Horrible birthday present.

Aisling's sixth birthday began on a ride in a rowboat with her mum and dad, complete with honey cakes, songs, and stories. That was the last time anything in her life would be normal again, complete with the strange present clutched in her hand.

The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue—all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair's storytelling has "universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett," and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe's unique combination of "quirk, wit, travel, and magic."