Star Dancer: The Book of Air
A great and terrible evil threatens the druids' future. Their only hope is the Star Dancer: a child who will be born under an untimely comet and who is destined to protect them.
As the fated star-shower lights up the sky, the druids are watching. They believe the prophesied boy has arrived. But down in the village, the midwife has just delivered a perfect little girl. Her name is Tegen – and she is the Star Dancer.
Tegen is rejected by Witton, the Chief Druid – but when a visitor gives her a green silk shawl, she begins to work real magic. Near death, Witton acknowledges Tegen, forcing her to abandon her family and learn the spells and rituals of the white-robes. But there are those, close by, who secretly plot to destroy her and take power.
In the great battle to overcome her enemy, Tegen is triumphant – but the cost is terrible. Now the Star Dancer must continue – alone – to fight against the evil that threatens her world . . .
Praise
‘A fantastic novel, with echoes of Garth Nix and Ursula K. Le Guin’ - John Webb, Children's Buyer EUK
‘This is beguiling fantasy that shines as brilliantly as the stars did in the sky on the night our heroine was born. Magical writing, and a realistic iron-age setting makes this one of the best debut novels this year‘ - Claudia Mody, Waterstones
‘A wonderfully evocative novel. On many occasions the story took my breath away.’ - Jacob Hope, Young People;s Library Services, Lancashure.
‘STAR DANCER is a magical read – you are drawn into another world by the clarity and detail of the storytelling, which brings to tingling life people and places in a past time.’ - Tricia Kings, Orange Chatterbooks, The Reading Agency
‘A fanstastic novel that I can’t recommend highly enough.’ - Emily Lowe, Waterstones, Bolton
‘A very unusual and original read.’ - Alpha Wearing, Manageress, The Press Shop, Guernsey
‘At heart, Star Dancer is a book about human rights. It’s about people becoming who they want to become.’ - Caroline Horn, The Bookseller
‘The novel builds up to an excitingly dramatic finale, and leaves you keen to know what will happen to Tegen next. Since this is the first of four books, there are plenty of adventures to come.’ - Armadillo
‘This first volume of what is to be a quartet is a many layered and satisfying read.’ - Editor's Choice - Books for Keeps
‘The sonorous nature of Webb's prose together with the complex and convoluted relationships she intertwines between persons in the novel makes for an at once rewarding and absorbing read. Skilful craftsmanship imbues the natural with an energizing electro-static charge… here is a book with a genuine buzz!’ - Achuka
‘An absorbing tale, which is clearly the beginning of a greater quest.’ - Carousel
‘…first of a fantastic new fantasy series…Full of magic and mystery.’ - The Daily Mirror
Hear the Guardian Podcast about Star Dancer
