Author(s): Helen Lowe

NZ Chapter Books

Winner of the Best Young Adult book & the author Best New Talent Sir Julius Vogel Awards 2009. Prince Sigismund hasgrown up in a remote castle, dreaming of going on heroic knightly quests while staring out at the forbidden wood that looms to the west. His great-grandfather placed an interdict on the wood nearly 100 years ago, though no one seems to know exactly why. But for those still young or credulous enough to believe in magic, the rumors and stories abound--of an enchanted castle and a sleeping princess cursed by an evil faie. Helen Lowe has spun a grand, adventurous, romantic tale about the prince destined to wake the sleeping princess. This thoughtful hero must delve into a world of mystery and magic to discover the truth of his own fate. Enemies with powers he never imagined abound, sometimes hiding behind a mask of friendship. And an elusive girl haunts his dreams--is she helping him or binding him tighter into a thorny cage? For Sigismund, the truth turns out to be more fantastical than any story he's ever heard. A quiet hero anchors this nicely crafted blend of fairy tale and dreamscape. What begins as an exploration of fairy-tale archetypes moves into a very human and nevertheless magical drama.