The School Between Winter and Fairyland

Written by Heather Fawcett

Narrated by Gail Shalan

A fresh and exciting twist on magical boarding schools, the well-loved Chosen One trope, and the nature of true heroism—from the author of The Language of Ghosts and Ember and the Ice Dragons. Perfect for fans of middle grade fantasies including the Serafina series by Robert Beatty and Neil Gaiman's Coraline. 

Twelve-year-old Autumn Malog is a servant at the enchanting Inglenook School, where young magicians study to become the king’s future monster-hunters. Along with her Gran and three too many older brothers, she works as a beastkeeper, tending to Inglenook’s menagerie of terrifying monsters.

But when she isn’t mucking out the wyvern stalls or coaxing the resident boggart to behave, Autumn searches for clues about her twin brother’s mysterious disappearance. Everyone else thinks he was devoured by the feared Hollow Dragon, but Autumn is convinced she’s heard—and glimpsed—him calling to her from within the castle walls. But who will believe a lowly servant?

So when Cai Morrigan, the “Chosen One” prophesied to one day destroy the Hollow Dragon, comes to her for help, Autumn agrees on one condition: Together, they’ll search for her brother and uncover the dark truth at the heart of enchanting Inglenook School once and for all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Oct 26, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063043343

Heather Fawcett

Heather Fawcett is also the author of the middle grade novels The School Between Winter and Fairyland, The Language of Ghosts, and Ember and the Ice Dragons as well as the young adult Even the Darkest Stars series. She has a master’s degree in English literature and has worked as an archaeologist, photographer, technical writer, and backstage assistant for a Shakespearean theater festival. She lives on Vancouver Island, Canada. Heather can be found online at heatherfawcettbooks.com. 

Reviews for The School Between Winter and Fairyland

[Rebecca · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was a delightful surprise with old magic and new, and great friendships.

[Becky Baumgartner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An utterly unique twist on several common fantasy tropes in a world that sweeps you effortlessly into the magic. There's a missing twin to find, a prophecy to be reckoned with, a social system to challenge with a magical boarding school background (but very little time actual spent dealing with any boarding school elements though it is still integral to the story), and lots of magical creatures to be reckoned with. Autumn is a delightful heroine to follow around who sees people and creatures for who they really are and not their blinders, and fights tenaciously for the good. The narrator did a splendid job with a variety of voices.

[Benjamin J Oliver · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Borrows a bit from another series involving a magical school with a dark haired hero who had a famous name and prophecy about him but still entertaining.