Aerimanders are extinct. The dragon-like creatures have been gone so long their existence is almost more myth than memory. That is, until Eva Alexander, a 12-year-old student at the exclusive Young Ladies’ Royal Academy for Science and Mathematics, accidentally walks out of a jewellery shop with a mysterious silver egg.

Suddenly, Eva’s privileged life is turned upside down when everyone from secret government agents to organised crime syndicates discover her secret. The hijinks escalate when Eva and her egg are kidnapped by Dusty, an orphaned milk-boy by day, newly initiated member of the underground Union of Thieves by night. All the while, clever Eva is herself scheming to take advantage of her precarious predicament.

But what does everyone want with this egg? Is the baby aerimander within an endangered creature worthy of protection, or a weapon of war waiting to be unleashed on unsuspecting citizens? Murky motivations, class divides and government conspiracies abound in this chaotic cat-and-mouse adventure across the kingdom!

Dark, funny, intricate, and exciting, this fast-paced action fantasy debut will thrill upper-middle grade readers who love their stakes high and their humour sharp. Recommended for readers aged 10+.