The Shamer's Daughter (Shamer Chronicles Series #1)

by Lene Kaaberbøl, Lene Kaaberbøl (Translator)

Overview

Step into a world of magic, mythology, mystery, and dragons in this thrilling fantasy book for kids ages 10-14—the first in a series!

“ . . . in good standing alongside Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy and C. S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia.” —Booklist

Dina has unwillingly inherited her mother’s gift: the ability to elicit shamed confessions simply by looking into someone’s eyes. To Dina, however, these powers are not a gift but a curse. Surrounded by fear and hostility, she longs for simple friendship.

But when her mother is called to Dunark Castle to uncover the truth about a bloody triple murder, Dina must come to terms with her power—or let her mother fall prey to the vicious and revolting dragons of Dunark.

The Shamer’s Daughter is the first unforgettable middle grade fantasy in the best-selling Shamer Chronicles series, which has sold more than 25 million copies worldwide!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781782692263
Publisher:	Steerforth Press
Publication date:	09/10/2019
Series:	Shamer Chronicles Series , #1
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	853 KB
Age Range:	10 - 14 Years

About the Author

An award-winning and highly acclaimed writer of fantasy, Lene Kaaberbøl was born in 1960, grew up in the Danish countryside and had her first book published at the age of 15. Since then she has written more than 30 books for children and young adults. Lene's huge international breakthrough came with The Shamer Chronicles, which is published in more than 25 countries selling over a million copies worldwide.

Read an Excerpt

ONE
The Shamer's Brat
Strictly speaking, it wasn't really Cilia's fault that I was bitten
by a dragon. It was probably sheer coincidence that
she decided to throw a bucket of whey in my face on the
very day the man from Dunark came. But every time my
arm hurts . . . every time I miss Cherry Tree Cottage and
the pear trees and the chickens we h a d . . . I get mad at
Cilia all over again.
Cilia was the miller's daughter, the only girl in a brood
of six. Maybe that was the reason why she had become
such a pain. Every time Cilia wanted something, a slice
of honey-bread, a silk ribbon, perhaps, or a new set of
Prince-and-Dragon markers . .. well, all she had to do was
flutter her eyelashes and make her voice all syrupy. Her eyes
were periwinkle blue, and she had the most charming
dimples when she smiled. Her dad was putty in her hands.
And if anybody teased her or thwarted her in some way, she
complained to a couple of her brothers. They had all worked
in the mill practically from the time they could walk, and
they thought nothing of tossing around sacks of grain as if
they were filled with feathers. Nobody liked to cross them,
not even my own brother, Davin, who actually seemed to
enjoy a good fight now and then. Most of the time, Cilia was
in the habit of getting exactly what she wanted.
Normally, I gave her a very wide berth. But that day had
been a bad day from the start. Mama had scolded me for
leaving my shawl out by the woodshed the day before, so
that it was now soaking wet. I got into a fight with Davin,
and Melli, my four-year-old pest of a little sister, had picked
the eyes off my old rag doll. So what if I was much too old
to be playing with dolls—Nana was my doll, and Melli had
taken her without even asking. I was so mad and so fed up
with the whole family that I couldn't stay in the house with
them. I stood for a while in the barn and shared my woes
with Blaze, our brown mare, who had the sweetest of tempers
and was very patient with most human beings. But
then Davin led her out to graze among the pear trees in the
orchard, and the barn became lonely and boring. I knew
that if my mother caught sight of me, it would not take her
long to find some task for me; she was of the opinion that
work is the best cure for the sulks. Without really thinking
about it, I set off down the road toward the village.
Birches is not a big town, but we do have a smithy, an
inn, and the mill, run by Cilia's parents, not to mention
eleven different houses and farms of varying sizes. And
then there are the places like Cherry Tree Cottage, some
distance from the village yet somehow still a part of it. In
almost all the houses were families, and almost all the
families had children, some of them as many as eight or
ten. You would think, with so many to choose from, that
it would be possible for me to find a friend or two, or at
least some playmates. But no. Not me. Not the Shamer's
daughter. Two years ago I could still sometimes play with
Sasia from the inn. But then it became more and more difficult
for her to look me in the eyes, and after that, things
became kind of difficult. Now she avoided me completely,
just like everyone else.
So, having walked about a mile through mud and
gusty winds to reach the village, I had no idea what to do
there. I rarely went there anymore, except to run a few
errands for Mama; and I ended up standing indecisively
in the village square, trying to look as if I had merely
stopped for a minute to catch my breath. Janos Tinker
went by with his handcart, waving at me but not quite
looking. At the smithy Rikert was shoeing the miller's gray
gelding. He called my name and wished me a good afternoon,
but stayed bent over his work the whole time. And
then big fat drops of rain started to spatter the gravel, and
I could no longer pretend to be basking in the sun. I
headed for the inn, possibly just out of habit. The main
room was nearly empty; a lone guest was having a meal, a
big bear of a highlander, from up the Skayler range. Probably
he had taken summer work as a caravan guard and
was on his way home now. He cast a quick and curious
glance my way, but even without knowing me, he instinctively
looked away, avoiding my eyes.
Behind the counter. Sasia's mother was wiping glasses.
"Hello, Dina," she said politely, her eyes strictly on the
glass she was polishing. "What can we do for you?"
What would she do if I said, Look at me? But I didn't, of
course. "Is Sasia in?" I asked instead.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

