Magical treasures and terrible dangers in a beautiful underwater world... The Pearl Whisperer is the first book in the four-part series Song of the Eye Stone. Set in a fantastical world, it is an epic saga of friendship, longing and the things that truly matter in life. It is published with Book 2 The Bird Master. Pearls are the most precious commodity in the Queendom, and Miranda is the most skilled pearl fisher of all, even with only one arm. But she has her eyes on a greater treasure: the famous eye stone. Legend has it that whoever finds the eye stone will never want for anything again. But how is Miranda supposed to find it when Syrsa, a chatty little girl with no diving experience, insists on tagging along? It soon becomes clear that they are not the only ones on the hunt for the eye gemstone. Iberis, the white-haired woman with the burning eyes, is right behind them. Who finds it first will depend on the mythical pearl whisperer, someone with the magical ability to hear the pearl's song. The Pearl Whisperer won the Runeberg Junior Prize 2018 and was nominated for the Nordic Council's Children and Youth Literature Prize 2018. 'There are trains in the Queendom, but few other signs of contemporary life. The land seems almost medieval; its rural and maritime ways are strong presences in the story. In its convincing detail, the underwater world of pearl harvesting may well fascinate readers. Critical moments in the plot may test belief in their reliance on coincidence, but the focus of the action shifts as Miranda comes to realise – perhaps later than her readers – that finding the eye stone is less important than her concern for Syrsa. Her life-time's assumptions – obsessions, even – are called into question.' Books for Keeps 'Finnish Swedish-speaking author and journalist Karin Erlandsson is one of the most successful and most acclaimed children's authors in the Swedish language and she has woven a fantastical tale, skilfully translated by Annie Prime, mixed with realism about the natural world of the ocean. Her protagonist Miranda is tough and feisty and not always an easy character to like, but as her relationship with Syrsa evolves she develops a softer side as she begins to learn the value of friendship and what matters in life.' Outside In World