This is the post-apocalyptic fairy tale of Princess Rose, who dwells in a strange, complex walled Kingdom, the final outpost of a lost civilisation. Ruled by a tyrannical and all powerful despot, the Kingdom of Evermore survives and sometimes thrives in an otherwise devastated world of deserts and ruins inhabited by the plague-ridden descendants of those who chose not to sleep away the poisoned eons that followed the end of the old world. Growing up under the watchful eye of her stern but beloved nanny, Pilar, with the loving companionship of the bakers' son Quiet and the strange, enigmatic boy Enzo, Rose pursues two quests. One is to discover the origins of Evermore and the other is to understand the mysterious tragic death of her mother, a beautiful and gifted storyteller who began as a prisoner of the King before winning his heart and being made Queen of Evermore. What Rose does not know is that the two quests are linked, and only by learning the truth about the past will she find the means and the courage to walk the difficult and dangerous path that will lead to the redemption of Evermore and a future where love and hope are possible. AUTHOR: Isobelle Carmody is the multi-award-winning author of more than 30 books, among which are The Obernewtyn, Chronicles , 'Alyzon Whitestarr' , 'The Gathering' and the wonderful graphic hybrid, 'Dreamwalker' which she worked on with the late Stephen Woolman. 'Evermore' began as a novella intended for a collection, but grew into something larger and stranger and darker than expected. It took a conversation with illustrator and graphic novelist Dan Reid, to make her realise it was a graphic novel. While Dan completed his incredible illustrations for Evermore, Isobelle finished the second in her Land of the Lost series, which she also illustrated. She is now completing the last of her Obernewtyn Chronicles, 'The Red Queen' while undertaking a PhD at the University of Queensland. ILLUSTRATOR: Daniel Reed has been a presence in the Melbourne underground comic scene for many years, where his mind-bending series The Crumpleton Experiments had an enthusiastic and loyal following. His more recent book, the epic fable 'Grubby Little Smudges of Filth', received great reviews and an international release. Both titles have been recognised with Ledger Awards. In 'Evermore', Daniel's illustration style creates a rich and emotive setting for Isobelle's story. Ink washes and pencilled tones describe the ruined world, while the pen and brushwork brings detail and focus to the characters. The result being artwork that is more at home in a classic picture book than a traditional comic. SELLING POINTS: ? First graphic novel by leading fantasy author with a huge fan base ? Stunning graphic illustrations by up-and-coming graphic artist Daniel Reed ? Graphic novels are finally taking off in Australia and used more and more widely in upper primary and secondary curricula.
