WINNER: 2019 QLD Literary Awards, Griffith University Children's Book Award SHORT-LISTED: 2019 CBCA Book of the Year, Younger Readers

I was taken by Whisperers at 2pm, so I never pulled the lever for the laundry chute. That's what bothered me most. This is way ahead in the story, though. A lot happened before that.

The town of Spindrift is frequented by pirates, Shadow Mages and charlatans. It's also home to the Orphanage School, where Finlay lives with Glim, Taya and Eli. Just outside town is the painfully posh Brathelthwaite Boarding School, home to Honey Bee, Hamish and Victor, Duke of Ainsley. When the two schools compete at the Spindrift Tournament, stakes are high, tensions are higher, and some people are out to win at any cost. Before long, the orphans and the boarding school are in an all-out war.

And then Whispering Wars break out, and Spindrift is thrust onto the front lines. Children are being stolen, Witches, Sirens and a deadly magical flu invade the town, and all attempts to fight back are met with defeat.

Finlay, Honey Bee and their friends must join forces to outwit the encroaching forces of darkness, rescue the stolen children, and turn the tide of the war. But how can one bickering troupe outwit the insidious power of the Whisperers? And who are the two mysterious figures watching them from the shadows?

From the award-winning Jaclyn Moriarty comes a spellbinding tale of unlikely friendship, unexpected magic and competitive athletics.

'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, and set in a whimsical secondary world of the highest order.' Booklist (starred review)