Stephanie Burgis lives in Wales with her husband, their two sons and their tabby cat, surrounded by mountains and castles. She writes fun MG fantasy adventures, most recently the Dragon with a Chocolate Heart trilogy and The Raven Heir. The world of The Raven Heir (and the upcoming sequel, The Raven Throne) was directly inspired by the landscape of Wales and the history behind it, with local areas such as the woodland of Coed Cefn and Raglan Castle helping create the inspiration for the mystical lands explored in this thrilling fantasy duology.
'The Raven Heir' by Stephanie Burgis
Cordelia and her triplets Rosalind and Giles have lived safely in the castle at the centre of the forest all their lives, protected by the spells their mother has woven. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is when she turns into a dragonfly or a blackbird and can fly beyond the great stone walls. But then one day the outside world comes to them. Two rival dukes and their soldiers have come for the triplets – because whoever is the eldest is the heir to the throne.
But their mother knows that since the Raven Crown was broken, no one has been able to rule the kingdom of Corvenne and live, and she will not give up any of her children to that death sentence. When she refuses to reveal which child is the eldest, she is taken prisoner, and Cordelia and her brother and sister find themselves on the run in a dangerous new world. And as they set out across Corvenne to rescue their mother, Cordelia begins to see that there is a deep magic at work, driving her towards a destiny that could tear her family apart, take away her freedom forever or, just maybe, heal a kingdom devastated by a war that has raged for generations.
'The Raven Throne' by Stephanie Burgis
Cordelia has been crowned the Raven Queen. But with new power comes new danger. The unmissable sequel to The Raven Heir and conclusion to the epic middle-grade fantasy series perfect for fans of Abi Elphinstone and Piers Torday.
Once their triplet Cordelia became the Raven Queen, Giles and Rosalind knew they would have to learn to behave at court. No more fighting for Rosalind and no more singing for Giles. What they didn't foresee was having to foil a plot against their sister.
When Cordelia falls into an enchanted sleep and cannot be woken, Rosalind and Giles must quest across the kingdom to seek help from the ancient spirits of the land. But their family's greatest enemies lurk at every turn and it will take all of the triplets' deepest strengths to fight against them.
A thrilling finale to the magical and mystical series.