While her sister dances as if she floats on the air, and her mother is the ultimate actress, nothing Olga does is special.
Being stranded in the Imperial Centre for Aviation with nothing but mushrooms to eat has its benefits. Especially when the furthest reaches of the land are visible from its observation deck.
Olga, whose only passion is maps, itches to touch the precious ones in her new home. They chart every slope and valley of the outer lands, except the Unmappable Blank. But when Olga succumbs to temptation, her world unravels because magic has been banished for decades.
Olga knows she cannot reveal her unusual ability to anyone or she will be sent to Bleak Steppe, never to return.
But being so close to the Republic of Birds with a father who is desperate to redeem himself leads to dangerous complications.
Olga has no choice but to learn who she really is in order to unleash every ounce of skill she has to save her sister.
With themes like loyalty, jealousy and overwhelming protective instincts threaded throughout, The Republic of Birds is not only an ode to the complexities of sisterly love but also a rip-roaring magical fantasy adventure.
A perfect escape in these strange times of self isolation.
Title: The Republic of Birds
Author: Jessica Miller
Publisher: Text Publishing, $16.99
Publication Date: 3 March 2020
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781922268044
For ages: 8+
Type: Middle Grade
