Phoenix Rising #1: Elissas Quest giá ưu đãi

THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD ELISSA LEADS a solitary life. She knows nothing of her parents–only that her mother is dead. Her caretaker, Nana, keeps her father’s identity a secret from her. Meanwhile Elissa carries her own secret–the people of the valley must not know that she has the gift of speaking to animals. For now she is just a healer’s apprentice in peaceful High Crossing, but Elissa dreams of a more exciting life, and of, one day, finding her father. When an unexpected royal guest arrives at the Manor, Elissa’s life changes forever. She leaves home with him, only to discover that she’s become a pawn in a battle for his kingdom. Accompanied by her dear donkey, Gertrude, she is delivered to the evil Khan. Elissa’s quest for freedom and the truth about her past leads to questions about the future. Is she the key to a prophecy–the prophecy of the Phoenix–that everyone seems to know about, except her? In Book One of the Phoenix Rising trilogy, new author Erica Verrillo has crafted a classic–and often humorous–fantasy adventure with a strong, unwitting heroine. From the Hardcover edition.

Erica Verrillo is a world traveler who has worked and studied in a variety of fields, including classical music, Latin American history, linguistics, folk dance, anthropology, refugee aid, and speech communication. She has worked primarily as a teacher of languages, public speaking, linguistics, and music. She lives in Massachusetts with her two children. Elissa’s Quest is her first book for children.

“A deep love of nature is evidenced in Verrillo’s pastoral fantasy debut, the first book in the Phoenix Rising trilogy. Thirteen-year-old orphan Elissa lives in the serene village of High Crossing, where she is an apprentice to the healer Nana. A gentle soul, Elissa can communicate with animals and has forged a deep connection with a donkey named Gertrude. Word comes of soldiers on the way from neighboring Castlemar; among them is a man named Lord Falk, who, it is revealed, is Elissa’s father. Falk takes Elissa with him when he departs; she learns that her father is planning to use her as collateral to secure the use of highly skilled soldiers from the vicious Khan. Khan’s purposes are much darker: as Elissa is the heir to the throne, Khan intends to secretly marry her, though her young age prevents him from doing so. She escapes, ending up with a group of healers who reveal the story behind the castle the Khan now inhabits. Falk’s naiveté in handing his daughter over to the Khan requires some suspension of disbelief, but that’s a minor complaint in an otherwise charming and elegant story. Elissa emerges as a thoroughly lovable heroine, her toughness growing over the course of the story but her peaceful nature and love of life remaining ever constant.”
–Publishers Weekly

“The first title in the Phoenix Rising Trilogy pulls the reader into the story via both delightful and dastardly humans, as well as an opinionated donkey named Gertrude. Thirteen-year-old Elissa lives a sheltered life as the assistant to the midwife who delivered her. She has been told that her mother died when she was born, but she knows nothing of her father’s identity. Elissa has the gift of communicating with animals, and Gertrude, who accompanies Elissa into the woods and mountains in search of herbs, is her confidante as well as a source of gossip about the Manor. Elissa’s idyllic life changes upon the surprise arrival of her father. Lord Falk now has an interest in his daughter, as she is the bargaining chip necessary to seal an agreement with the Khan, who will then lend Falk soldiers to defend his kingdom. Although scared and quite nanve to the ways of unscrupulous leaders, Elissa agrees to live in the Khan’s household for a year. When her father leaves, Elissa learns that the lecherous and grossly obese Khan plans to make her one of his wives. With the help of a wise woman and a young slave in the Khan’s household, Elissa is able to escape with a caravan and discovers that she is the missing piece in a prophecy of the Blue people of the desert. Middle schoolers will delight in Elissa’s adventures and impatiently wait for the next series book. This opener will appeal to readers who enjoy Tamora Pierce’s books.”
–VOYA