The Wrinkled Crown

HarperCollins, 2015

In a world bitterly divided between science and magic, Linny must undo the curse she accidentally brings down on her best friend.

In the enchanted village of Lourka, almost-twelve-year-old Linny breaks an ancient law. Girls are forbidden to so much as touch the town's namesake musical instrument before their twelfth birthday or risk being spirited away. But Linny can't resist the call to play a lourka, so she builds one herself.

When the punishment strikes her best friend instead, Linny must leave home to try to set things right. With her father's young apprentice, Elias, along for the journey, Linny travels from the magical wrinkled country to the scientific land of the Plain, where she finds herself at the center of a battle between the logical and the magical.

HONORS AND REVIEWS:

  • Starred review from School Library Journal: "Nesbet’s writing is deft and unpredictable, with adventure following adventure, keeping readers hooked to the end . . . . This well-developed fantasy/adventure is a first purchase for middle grade collections"

  • “Nesbet’s confident worldbuilding creates a fascinating picture of two diametrically opposed cultures" (Kirkus).