Splinter & Ash (Bk. 1)

On the eve of her twelfth birthday, Princess Adelisa — Ash to her friends — returns to the city of Kestrel’s Haven after six years away, hoping for a joyous reunion. Instead she finds a court divided by prejudice: her mother struggles to hold the war-torn kingdom together, her brother jeers at her disability, and nobles openly mock her frailty, dismissing her as “damaged.”

Meanwhile Splinter — neither girl nor boy — dreams of becoming a knight, though tradition restricts squires to noble boys. When Ash sponsors Splinter as her squire, the two unlikely companions — a disabled princess and a determined nonbinary knight-in-training — form a bond. But danger lurks: a conspiracy among nobles threatens to overthrow the queen. When Ash is kidnapped, Splinter must navigate betrayal, secret plots, and societal prejudice to rescue her friend — learning courage, loyalty, and self-worth along the way.

“A thoughtful fantasy exploring loyalty, self-worth, and the ethics of war beyond the battlefield.” — Kirkus Reviews

“An essential middle-grade fantasy where all readers will find heroes to love and to cheer!” — Alex London