This charming fantasy adventure is accessible and straightforward with just a few moments of jeopardy but plenty of excitement and personal challenges. And the conviction that fate is something we decide for ourselves. Masterful, a wonderfully original fantasy adventure that feels like a timeless classic. A brilliant new voice in the world of children's fiction." With the focus on faith, fate and fighting for what is right, Minou’s journey has the feel of a traditional mythical story with everyone getting their just desserts at the end. Following on from her two poetry books, CLCC lecturer Gita Ralleigh has written her first children's novel, The Destiny of Minou Moonshine. The story of a Queendom set in an alternate colonial India, blending Frances Hardinge with Kipling'sKim. A debut rich in fantasy, friendship and faith, and an original adventure that sparkles with storytelling magic. About the Book

Gita grew up reading stories that took her to faraway lands. The closest she came was on family holidays to India, where old palaces, ice-capped mountains, monkeys and elephants were part of everyday life. Gita Ralleigh builds a vivid world bursting with jeopardy in this beautifully lyrical debut. So many unexpected twists to love, including the mechanicals. Minou is a great hero - kind-hearted, brave, and full of fire." Minou lives in a very different version of India which is ruled by the General and where worship of the goddess, The Dark Lady is forbidden. She is use to her life with Dima, her adopted grandmother until one day everything changes. Dima is murdered but Minou has little time to grieve when she joins the rebel group the Green Orchids who are trying to overthrow the General but then finds herself in the walls of the General’s Palace. Minou’s life is about to change forever. and a goddess, the Dark Lady, who guides Minou to her destiny. I cannot wait for young readers to meet her."Aimed at children aged 9-12 years,the story follows fierce orphan Minou as she sets off with a secret, a map and a mechanical elephant, through the lush landscape of Indica, in search of her destiny. This story is set in an alternative, steampunk version of India called ‘Indica’ – a vivid world, full of colour and magic. When Dima is killed, Minou’s future lies in the Home for Orphan Girls but, knowing she’ll hate it there, she joins a band of rebels, takes matters into her own hands and goes searching for the legendary diamond, the Dark Lady and her own destiny. Minou, or ‘Sparrow’ as she is known to her friends, has lived on a dilapidated houseboat with her adopted Grandmother since the day she was found abandoned as a baby during the monsoon, thirteen years earlier. Their home, the former Queendom of Moonlally is suffering under the oppressive rule of a tyrannical General, but a rebel force called The Green Orchid are fighting for freedom and to restore the power of the goddess called the ‘Dark Lady’. With forbidden goddesses, a lost queen and a mechanical elephant, this is a gently unfolding, rich narrative full of fantasy and wonder, which champions the power of girls and women to manage their own destinies."

When a terrible tragedy occurs, Minou is swept up in a thrilling adventure involving airships, mechanical elephants and ferocious crocodiles.As a child, I loved fantasy adventures" says Gita. "At the time, I never expected to find a small brown girl within those stories. I was determined that my fantasy adventure would be about a girl like me who discovers both her inheritance and her very own magic." Minou is a feisty and determined protagonist who fiercely protects and defends her friends, but when her world is upended, will Minou have the courage to step into her destiny? The Destiny of Minou Moonshine’ is a captivating and atmospheric read, perfect for fans of Nizrana Farook and Radiya Hafiza’s ‘Rumaysa’. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I’m sure it will be popular in the library.

A story of rebels and queens fighting for freedom, and one girl's quest to find out who she really is. A mesmerising middle-grade Indian adventure.

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