Starminster

Astrid has always lived in the rhubarb shed. Mama tells her that it’s dangerous in the outside world, but Astrid has always longed to see the stars. Even to live in the farmhouse with Mama would be enough.

One night, a stranger liberates her from the shed – a stranger with wings, a Librae. She tells Astrid that she too will have wings one day, and be able to fly. What’s more, there’s a secret city in the sky above London called London Overhead – and Astrid can live there.

At first, Astrid plunges into life as a Librae with glee, making friends and discovering more about this secret, airborne world. But soon it's clear something is wrong in the magical, ancient city. Can Astrid and her new friends expose the rot at the heart of the community? 

This magical adventure is full of inventive, original details, and the plot is pacey. Astrid is a plucky heroine, quick to put others first.

The hierarchy within the school and the wider community is recognisable, but the flying lessons and the glorious feathery wings are special to this world.

Readers will long, like Astrid, to soar above the clouds. A debut novel with pace and verve.