The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst

Esther is a middle child, in her own mind a pale reflection of siblings who are bright, shining stars. Her mother doesn't show the slightest bit of interest, no matter what Esther does. Still, she's content to go back to school, do her best, hang out with her friends, and let others take care of things.But her best friends aren't AT school when she gets there. Why didn't they tell her they wouldn't be coming back? Why were they silent all summer? But stuff like that happens. And it's bad luck that her new teacher makes Esther the butt of all kinds of jokes. Mrs. Pollock is rumored to be an ogreand maybe she IS one. Could be.Then things go from unfortunate to outright dangerous. The mountains surrounding the schoolusually sparkling with glaciers and lakes, alive with Faeries, and sheltering a quaint town with really great bakeriesare now crowded with Shadow Mages, casting a noticeable pall, and clearlyto Esthersignifying something very dark and threatening. As the people she might have depended on to help are either strangely absent or in hiding, it's left to ordinary, middle-child Esther ("e;just Esther"e;) to act. But she'll have to burst out of the box of mediocrity she's been but in, and do something absolutely extraordinary.Praise for Jaclyn Moriarty"e;Magically uplifting."e; The Horn Book, for The Spellbook of Listen Taylor"e;... Moriarty [is] a genre-bending author who gracefully weaves metaphysical questions into outwardly ordinary circumstances."e; Publishers Weekly, for A Corner of White "e;[A] highly entertaining and brilliantly plotted fantasy... With its storytelling aplomb, humor, imagination, and many twists and turns, this novel places Moriarty . . . firmly in Diana Wynne Jones territory."e;The Horn Book, starred review for The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone"e;Jaclyn Moriarty makes me laugh, hystericallyand cry, unexpectedly... Startlingly original fantasy."e; E. Lockhart, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Liars

"Splendidly entertaining."—Kirkus Reviews

★ "A delightfully quirky story with nuance, depth, and a colorful cast of characters, this book begs for multiple readings."
—School Library Journal (starred)

★ "Like a middle-grade version of Terry Pratchett'sDiscworld—fantasy adventure steeped in humor, with a touch of satire, and set in a whimsical secondary world of the highest order."
—Booklist (starred)

"The tale crescendos to an uplifting close that promotes honesty, bravery, and self-confidence."
—Publishers Weekly

Twelve-year-old Esther Mettlestone-Staranise loves reading books and writing stories but is troubled by low self-esteem and recurring bad dreams.

When she starts the year at boarding school in earnest, she quickly notices something isn't quite right. Her two best friends are mysteriously missing. There are rumors her new teacher is secretly an actual ogre. And the scenic mountains of her quaint little town are teeming with Shadow Mages and danger.

As secrets and dangers escalate, Esther must find the answers to several puzzles. Why is her teacher behaving so oddly? Which of Esther's classmates is the Spellbinder, and can they really protect the school from gathering hordes of Shadow Mages? Could the Stolen Prince of Cloudburst be connected?

How can Esther – who is not talented like her sisters, nor an adventurer like her cousin, but just Esther – save her family, her school and possibly her entire world?