Between Monsters and Marvels

Monsters are still lurking on Barrow’s Bay.

Dare Coates is sure of it. No drifter or ruffian could have killed her father, the Captain of the Guard, while he was on patrol. But everyone insists that monsters have been gone for years now. Dare’s mother. Her classmates. Even the governor, who swiftly marries her mother just months after her father’s death. Dare’s suspicions grow even stronger when the governor suddenly ships her off to the mainland, away from any hope of uncovering the truth about her father’s death.

Or so she thinks.

But when Dare finds solid proof that monsters still exist she starts to question everything she’s always known. Was her father who she thought he was? Who can she trust? Where is the line between good and evil?

The truth hides behind danger and deception.

But with the help of an unlikely crew of cohorts and a stray beastie, nothing will stop Dare from finding out what happened to her father and exposing who the real monsters are.

Praise for Between Monsters and Marvels

“In a world abound with monsters, a spiky, independent girl named Dare dares to unearth the truth about her father’s death. At once a mystery, a fantasy, and a good, old-fashioned yarn, BETWEEN MONSTERS AND MARVELS will keep kids turning the pages until the last secret—and the most dangerous monsters of all—are revealed.”

—Laura Ruby, National Book Award Finalist and Author of the York Series

“A twisty, crafty, creepy tale with a wonderfully warm heart.”

—Jacqueline West, award-winning author of Long Lost

“A stunningly original fantasy. A richly built world of intrigue and illusion.
Alysa Wishingrad’s brilliant Dare is an entirely unique protagonist who braves deceptions at every turn as she tries to distinguish the monstrous from the marvelous.”

— Kate Albus, award-winning author of A Place to Hang the Moon

“Enriched by incredible world-building and extraordinary creatures, this riveting book kept me turning pages way past my bedtime and resentful of anything that distracted from reading.”

–Megan E. Freeman, award-winning author of Alone

“A pitch-perfect fantasy, a book to savor, with a new kind of tough girl hero. Dare is unafraid to be different, and uses her sharp edges to cut through the lies of history and power. She and the inventive creatures that fill this twisty, engaging narrative will make it a classroom favorite.”

–Diane Magras, author of Secret of the Shadow Beasts

“I do not usually read fantasy books, but I think Alysa Wishingrad may have changed my thinking on this after reading Between Monsters and Marvels! I completely loved this story!”

–Cindy Schwind, EDU and #BookPosse Member