I gobbled it up. —Tamora Pierce, author of 'The Song of the Lioness'
Tremendous novel... Dragons, murder, treachery and highly tropical thrills. — Amanda Craig, author of The Lie of the Land

Editorial Reviews

Gr 6-9-Like her mother, the local Shamer, Dina can see the shameful truths hidden in the souls of her fellow villagers-if only they will look her in the eye. Of course, everyone avoids her, and she has grown to hate her so-called "gift." Then Mama is taken prisoner, and Dina must use her truth-telling ability to solve a triple murder and rescue her mother and the young man falsely accused of the crime. Suspenseful and sometimes gory, this fantasy features interesting secondary characters and a well-drawn preindustrial setting. Occasional corny dialogue and overlong escape scenes won't deter readers, who will speed through the unfolding of the story's many mysteries: Who really killed the noble Castellan and his family? Why are there ravenous dragons at his castle? Whom can Dina trust now that the killer has seized control of the kingdom? Although only 10, she thinks and acts like an older child, and her increasing courage and resourcefulness in the face of evil doings, exhaustion, and the strains of her own talent will appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce's work. By the end of the book, Dina finds some peace as she makes a new friend and learns that her gift can heal as well as cause pain. Since the killer remains in power, plenty of conflict has yet to be resolved in the novel's proposed sequels.-Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

A different kind of magic gives spark to this series opener. Dina, like her mother, is a shamer. Nobody in the village will be her friend-one look into Dina's eyes will magically reveal all of the gazer's shameful deeds. If she could, Dina would reject her magic. But when her mother refuses to use shamer power to condemn an innocent man, powerful enemies appear. Dina will need all her gifts to rescue her mother. With wrongfully accused Nicodemus-innocent, Dina knows, of his father's murder-Dina must escape Dunark, now ruled by the wicked upstart Drakan and his dragons. Drakan is mysteriously immune to shame and Dina's magic, and he needs to kill the rightful heir, Nicodemus, to consolidate his rule. Worse, he's condemned Dina's mother to death for witchcraft. Though plenty of plot threads are left for the next three series entries to resolve, Dina's first volume comes to a satisfying conclusion. Standard fantasy spiced with likable characters and an intriguing new magical ability-eagerly awaiting volume two (Fantasy. 10-14)

Kirkus Reviews

Dina's courage and resourcefulness . . . will appeal to fans of Tamora Pierce's work.” —School Library Journal

“This first book in the Shamer Chronicles is a page-turner; readers will eagerly await the next episode.” —Booklist

From the Publisher