The first in an extraordinary middle-grade fantasy series that takes the traditional "chosen one" narrative and flips it on its head. Think Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil, but with a thrilling twist!

A boy with no memory. A world searching for a hero.

Casander Darkbloom has no memory, lives outside a curiosity shop, and experiences random surges of uncontrollable energy in his limbs. When he inexplicably brings a stuffed raven to life, he unravels a strange and thrilling magical world. A world waiting for Cas to save it.

Cas is the Foretold, the one prophesied to defeat the malevolent Master of All. Under the protection of Wayward School, Cas must learn to master his magical abilities. But, as he soon discovers, all may not be quite as it seems - and Cas will need to take control of his own destiny if he is to find the strength to fight the powers of evil.

Spectacular and imaginative, this thrilling fantasy novel celebrates difference and how what makes us unique is also our greatest strength.

About the Author
P.A. Staff is a science communicator and vet by day, writer by night. Born and living in Norfolk, she spent her childhood growing up with an unknown and unexplainable movement condition, known as Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Choreoathestosis. She created Casander Darkbloom to tackle the universal central themes of embracing your differences, conquering people's perceptions of them, and quite frankly giving children who are different a possible answer to the age-old question, "Why me?" Casander Darkbloom is the book that her 12-year-old self would have cherished for seeing a hero like herself on the pages, who had the same disorder but was ultimately neither held back nor defined by it.

Reviews
Written by an author with a movement condition known as Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Choreoathetosis, this exciting magical debut has disability and neurodiversity representation. * The Bookseller *
Told with adventure, magic and a brilliant cast of characters, this will keep you on the edge of your seat, not to mention keep you guessing and surprised throughout. * My Shelves Are Full *
This was a fantastic, fast-paced book full of fantastic, life-like characters, each very different from one another and stand out too. I love that it focused on those who were different in some way, whether it was Casander and his funny leg, or Paws and her wheelchair, these things never made the characters lesser, they were just things they dealt with and they lived their lives. There's some fantastic twists in this story, and I was completely riveted. * NetGalley *



Book Information
ISBN 9781529506280
Author P. A. Staff
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint Walker Books Ltd
Publisher Walker Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 261g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 21mm