The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars

‘Jaclyn Moriarty is one of the most original writers we have.’ Markus Zusak‘Moriarty works wonders with this form, weaving it seamlessly into the narrative without sacrificing excitement, and the two protagonists put on a true show with their playful back-and-forth. It’s a wickedly clever book - anchored by rich worldbuilding and several vibrant, quirky, sympathetic characters - and while touching lightly on the injustices of war and social class, it manages to be sheer fun without sacrificing emotional weight. This novel stands perfectly alone, but readers won’t be able to resist the call to return to such a wonderfully magical world.’ Booklist (starred review)PRAISE FOR THE KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES BOOKS‘Charms, thrills and delights … brilliantly evoking echoes of Diana Wynne Jones.’ Garth Nix, bestselling author of the Keys to the Kingdoms series‘Brimming with bright new magic … Just perfect.’ Karen Foxlee, award-winning and bestselling author of Dragon Skin‘It’s my favourite book ever. I want to put it in a glass case to look at always. 5 stars!’ Daisy, age 7‘Humorous, whimsical and beguiling … intricately and ingeniously plotted tale.’ The Australian‘A middle-grade version of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld - fantasy adventure steeped in humour, with a touch of satire.’ Booklist (starred review)

Jaclyn Moriarty is the internationally bestselling author of novels for children, young adults and sometimes slightly older adults, including the (lengthily-titled) books in the Kingdoms and Empires series: The Extremely Inconvenient Adventures of Bronte Mettlestone, The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars, The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, The Astonishing Chronicles of Oscar from Elsewhere, and now,* The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet*. Jaclyn’s books have been translated into several languages, won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award, the Queensland Literary Award, the Aurealis Award and named as CBCA Honour Book and Boston Globe/Hornbook Honor book. They have also been short-listed for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, the Nebula Prize and the Russell Prize for Humour Writing for Young People. A former media and entertainment lawyer, Jaclyn grew up in Sydney, lived in the US, UK and Canada, and now lives in Sydney again. She is very fond of blueberries, chocolate and ice skating.