The Harm Tree

You're too young to remember why we needed heroes. You should be glad Nine years ago, two princes waged a bloody civil war for the right to rule Arngard. The younger prince took the throne and outlawed the ancient beliefs, but some wounds don't heal. New religion replaced the barbaric traditions and finally, there's peace. Torny and Ebba are friends. Sent away by their families, they work together and watch out for each other. Too young to remember the war that tore apart the kingdom, Torny dreams of the glorious warriors of old, while Ebba misses her family, despite the darkness she left behind. But when a man is murdered on the street and Torny finds herself in possession of a dangerous message, the two friends must tread separate paths. These will lead them through fear, through grief, to the source of their own power and to the gates of death itself. As Torny and Ebba are used as tools for the opposing factions of the war, a deep power is ignited in them both. Can they uncover their own strength to finally heal the wounds of a nation? AGES: 14 plus AUTHOR: Rose Edwards writes young adult and literary fiction and has been writing since she was nine. She studied Literature and Philosophy at the University of York before completing a Masters in Chinese studies at SOAS. After working as an English teacher, she learned how important a good book can be. She left teaching to study Creative Writing at the University of Oxford, graduating with Distinction. She is inspired by lives that go against the grain and encapsulate periods of change, and she is dedicated to representing girl heroes whose lives, backgrounds and motivations are complex and varied.