The Nightsilver Promise (Celestial Mechanism Cycle #1)

by Annaliese Avery

Overview

The first in a brand-new, richly-immersive, magical fantasy trilogy from debut author Annaliese Avery, perfect for fans of Philip Pullman, Cornelia Funke, and Diana Wynn Jones.

Defy your stars, rewrite the future.

In the empire of Albion, the Great Dragons of old are long gone—hunted for centuries by cruel emperors fearing the power they possessed. Now governed by the science of Celestial Physicists, everyone's life is foretold by the track of stars on their wrist.

When Paisley Fitzwilliam receives her track, she discovers that she is destined to die before the end of her fourteenth turning. Then, when her mother goes missing, Paisley is the only one left who can protect her Dragon Touched brother, Dax, from being exposed as a descendant of the Great Dragons and taken by the Emperor's men.

But an ancient power stalks the sewers of London—the Dark Dragon is rising, intent on restoring the Great Dragons of old at any cost, even if that means tearing Paisley's family apart.

To save her brother, Paisley must trust her instincts and forge new friendships as she attempts to outrun fate itself. Her journey will take her across the floating boroughs of London Above, through a vault guarded by Dragon Walkers, and into the dark sewers of London Below in order to unlock an ancient secret that will not only defy her stars, but will change the course of history forever.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338754476
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/07/2023
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	272,530
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 7.63(h) x (d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Annaliese Avery has spent most of her life surrounded by stories, both at work as a library manager and at home writing them. She holds an MA in Creative Writing and has worked as a children's book editor and creative writing workshop leader for both young writers and adults. In January 2020, Annaliese was shortlisted for the SCBWI Undiscovered Voices anthology. The Nightsilver Promise was her debut middle-grade novel, and the first in a thrilling, new fantasy trilogy. You can learn more at annalieseavery.com and follow her on Twitter at @AnnalieseAvery.

Read an Excerpt

Your stars say that you will fail.

Your stars say, Paisley Fitzwilliam, that before the end of your fourteenth turning, your cog will cease, your track will end, and you will die.

Editorial Reviews

Avery’s fast-paced and inventive novel features an alternate London that runs on clockwork and dragon fire, an Amerika where dragons still roam, and independent boroughs floating above the cities below. The history and philosophy of the empire are astonishingly detailed, and a cliff-hanger ending will send readers scrambling for a sequel.” —Booklist

“Paisley’s warmth and intelligence shine through this exploration of fate’s inevitability and the conflict between science and magic” —Publishers Weekly

“Destiny, science, stars, and a sprinkle of magic.” —Vashti Hardy, author of Brightstorm

“A smart, original fantasy adventure.” —Dominique Valente, author of the Starfell series

From the Publisher

02/28/2022

In an alternate London where the rule of Great Dragons has been displaced by Celestial Physicists—scientists who bend space and matter to their will—white 13-year-old Paisley Fitzwilliam awaits to discover which “track” destiny has in store for her. Though most children are told their fates in childhood, gaining a pattern of constellations on their wrist that maps out their future, Paisley has so far gone unmarked. But finally, she learns a horrifying truth: the stars foretell that she will die before her 14th birthday. As her time ticks down, Paisley must find a way to keep her younger brother Dax, who is Dragon Touched, safe from being hunted as a “half-breed.” Meanwhile the Dark Dragon, an ancient evil, works to bring back the reign of dragons—seeking to destroy all that Paisley holds dear in the process. Avery’s debut paints an imaginative portrait of steampunk London, complete with floating boroughs and aerocopter transport. Though flat worldbuilding sometimes undercuts the fast-paced narrative, and a lone brown-skinned character is presented as more icon than nuanced being, Paisley’s warmth and intelligence shine through this exploration of fate’s inevitability and the conflict between science and magic. Ages 8–12. Agent: Helen Boyle, Pickled Ink. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

2021-09-15
A girl with not enough destiny and her brother, who has too much, must rescue their mother.

In an alternate London, Mechanist priests preach from the Blueprints about how the Chief Designer “forged the looping golden tracks of the Celestial Mechanism” that tell people’s fates. Thirteen-year-old Paisley Fitzwilliam finally learns her stars’ track—and discovers that she’ll die before she’s 14. Meanwhile, Dax, her younger brother, who is publicly perceived as disabled, actually wears his uncomfortable leg brace to hide the fact that he is Dragon Touched. The Dragon Touched (the others are girls) all have dragon scales somewhere on their bodies. They are feared and hunted thanks to the prophecy about a male Dragon Lord who will bring back the Great Dragons. After the kids’ scientist mother performs a seemingly impossible experiment that shakes society’s foundations, she meets with an accident—but Paisley and Dax learn she’s not dead and that it was no accident. Teaming up with their mother’s apprentice, they set out to save her. In an alternate viewpoint, thief Roach serves the villainous Dark Dragon, showing readers what the heroes are up against and why. The characterization runs shallow, with didacticism from heroes and villains alike delivered in expository monologues, and the climax relies upon an underbaked deus ex machina. Most characters default to White; uncomfortably, the sole explicitly brown-skinned character calls Dax her master and pledges to give up her life for him.

A promising concept that fails to deliver. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews