The Book of Sapphire and Shadow (Echoes of the Old World 1)

Two months after her mother’s death, twelve-year-old Beth Egan feels isolated and adrift in the new town of Northwood, where her grieving father has moved them for a fresh start. Seeking refuge from her loneliness and the pitying whispers of her new classmates, she discovers a dusty, old-fashioned bookstore where she finds a mysterious blue book named Sapphire and Shadow. Upon reading the book, she's pulled into a breathtaking fantasy world where she is a princess, and her mother is alive as the beautiful Queen Elara. This perfect wish-fulfillment is shattered when the kingdom is attacked by monstrous creatures called the Dirgesworn, forcing Beth to flee the castle and the only safety she has known in this magical realm.Now hunted and alone, with only a cryptic instruction to find a safe haven called Ostwin, Beth must navigate a world far more dangerous than she ever imagined. She forges an unlikely fellowship with a gentle giant, a legendary silent warrior, a mischievous fairy, and a timid apprentice illusionist. Pursued by the sinister Dirgesworn leader, Blue Fang, who seeks a magical bracelet her story-mother gave her, Beth discovers she possesses a strange power tied to her own memories and emotions. To save her new friends and the kingdom, Beth must journey to the desolate Vale of Shadows to confront the source of the darkness, forcing her to find a strength she never knew she had and to face a grief that feels as monstrous as the creatures of the story.