“A magnificent adventure from first page to last.” —Peter Burns, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Thieves A young thief risks everything to save her friends when a sinister force begins hunting orphans in this “mysterious and enchanting” (Kirkus Reviews) Dickensian steampunk middle grade fantasy. Bandit Brambleton is one of the many orphans of Alvanor. After the Shattering—when the country lost the magics that helped it prosper—children with no parents or home or papers became all too common. Forgotten and ignored by Alvanor, orphans banded together to survive. But Bandit isn’t just an orphan. She has a title, a reputation, a mystique. She is the Ghost of Halcyon. Bandit picks pockets and breaks into homes with ease, but she steals only what she needs to live. As long as she has her sister, Rika; a stub of charcoal for drawing; and a semi-full stomach, she has plenty. But when the Tikari—a terrifying duo who thrive on cruelty—arrive in the city and orphans begin disappearing, Bandit will have to pull off her greatest scheme yet to protect Rika and save the Vanished…and possibly all of Alvanor.
