Readers of children's fantasy were first introduced to Adam Equinox and the amazing parallel world of Karazan in The Serpents of Arakesh. At the time, world-renowned children's author Margaret Mahy had this to say about it: One of the most significant writers for young people to emerge in New Zealand over the last year is Vicky Jones.

Join Adam Equinox on a new adventure in the second book of the Karazan Quartet.

Adam is back at the orphanage and desperate to return to Quested Court for the holidays, but with the sinister new boy Weevil, and Matron conspiring against him, it seems impossible that Adam will ever escape Highgate . but finally he arrives at Quested Court only to find the household in turmoil.

Q's five–year–old daughter, Hannah, has disappeared, and it seems that she has gone to Karazan to find her cat, Tiger Lily. Adam and his friends are the only ones who can travel there and bring her home again.

Their search takes them to Shakesh, which lies at the edge of the Shroud – the unexplored outer limit of the map of Karazan – and to rescue Hannah the five friends must undertake the most perilous journey of all. They must head beyond the Shroud, to the hidden stronghold of the evil King Karazeel, Hannah's captor.

Accolades

Shortlisted for New Zealand Post Children's Book Award: Junior Fiction 2005.

Author Biography

V.M. Jones is the pen name of Vicky Jones. She lives in Christchurch with her husband and two sons. Her previous novels are Buddy, which won the Junior Fiction and Best First Book Awards in the 2003 New Zealand Post Children's Book Awards, Juggling with Mandarins, winner of the Junior Fiction in the New Zealand Post 2004 awards and The Serpents of Arakesh (also a finalist in the 2004 awards) and Beyond the Shroud, the first two books of The Karazan Quartet.