When an earthquake destroys Gryllum House, the orphanage where fourteen-year-old Marlon Foundling has spent his entire life, his miraculous survival beneath the rubble catches the attention of The Circus of Lost Children. This extraordinary troupe, comprised entirely of society's forgotten children, whisks Marlon into a vibrant new world.
But dark forces loom, both in the form of a mysterious hex that forces every member to depart by their eighteenth birthday, and the victim of that hex: Enoch Blood, the vengeful ringmaster of a rival circus.
Marlon must find the courage to confront not only his personal demons but the threat that could extinguish this extraordinary haven forever.
"I simply loved it. His best yet!"
Adele Broadbent www.whatbooknext.com
"Shadowy villains, daring escapades, and a touch of magic. This book deserves a standing ovation!" Tom E. Moffatt
"I was gripped from start to finish. I adored it!" Gabrielle Vincent, Auckland Writers Festival
"Literally impossible to put down... I read it in one sitting. Pure magic."
Alana Hawkes, Getting Kids Into Books
James Russell is a best-selling, award-winning author of a dozen children's books, and two novels for adults. He is based in Auckland, New Zealand.