Manfred
Book Title
Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium
Genre
Paranormal Romance, YA Fantasy and Coming of Age Novel
Release Date
Feb 2017
Amazon
http://amzn.to/2n6YWi5
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33866817-magic-mirabelle-and-the-riddle-of-night-opium
If you liked Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland and the Narnia and Harry Potter books, you will totally LOVE Mirador Publishing’s latest MUST READ YA Fantasy and Paranormal Romance - “Magic Mirabelle and the Riddle of Night Opium”
The story begins in East Finchley London where, after making a Wish with her mother and little brother, the young teenage Witch Mirabelle discovers a Magic Box with a very mysterious and enigmatic riddle in it.
The riddle has been left for Mirabelle by her admirer the Magician Night Opium, who has taken a fancy to the young Witch and wants to share his knowledge of Goldmaking with her. However, neither of them understand the nature of the powers they are working with, and not long after that Mirabelle finds herself part of a very mysterious and enchanted game: one which has been played by young Witches and Sorcerers for generations, called the Dungeons of Lethe (D.O.L.) Game.
To emerge victorious in this Game Mirabelle has to overcome several powerful and deadly adversaries - including the Sorceress Lady Nightshadow herself - and take part in three Magical Battles or Tasks, each more psychologically demanding and gruelling than the last.
Fortunately for her, Mirabelle has powerful allies to help her, the vivacious Fairy Apricot Lanterm, the wise and kindly Father of Wishes and the Sorcerer Night Opium himself. At first, neither he nor Mirabelle are happy to work together with each other, but eventually, during the third and last Magical Task, the young Witch realizes that for her to save herself and her world from a frightful Dystopian future, she will have to rekindle her love for Night Opium and pool all her dreams and Magic together with his.
The nail-biting climax to the tale occurs when one of London’s most prestigious theatre companies suddenly decides to perform one of Night Opium's weird and wonderful poems, called the Londres Witch. When the poem is staged, with Mirabelle in one of the leading roles, all of the power from their pooled Magic streams out into the historic centre of Westminster London.
And as it does, the familiar spots in the city like Trafalgur Square, Piccadily and Kensington Gardens, all become embroiled in the D.O.L. Game and the lives of the city's inhabitants are changed forever in a way that noone, not even the Sorcerer or Mirabelle themselves, could ever have foreseen.
Excerpt
Without waking anyone in the house, Mirabelle followed the voice out into the beautiful starlit night and into the Father of Wishes’ Garden. And there, to her great joy and wonder, she saw those Glass Slipper Stairs with the playful and joyful Ondines hopping up and down and squeaking all over them. The young Witch had not been able to hear the words of the song until she started to walk up the marble steps leading to the Wishing Fountain. But now she heard them clearly: they were the words from the incantation, which Grandma and her two friends had intoned that night when she drew the Father of Wishes card and had first entered the Land of Wishes.
But on this occasion, the Sirenian-lull of the poem was a thousand times more powerful and bewitching than when the Witches had intoned it. Oh dear but Mirabelle was totally mesmerized by the unearthly singing, which led her feet irresistibly up the marble steps and towards the Wishing Fountain.
“The Moon is full, my Precious,
Prithee come and Play,
The Moon is full, my Precious,
And soon comes the Day!
The Moon is full, my Precious
And the Witches are in the Dell,
The Moon is full, my Precious,
And Casting her Magic Spell!
The Moon is full, my Precious,
As we Dance the Circle Round
The Moon is full, my Precious,
And our Feet the Earth do Pound!
The Moon is full, my Precious,
And Piling up her Sticks,
The Moon is full, dear Precious,
And soon you are a Witch!!!!
The Moon is full Sweet Precious,
And Silver are her Rays,
Oh you have come, Poor Precious,
But Never-more the Day!!!!!! “
Under the Siren spell of the Music, our heroine had failed to notice that the mood of the Snowdrop Magnolia blossoms had changed and was not as joyful and playful as when first she had come to the Fountain to meet the Father of Wishes. Instead of playfully hopping over each other, as they made their way up the Glass Slipper Staircase, they were very morose and sad and began to squeak in hushed tones about the dreadful beldame that their sweet ill-fated Princess was destined to meet.
Her loyal friends could have warned her of course, but like all of us, they too were powerless to resist the decrees of Old Mother Fate. And, if Mirabelle was destined to meet the second of the Fairy Queens tonight, just as the Father of Wishes had predicted, how was it possible for them or anyone else to oppose her will in this matter?
As for Mirabelle, she also knew that tonight was the night when she was fated to meet the second of the Fairy Queens. It was not something she had chosen. But it was something which had been chosen for her. Not only had the Father of Wishes foretold it. But her Grandma had drawn her card in the D. O. L. Game. It appeared that the bitter-sweet moment of their meeting had been written into her life’s script from the moment she had been born into the world.
All she had to do now was play her part in that drama, read the lines which had been written for her, and follow the spellbinding lure of the Fairy, who was now telling her every possible secret about herself, the Land of Wishes and the one in a million Princess, who had been chosen to play this spellbinding and breathtaking Game with her.
“Oh dear.” Mirabelle gasped to herself. “But I know who you are dearest Lady. I know everything about everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
At which point there was a gigantic thunderclap, accompanied by the violent beating of a gigantic pair of Swan’s wings on the surface of the water. The loyal fragile blossoms, which had followed their Mistress all this way, now gave a terrified and helpless shriek, as they sought refuge from the thunder and the Swan’s enormous flapping wings.
But to no avail. Mirabelle’s loyal gentle allies were now gone and their Mistress didn’t have time to think about where. Because right in front of her, in the ripples of the water, was the shimmering reflection of the most gorgeous and spellbinding Fairy that you have ever seen in all your born days.
The Fairy was smiling and laughing at Mirabelle, and reaching out her hand, as she graciously invited the young Witch to come to her. And be a part of her incomparably lovely and dreadful world forever.
Mirabelle was totally breathless and giddy with delight when she saw the Fairy, and she knew straightaway that she was Lady Night-shadow, the second of the Fairy Queens that the Father of Wishes had told her she was destined to meet. And really she just couldn’t believe how silly and cowardly she was for not wanting to meet her in the first place.
End of Chapter Twelve