A gorgeous short story from the collection, BEYOND THE STARS, written and illustrated by two great Irish talents in children’s fiction today
As battle rages beyond the castle walls and soldiers fall like flies, the king despairs. His kingdom is crumbling around him, and he has lost his fighting spirit. His people know that without that, they will surely lose the war.
While the bombs fall and arrows rain down, a black cat wanders silently amongst them, invisible but for her footprints in the snow. Only she may pass unnoticed through the deserted courtyards and along the empty corridors and snow-covered battlements of the once-bustling palace. For she has taken a silent vow to protect the princess who once saved her from drowning as a kitten. Watching her at play, lonely as can be, the cat knows she can never abandon her charge; she must help her and the young prince find each other, even if she is the last one remaining.
A beautifully crafted tale by a highly regarded author with delicate illustrations to match by one of Ireland’s rising stars.
Celine Kiernan is an award-winning author of fantasy novels for young adults. Her critically acclaimed work combines fantasy elements with the exploration of political, humanitarian and philosophical themes. She is best known for The Moorehawke Trilogy, a dark, complex trilogy of fantasy YA books set in an alternative renaissance Europe. First published in Celine’s native Ireland in 2008, the trilogy has since been published in 15 different territories, and translated into 10 different languages. In 2009 the first book of the Moorehawke Trilogy, The Poison Throne, won The Readers’ Association of Ireland Award for best book; it was included in the White Raven Collection and short listed for the 2009 Irish Book Awards in two categories (Best Newcomer and Best Children’s Book senior category). In 2010 it was long-listed for an Australian Silver Inky Award.
Celine’s fourth novel, Into the Grey (aka Taken Away) – a YA ghost story set in 1970′s Ireland – won the 2012 CBI Book of the Year (formerly The Bisto award) and the CBI Children’s Choice Award. It is the first book to have won both categories. It won the RAI Book of the Year 2013, and has been shortlisted for the Sakura Medal (English High) 2014. In 2013 the Irish Times named it as one of the best children's books of the past 25 years.
Born in Dublin, Ireland, 1967, Celine has spent the majority of her working life in the film business, and her career as a classical feature character animator spanned over seventeen years, before she became a full-time writer.