Book description
Malva is the princess of Galnicia, destined to marry the Prince of
Andemark. Or so her parents think. On the eve of her wedding, she
escapes at dead of night from under her parents' noses, little
realising that she is letting herself in for a life of peril and
adventure, including being shipwrecked in a huge storm and captured as
part of a harem.
Hugely visual, the book tells of the wonder of frozen steppes and
oriental palaces, of sailing ships and treasure islands. This is a
book of drama, magic and excitement, where challenges have to be
overcome, friendships cemented and hearts broken.
 An energetic pageturner in a fine storytelling tradition with
enough action and emotion to put wind in its sails and a weepy ending.'
Anne-Laure Bondoux was born in 1971, in the outskirts of Paris.
Whilst studying for a degree in modern literature, she set up writing
workshops for children with learning difficulties, which were awarded
a national prize in 1995, from the Fondation de France.
In September 1996 she started work at Bayard Press to work on a
fiction magazine for 9-12 year olds. She left in 2000 to pursue her
writing career, and won the Prix Sorciere (also won by Celia Rees).
