A cautious girl meets a careless boy in this epic tale of two opposites. Tamarin is an outcast who hides in the trees. Adden is beloved but aches for adventure. Set in a world with mythical creatures, dark forces, and ancient secrets, book one of the Terror and Wave series chronicles the lives of two children as they walk through tragedy, trials, and the very real terrors of the outside world.
The island of Ku lua Pele hides a dark mountain with even darker secrets. For some, tales of the island are nothing more than whispered myths. For others, it is a place of death. For the Empress who rules there, it is home.
For the people of Tenek, the island is not even a story. Their isolated homeland is far removed from the outside world and its mysteries, a fact that suits the green-eyed inhabitants just fine. But for one girl, that isolation has made life on Tenek very lonely.
Tamarin is an outcast. Born with golden eyes, fiery red hair, and dark skin, her timid nature is a stark contrast to the foreign features that make her stand out in her village. To avoid the whispers, most of her days are spent hiding in trees or helping her father in the infirmary.
Adden is a willful boy, carefree and prone to mischief. Drowning in a sea of siblings and drudgery, he finds himself drawn to the brilliant, golden-eyed girl of his village.
A foolish stunt leaves Adden with a gash on his head and Tamarin with a peculiar patient. Though they're as different as night and day, they form a friendship that grows with each mishap and adventure.
When the foreigner, Galb, arrives on their shores with his crew, Tamarin and Adden are pulled toward a world beyond Tenek. Tales of her mother's homeland set Tamarin's heart ablaze, and she craves a connection with the mother she never knew. Adden longs for a life at sea, full of sailing and discovery.
But the stories of Ku lua Pele are more than myth, and for a bloodthirsty Empress hunting a golden-eyed race, no place is too far.
Leigh, Pj: - P. J. Leigh is a lifelong lover of stories and enjoys all kinds, from mystery to fantasy. Her biggest motivations for writing are the two beautiful girls she has at home, which is why her writing showcases female characters of color.She's been acknowledged in publications such as Writer's Digest and theProse.com. Her debut novel, Olawu, earned a spot as a Quarter Finalist for the 2023 Booklife Prize for Fiction by Publishers Weekly. If she's not plotting and scheming, she's typically reading, crying over K-dramas, or, inevitably, doing laundry. Learn more about her projects on her website at pjleigh.com.
