Shameez Patel Papathanasiou
Fantasy and Romance Author
The Last Feather (#1 in The Selene Trilogy)
How far would you go to save your sister?
Fantasy
South African born, debut author brings a threat-and-danger, hidden-world fantasy with touches of Suzanne Collins which fans of VE Schwab or Sarah J Maas will love.
Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Cassia wakes up in another realm to find her missing best friend, Lucas, who knows how to save her sister.
Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them.
To keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them. Cassia needs to break the curse before her time runs out and she is trapped there forever.
The Last Feather is out now!
Content Warnings: Death, violence, child labor, animal death
The Eternal Shadow (#2 in The Selene Trilogy)
The adventure continues...
After returning to her realm, Cassia continues to use the magic she’d discovered in Selene. Little did she know, that wasn’t allowed and because of it, she’s abducted by the king. Luckily, Prince Lochlan is still living in the castle pretending to be under the king’s command. After Lochlan frees Cassia, they all need to flee Selene to escape the king and find allies elsewhere.
But in this new realm, all the inhabitants are afraid of the dark where a shadow is lurking, feeding upon them.
With nowhere else to go, they have to choose, either they face the king or this eternal shadow.
Content Warnings: Death, violence, child labor
Reviews
"Papathanasiou's debut is a captivating portal-fantasy for readers ready for older protagonists and more complicated choices. Fans of Catherynne M. Valente’s Fairyland series will find a heroine of similar stubbornness, cleverness, and loyalty in a grown-up setting, while Sarah J. Maas or Laurell K. Hamilton enthusiasts will enjoy the fantasy politics, magic, and hints of romance." — Booklist (STARRED Review)
"Papathanasiou debuts and launches the Selene Trilogy with a fierce, appealing story of determination, magical spells, and the bonds of friendship. [Her] talent for writing resolute characters makes her diverse cast sing, and she infuses Cassia’s adventure with emotion. This enchanting portal fantasy will have readers hooked." — Publishers Weekly