The Wintrish Girl:
Talismans of Fate, Book One
by Melanie La’Brooy

A wildly fun debut about not quite belonging, forging your own path and finding your true home.

Recommended age: 9 - 12

A$17.99

(Trade paperback)

Available. Dispatched 2-3 business days

Overview

On Talisman Day in Arylia, every child receives an object that gives them special powers and reveals their destiny. Every child except for the Wintrish girl, Penn, that is. There’s no need for a Talisman to reveal her fate. Penn already knows that she’s doomed to a miserable, lonely life as a servant and outcast.

All Penn has ever wanted is the impossible: to return to her home in Midwinter and find her true family. But she’s trapped in Arylia, where a long-forgotten evil is stirring…

When sinister events start to occur, the blame falls on the Wintrish girl. Suddenly Penn finds herself running for her life. Straight into deadly peril. Facing dangerous enemies with terrifying powers, what can an ordinary Wintrish girl do? Because without a Talisman, there’s no changing your fate… is there?

A wildly fun adventure featuring at least five impossibly daring escapes, important life lessons about friendship and cucumbers, a dragon with a fear of unicorns and some stylish execution wear.

And one vicious berry.

Details

Awards

Reviews

Media

Resources

Jaclyn Moriarty

‘A treasure of a book – fizzing with imaginative delights, hilarity, adventure and utterly loveable characters.’

Rebecca McRitchie

‘The Wintrish Girl is a delightfully spellbinding tale. Melanie La’Brooy’s debut is imbued with a charm that readers will love.’

Lamont

‘This is a fast-paced, funny, wonderful adventure fantasy story. It has great characters and amazing animal friends, together with evil adversaries, that make this a hard book to put down… I can’t wait for Book Two.’

The Australian Women’s Weekly

‘La’Brooy’s boundless imagination is mesmerisingly believable.’

Lian Tanner

‘I loved this so much. Intriguing, wildly adventurous, and often laugh out loud funny.’

Cristy Burne

‘I loved this book! It’s funny! Magical! Clever! Total non-stop entertainment and joy and I recommend it to anyone of any age who loves magic, fantasy, friendship and hilarious writing. I can’t wait for more’

Joy Lawn

‘The Wintrish Girl explores high fantasy archetypes of identity, light and dark and the quest. It has moments of unexpected humour and layers of meaning that are perfectly integrated into a riveting, wondrous story.’

Children’s Book Council of Australia

‘This story is an absolute page-turner. La’Brooy has created a world that draws readers in and leaves us wanting more of the magic. It is on par with the likes of the Harry Potter and Nevermoor series.’

Melanie La’Brooy

Melanie La’Brooy is an Australian author who has previously written five novels for adults, which were published in Australia and internationally. Her debut children’s novel, The Wintrish Girl, won the Aurealis Award for Best Children’s Fiction and the DANZ Children’s Book Award, was shortlisted for the Readings Children’s Prize, and was a CBCA Notable. The Lost History is the sequel to The Wintrish Girl and the second book in the Talismans of Fate series.

Melanie has lived in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She has long been a history nerd who loves exploring cobblestoned old towns and ancient ruins. Some of the most goosebump-inducing historical sites she has visited include the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, Robben Island in South Africa and Petra in Jordan. Melanie’s surname is pronounced La-Broy. Sticking with the history theme, it rhymes with the ancient city of Troy.

https://melanielabrooy.com.au/