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Skyriders Series

Murder’s No Votive Confidence

Book 1

Murder Makes Scents

Book 2

The Sky King

Book 2 Coming May 7, 2024

In this soaring adventure for fans of Skandar and the Unicorn Thief and Wings of Fire, a new kind of monster launches an attack on the empire of Prekalt. Who can Kiesandra and her skysteed turn to for help in this life-and-death battle?

Fresh from their victory over the frightening chimerae monsters, Kie and N’Rah are looking forward to a quiet life on her uncle’s orchard, far from the turmoil of the capital city. They miss the friends they made there, but as sky couriers, their job keeps them busy.

Then Kie unexpectedly receives a message from the emperor himself! He has an urgent mission for Kie and N’Rah—they need to find the Sky King, the elusive ruler of the wild skysteeds that soar across the land. After losing so many fighters in the Battle of a Thousand Chimerae, the empire is in desperate need of hundreds of winged horses to bind with new skyfighters. The wild herds are their only hope, but bitter betrayals in the past have made the Sky King distrustful of humans.

Kie’s unique ability to communicate with all skysteeds makes her the best person for the job, but it would take a miracle for the Sky King to trust a young human. Then a new threat emerges in the form of huge birds of prey called vultiren. With the fearsome creatures heading straight for the wild skysteeds’ hidden refuge, Kie must convince the Sky King to ally with her and her companions—before their world is destroyed forever.

Praise for The Sky King

“An action-packed, superbly paced second book that raises the stakes and shows the cost of loss.”
Kirkus Reviews

“The follow up to series opener Skyriders picks up where its predecessor left off and races readers to a satisfying conclusion. Outstanding for middle grade readers of fantasy who are looking for something different from the magic school tropes that proliferate in the genre. No profanity or sexual content and battle violence is not excessive nor overly bloody.”
—Melanie Dulaney, retired school librarian

Skyriders is one of my favourite fantasy reads of 2023, and as soon as I finished it, I requested an eARC of the sequel, The Sky King. It’s an excellent follow-up that finds Kie and her skysteed, N’Rah, unwillingly thrown back into action and tasked with finding the Sky King to convince him to allow the wild skysteeds to join their forces.

I highly recommend these books to readers who enjoy the Battle Dragons (Alex London), Skyborn (Jessica Khoury), Skandar the Unicorn Thief (A.F. Steadman), and Wings of Fire (Tui T. Sutherland) series, and I will be anxiously awaiting another addition to this series.”
—Kathie MacIsaac, Literacy Advocate and Author

Skyriders

Book 1 now available in paperback

Wings of Fire meets Pax in this epic fantasy adventure set in a world where human and skysteed share a deep bond of friendship and love.

When monsters emerge to attack the empire, it’s up to Kiesandra and her beloved winged horse N’Rah to prove to herself and the imperial army that she has what it takes to lead them to victory… and survival.

Twelve-year-old Kiesandra’s best friend isn’t human, but that doesn’t stop her from sharing jokes and secrets with her winged horse, N’Rah. She, like every other person with a skysteed, can communicate with N’Rah through her mind. Their bond is critical when one day, monsters from long ago reemerge to ravage a nearby village. No one knows how to fight the fearsome chimerae except Kie’s uncle… and now Kie.

Injured in the battle, Uncle Dugs makes her promise to bring his attack plan and weapons to the capital. Kie reluctantly agrees. At the palace, she and N’Rah attempt to gain the trust of the royals and train the army in Dug’s lessons. But how can a young girl and her skysteed convince anyone that only they know how to defeat the deadly monsters?

Buzzing with action, heart, and friendship, this first book in the Skyriders series shows that kids can achieve the impossible—especially with flying horses on their side.

Watch the book trailer

Praise for Skyriders

“In this invigorating adventure, Holyoke offers a warmhearted tale that emphasizes communication and empathy without neglecting tension and danger, while plotlines surrounding the Empire’s class- and race-based inequity provide additional fodder for conversation.”
Publishers Weekly

“Readers, especially fans of Tui T. Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series, will enjoy this gripping fantasy whose satisfying conclusion leaves the path open for the sequel… a thrilling series opener.”
Kirkus Reviews

Skyriders soars off the page and takes you along for an epic adventure that will leave you breathless and asking for more. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!”
—James Ponti, New York Times bestselling author of the City Spies series
“Kiesandra Torsun is an unforgettable heroine who never gives up, even when facing staggering odds against vicious three-headed monsters attacking her homeland. Her loyalty, courage, and kindness won me over and her bond with her winged horse left me dazzled.”
—Mary E. Pearson, New York Times bestselling author of The Remnant Chronicles

“A breathtaking, mythical adventure. This is the kind of book I would have devoured and read over and over again as a kid. I devoured it as an adult, too!”
—Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times bestselling author of Rump and the Time Castaways trilogy

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