The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet

(Hardback)

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'Jaclyn Moriarty is one of the most original writers we have.'Markus Zusak


Lillian Velvet lives a very lonely life with her cold and remote Grandmother. That is, until her tenth birthday, when she is given a pickle jar of gold coins, along with a note with clear instructions: don't go out, don't open the door for anyone, and don't spend all your coins in one day.


What happens next seems impossible. The coins whisk Lillian away to a different time and place. There she meets a small boy in a circus about to be crushed to death; a lively family, each member in a distinctive form of mortal danger; a boy with a skateboard; and a girl who can Whisper. And a web of dangerous magic closing tight around it all.


Why is Lillian here How is she supposed to help these new friends And - most importantly - what happens if she fails


An exciting tale in the magical Kingdoms and Empires world, where seemingly disparate elements are spun until all is revealed as one delicious, tantalising whole.


'Complex and clever, Lillian Velvet's adventure through time is expertly plotted and a joy to read. She's won my heart.' Reece Carter, bestselling author of A Girl Called Corpse


PRAISE FOR THE KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES BOOKS
'Charms, thrills and delights ... brilliantly evoking echoes of Diana Wynne Jones.' Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Keys to the Kingdoms series



'Brimming with bright new magic ... Just perfect.' Karen Foxlee, award-winning and bestselling author of Dragon Skin


'It's my favourite book ever. I want to put it in a glass case to look at always. 5 stars!' Daisy, age 7


'Humorous, whimsical and beguiling ... intricately and ingeniously plotted tale.' The Australian


'A middle-grade version of Terry Pratchett's Discworld - fantasy adventure steeped in humour, with a touch of satire.' Booklist (starred review)

Reviews

'What an achievement this book is. It's impossibly good (excuse the pun) and I loved it.Complex and clever, Lillian Velvet's adventure through time is expertly plotted and a joy to read. Book by book, the Kingdoms and Empires continue to become more enchanting, their deep history building on itself each time a reader is lucky enough to visit them.You can't help but fall in love with Jaclyn Moriarty's characters, and Lillian Velvet in particular is possibly the most charming hero yet. She's won my heart.' Reece Carter, bestselling author of A Girl Called Corpse

Author Bio

Jaclyn Moriarty is the internationally bestselling author of novels for children, young adults and sometimes slightly older adults, including the (lengthily-titled) books in the Kingdoms and Empires series: The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars, The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere, and now, The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet. Jaclyn's books have been translated into several languages, won the NSW Premier's Literary Award, the Queensland Literary Award, the Aurealis Award and named as CBCA Honour Book and Boston Globe/Hornbook Honor book. They have also been short-listed for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, the Nebula Prize and the Russell Prize for Humour Writing for Young People. A former media and entertainment lawyer, Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in the US, UK and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again. She is very fond of blueberries, chocolate and ice skating.