Behold the cover for my new middle grade novel, coming out on October 5th with Owl Hollow Press! The brilliant French artist, Asur Misoa, did an amazing job depicting Ash Narro facing an illwen (a wild forest spirit) on the cover, and Fen and his mistcat on the back.
The book is perfect for ages 9 and up. Although this steampunk eco-fantasy involves shape-shifting spirits, airships, sky tree villages, and wild adventures, it was inspired by real world events surrounding rainforest destruction (see below for more on this). In addition to creating a thrilling story, my hope is to provide young readers with an imaginative, engaging way to explore how we can address some of the most important social and environmental problems we face. I’m looking forward to doing in-person and virtual author visits with The Namer of Spirits next fall and spring, so if you’d like me to come to your school, please check out my author visitsAuthor Visits and contact me to schedule a visit soon!
Without further ado, here’s the cover (front and back):
Now available for pre-order!
Summary:
In the frontier village of Last Hope, people dismiss twelve-year-old Ash Narro as a flighty child who claims to hear the true names of things. But when enraged forest spirits attack, Ash shows that the names she hears have power. After taming a destructive forest spirit, Ash embarks on a wild journey to save her village. In this steampunk eco-fantasy, the perils of deforestation and the power of friendship are explored through a fantastical adventure involving giant mistcats, tempestuous forest spirits, a supernatural puppy, and a girl with a special gift for shaping what things become.
More on this book and why I wrote it:
The thing you might not guess at from the cover or summary is that The Namer of Spirits was inspired by real events reported on in an investigative series done by NPR. The series documented how poverty is being used by corrupt officials in Brazil to drive illegal rainforest destruction. In those reports, Lulu Garcia-Navarro said, “The poor are the tip of the spear that pushes civilization forward into the wilderness.” That quote, and the complex reality it conveys, planted the seed that blossomed into this engaging exploration of some of the most critical environmental and social conflicts we face.
Fantasy gives us a vital way to understand our reality. And stories that speak to us shape the ways we think and act. It’s my hope that those who journey into the cloud forest with Ash and Fen will not only enjoy a thrilling story, they’ll gain a greater understanding of what’s causing rainforest destruction in our world and how to stop it.
Enjoy the adventure!
– Todd Mitchell
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