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Shadow Apprentice: The Garrison Creek Chronicles, Book 1
Finalist, The Wishing Shelf Book Awards, 2024
Thirteen-year-old Ermin is a gifted mechanic and the worst student at St. Anselm’s Training School for Orphans. She’s just failed her exams for the third time—something nobody’s ever done. Worse, Ermin’s been running her own repair business for money—something that’s expressly forbidden. If the headmistress finds out, Ermin will go to prison. Her future will be over before it’s even begun.
But that’s not her only secret.
Her best friends, Colin and Georgie, are wizards in a world where magic is strictly controlled. Ermin worries that her friends will be captured, drained of their power, then banished. When Georgie’s caught aiding the Wizard’s Resistance, Ermin repairs a broken flying carpet so all three of them can escape.
Hesitant to join the Resistance because of her lack of magical power, Ermin steals an experimental device from a wizard hunter that could destroy every wizard in the Creek. She’s faced with a choice: either smash the device or convert it into a different kind of weapon—one that not only helps wizards but just might get her an apprenticeship at the prestigious Guild Academy.
Ermin’s got one chance to get it right. If she fails, she risks losing her two best friends … and her dreams.
Book Details
- Title: Shadow Apprentice: The Garrison Creek Chronicles, Book 1
- Series: The Garrison Creek Chronicles
- Genre: science fiction fantasy (SFF), steampunk
- eBook ISBN: 978-1-7390183-0-6
- Print Book ISBN: 978-1-7390183-1-3
- Publication Date: May 2024
- Available formats: eBook, paperback
Who is it for?
- Upper middle grade (ages 11-15)
- Perfect for fans of The Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy, Amari and the Night Brothers, and The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents
Reviews:
“A smartly plotted fantasy adventure with a likeable and very determined protagonist to root for. A FINALIST and highly recommended!” (Wishing Shelf Book Awards)
“Great characters. The plot moves quickly, not bogged down by too much detail. I liked how the society Ermin lives in challenges her relationships, and she has to decide what to do about that. Is there a path forward that allows them to all be on the same side? I couldn’t have predicted some of the directions this story went, and I loved that, too. Overall, a thoughtful, engaging story that I couldn’t stop thinking about. I’m eager to see where the series goes!” (Kasey Giard, The Book Sanctuary)
“I really liked this story and think it would be a good introduction to the Steampunk genre as well as to sci-fi/fantasy in general. Ermin is a likable character and while she disagrees with her friends, she still cares for them and tries to keep them safe. The ending is very much open-ended, but you’re not left hanging. It’s a good pause point but it makes me want to keep on reading. I can think of a few of my students who would enjoy this. I don’t know how quickly Linda Browne will be able to write the next book, but I will be looking forward to it!” (E. Thiessen, Goodreads)
Contact: lindabrowne@lindabrowne.ca
Website: lindabrowne.ca