In a world struggling back from the brink of apocalypse, life is harsh. And for Elspeth Gordie, it is also dangerous. That's because Elspeth has a secret: she is a Misfit, born with mysterious mental abilities that she must keep hidden under threat of death. And her worries only multiply when she is exiled to the mountain compound known as Obernewtyn, where--for all her talents--Elspeth may finally and truly be out of her depth. Then she learns she's not the only one concealing secrets at Obernewtyn.
Isobelle Carmody is the eldest of eight children and grew up telling stories to her brothers and sisters to control them while her mother worked. She began the first book in the award winning Obernewtyn Chronicles when she was 14, and still at high school. The series has gone on to win or be shortlisted for many awards and she won both the prestigious Book of the Year and the coveted Peace Prize for her novel The Gathering. She has also won numerous awards for her short stories, including the Marcus Clarke award for The Monster Game and the Aurealis award for the title story to her collection Green Monkey Dreams. In recent years she has ventured into picture book territory with her graphic novel Dreamwalker. She lives on the dramatic Great Oean Road in Australia with her daughter and partner, and spends every alternate year in Prague in Central Europe. She is currently working on the final book in the Obernewtyn Chronicles.