Howl’s Moving Castle meets Christopher Paolini in this “dark and flinty” ( Booklist ) middle grade fantasy, set in a world as mesmerizing as it is menacing, following children on a quest to save their father who get embroiled in the sinister agendas of rival sorcerers. In an unkind alternate past, somewhere between the Stone Age and a Metal Age, Tell and his sister Wren live in a small mountain village that makes its living off black glass mines and runs on brutal laws. When their father is blinded in a mining accident, the law dictates he has thirty days to regain his sight and be capable of working at the same level as before or be put to death. Faced with this dire future, Tell and Wren make the forbidden treacherous journey to the legendary city of Halfway, halfway down the mountain, to trade their father’s haul of the valuable black glass for the medicine to cure him. The city, ruled by five powerful female sorcerers, at first dazzles the siblings. But beneath Halfway’s glittery surface seethes ambition, violence, prejudice, blackmail, and impending chaos. Without knowing it, Tell and Wren have walked straight into a sorcerers’ coup. Over the next twelve days, they must scramble first to save themselves, then their new friends, as allegiances shift and prejudices crack open to show who has true power. The harsh tone and brutal twists will leave readers in a sober frame, but the tale, which ends with a promise of further episodes, features embedded glints of loyalty, courage, and friendship to lighten the load. -- Booklist ― 2/15/23 A classic fantasy quest with some twists, this is an engaging and satisfying read. --Carol Edwards, Retired Librarian, Littleton, Colorado Recommended -- School Library Connection ― March/April 2023 With quite a bit of tension and plenty of secrets mixed with adventure, this is a fast-paced read with very high-stakes. -- Bookworm ― 1/28/23 Readers will be fascinated by all the secrets revealed as Wren and Tell learn more about the fancy town they are now in. Adventure fantasy stories where children are the ones who must survive and rescue the adults always make for a high-stakes read. -- YA Books Central ― 1/19/23 Anthony (Tony) Peckham is a South African–born screenwriter, surfer, and farmer who now lives on an island in the Pacific. Decades ago, while exploring a remote, high-altitude landscape with his children, he came upon a mountain made of black glass which inspired his debut novel. His other work includes Clint Eastwood’s Invictus and Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes. He is a Writers Guild of America Award winner and an NAACP Image Award nominee. Tony is the author of the Children of the Black Glass middle grade series. You can find him online at AnthonyPeckham.com. Chapter 1 1 Tell and Wren, Seka’s two children, had no idea of the risk he was about to take for them. They were far away on the mountainside, hunting for dinner. And dinner had just served itself up, if they could catch it. In a jumble of boulders above them, the very tip of a narrow ear flashed pink for a moment, backlit by the low sun. There! That was all Tell needed to see. He already had an arrow nocked to the string because he always did when they were out hunting. Just below him on the path, Wren knew by the way her brother stopped and curled his scarred fingers to the bow that he’d seen something worth taking. She had a good idea what it was. When he turned to her, she wiggled two fingers above her head, making rabbit ears. He shrugged yes. Wren pulled a face. Ugh! Mountain jackrabbits were lean and tough, like every living thing up there, including themselves. Wren tapped her chest, pointed upward. Tell nodded and took off up the path, as silent as smoke. Even at fourteen, he was one of the best hunters in the village and brought in most of the meat they ate. He could’ve taken the jackrabbit by himself, but this way was quicker. Also, they liked working together. Instead of circling back along the trail, Wren climbed straight up the low cliff separating them from the terrace above. The way she scaled the rock wall made it look as easy as walking, and for her it was. She was born to it. As a baby, she’d climbed the stone walls inside their hut as soon as she was old enough to pull herself upright. She had long, strong fingers, plus a jagged scar on her leg from a fall when she was just three. But then, everyone in their village had scars of some kind. Wren was barely breathing hard when she slid up over the cliff edge onto the rocky terrace. She stayed on her belly until she heard the grinding sound of the jackrabbit chewing on a mouthful of spiny grass. She stood up slowly and calmly, looking everywhere but at the jackrabbit, because all animals can feel eyes on them, especially animals that are hunted regularly. Then, not bothering to muffle her footsteps, she walked across the terrace—not toward the jackrabbit, just away from the cliff edge. The jackrabb