JLG Gold Standard Selection

One small voice has the power to change everything in this dazzling middle grade graphic novel from New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp and artist Sylvia Bi. The stand-alone companion to the acclaimed Ink Girls is a perfect fit for fans of Wendy Xu and Molly Knox Ostertag.

Vale has always dreamed of being a metalworker’s apprentice. But in Siannerra, the guilds rule with an iron fist, and their apprenticeship fees are impossibly high. So Vale and their guildless family must make do with the pennies and scraps they’re able to cobble together with work on the docks or in the market.

Until Maestro Giuseppe arrives from abroad, determined to build the city’s first astronomical clock. He doesn’t care for fees or exclusionary practices—and he sees Vale’s talent. He invites Vale into his workshop, and for a while Vale believes all their dreams are coming true. But everything in Siannerra belongs to the guilds, and if anyone tries to break free, there are consequences. Sometimes the gravest of consequences. Still, Vale refuses to stop dreaming. Or fighting. With the help of their friends, they plan to take on the might of the guilds. And together, they may just be strong enough to bend iron to their will.

With nuanced and instantly loveable characters and a fully realized, vibrantly illustrated setting, bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp and illustrator Sylvie Bi show once again how anyone—no matter their age—can change their world. An excellent choice for fans of the Lightfall and Wingbearer series.

Marieke Nijkamp (she/they) is the author of Splinter & Ash; Ink Girls, a middle grade graphic novel illustrated by Sylvia Bi; as well as several books for young adults, which include #1 New York Times bestsellers, a critically acclaimed anthology, graphic novels, and comics. She studied philosophy and medieval history, and when she isn't writing, she loves to garden, roll dice, and daydream. Marieke Nijkamp lives and writes in Small Town, the Netherlands. Sylvia Bi is the illustrator of the graphic novel Ink Girls, written by Marieke Nijkamp, and loves drawing stories with expansive, vibrant worlds, an undercurrent of chaos, and girls running on rooftops. A graduate of Rhode Island School of Design, she explores and shares diverse stories and experiences through the power of a (digital) pen. She is also a book designer, a frog enthusiast, and an avid earring collector. Sylvia Bi lives in Brooklyn, New York.