Thorns in the Shadow

by Erica Sehyun Song

It is 1893, and fifteen-year-old Lucille Rinehart secretly yearns for freedom from a strict society. While attending a private academy for girls, Lucille thinks she knows her inevitable fate-to marry an honourable man. But when curiosity leads her to sneak off with her best friend, Rose, to visit a mysterious gypsy, Lucille begins to wonder if her destiny is not what she thinks. She returns home a few days later to attend a ball hosted by her parents, only to be snatched off the street by a powerful man who wants to use her as a pawn to satisfy a grudge against her family. But just as she manages to escape, a girl presses a choker into her hand-and it seems the necklace has special powers. As bizarre events begin occurring, Rose acts strangely and Lucille is plagued by visions and a haunting voice. When she finally returns to school, a twist of fate soon has her bonding with three rivals who share the same uncertain future. Now all they have to do is determine who they can trust as a complex mystery begins to unfold. In this exciting young adult tale, a teenage girl and her unlikely friends embark on a magical journey to solve their destiny where they discover danger, challenges, and most importantly, themselves.

380 pages, Paperback

First published June 4, 2014

About the author

I'm Erica Sehyun Song, and I live in Singapore. I've lived here for most of my life and I love it. I have a red poodle called Tinkerbelle - she's great and just about the most energetic animal I've seen.

"The Pax Valley" was my first completed story. I started writing it when I was 11 and finished it a year later. "Thorns in the Shadow" is my second book, which is coming out later this year.