Chimera's Apprentice

On the eve of her thirteenth birthday, Kyra Murch receives a strange stone bracelet from her mother, Aerrika. It's supposed to protect her - but from what?
In the laundry room of her run-down apartment building, Kyra soon finds out. A mysterious walking, talking rat-man - a Raturro - tries to kidnap her. She stands up to the strange creature, Shale from Deep Nestling. Shale warns her she's in grave danger. She is rescued by the Chimera, a mythical creature made of light that travels through stone and is a portal to another world. Kyra keeps the terrifying encounter a secret, leaving her mother alone and helpless when the Raturro return to capture her.
As Kyra surveys the devastation in her apartment, she faces another shock - the unexpected presence of her father Jaag, who has been absent from her life for years. Jaag uses the Chimera portal to bring Kyra to the land of Antiica, where a war is being waged against the vicious rebel rats and their leader, Majellan. And it's up to Kyra, the now-returned heir, to fulfil the prophecy and save the people and the Raturro from slavery and war.
For a sheltered, solitary girl from Earth, this is a lot to ask. But she won't be alone. She befriends Coyne, a human teenager who has deserted from Jaag's army, and rescues Mercy, an enslaved teenaged Raturro who was once her childhood friend. Together they undertake the dangerous journey to rescue Aerrika from the rebel's stronghold--Thane's Reach.
Will Kyra learn how to call the mysterious Chimera to her bidding? Will the deal she makes with the giant crows, the Corvie, prove impossible to fulfil? And most importantly, will she rescue her mother in time?
The Chimera's Apprentice transports a character - and a reader - to a unique and magical world of adventure. The book builds a realm that is wholly believable and a heroine that is convincing and compelling, around the universal desire to hold a family together. The Chimera's Apprentice is a middle grade reader with a strong female protagonist on an adventure where friendships are forged and challenged. It's an unforgettable coming of age story that will inspire imagination in readers of all ages.