The Witch of Sardesia

A magical and emotional story about a young pearl whisperer who seeks out a powerful witch to find a cure for her sister, who has been stricken by a deadly sleep sickness

Soon to turn seventeen, Noa is the daughter of a pearl whisperer. She lives with her older sister and her mother, who has been crippled by a bear attack, in a house on Shady Pine Ridge, deep in the forest. The family cultivates pearls in their farm in the river, selling them to jewelers in the city. But the pearl farm is in trouble. No new pearls have been whispered for years. Noa’s mother has lost her ability to pearl whisper, and it was recently revealed that Noa’s sister Midja has no gift for pearl whispering either. Their father is serving a debtor’s sentence in the city of Paulava. Noa is their only hope.

When Midja falls ill with a deadly sleep sickness, the family faces a harsh reality: she can only be cured by the most powerful witch in Kernos—the Witch of Sardesia. Noa must venture out into the world for the first time, find the witch, and bring back a cure. Otherwise, her sister will die, their pearl farm will be doomed, and their father will never leave prison.

Together with a sly, wise toad and an enigmatic young man named Vesper who joins in the journey, Noa encounters dangers in the city and in her own heart.