Drift & Dagger
In Mal's world, magic is everything. But Mal is a "blank," the anti-magic. Blanks can't be hexed or cursed or saved or killed by magic. And everyone is afraid of them--even Mal himself.
So Mal hides what he is--except from Essie Roe, a witch and his best friend. On the day Essie reveals his secret and casts him out from the only home he's ever known, Mal experiences the true shock of betrayal.
Now Mal travels the world in search of rare, illegal magical relics. When his partner in crime, Boone, hears rumors of a legendary dagger that can steal a witch's power, Mal knows he's finally found his means of revenge. But as the chase for the fabled knife takes them from Boston to Paris to Constantinople, Mal realizes there are secrets afoot that he's only beginning to understand--and all the while the blank monster inside him threatens to escape.
Praise for DRIFT & DAGGER!
"The world building is strong, surprisingly standing up just as well as in the earlier novel without ever feeling repetitive; this historical fantasy setting, particularly the witch-protected island, is so vibrantly described as to become a character in itself." - The Bulletin
"Narrated by Mal, this prequel to Kulper’s popular Salt and Storm (2014) sustains the high quality and tenor of the earlier book. Mal and Essie are evocative of Emily Brontë’s Catherine and Heathcliff, although their circumstances are very different, and the treasure hunting and mid-nineteenth- century travel will give this book wide appeal." - Booklist
"This coming-of-age tale features action, adventure, high seas, magic, betrayals, and danger. Fans of alternate histories will enjoy the author’s skillful world-building and fantastic dialogue. VERDICT This bildungsroman has broad appeal." - School Library Journal
"Kulper creates a vivid, richly detailed alternative world grounded in history but with the added magical twist. Instead of witches, blanks are feared and persecuted. Characterizations, particularly the angry, afflicted Mal, pop as vividly as the alternative setting, offering readers an absorbing experience. Unusual and highly engaging." - Kirkus
A Fall 2015 Junior Library Guild Selection!
DRIFT & DAGGER
by Kendall Kulper
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 8, 2015
ISBN-10: 0316404535
ISBN-13: 9780316404532