recommended for ages 12+ | Teen and young adult fiction

Additional Information