Beyond the Pages of Carmer and Grit: The Wingsnatchers with Author Sarah Jean Horwitz + GIVEAWAY

The Carmer and Grit series by Sarah Jean Horwitz is an enchanting steam-punk inspired fantasy adventure that’s impossible to put down. The characters are all intriguing and unique and the author built out mysterious, detailed worlds that you can’t help but dream about long after you’ve read the final page. The first book in the series, The Wingsnatchers, came out last year and the second book, The Crooked Castle, hits bookstore shelves today.

To celebrate, we teamed up with Algonquin Young Readers and author Sarah Jean Horwitz to bring you an in-depth behind the scenes look into the characters and worlds within the pages of the Carmer and Grit series. Sarah was kind enough to take our YAYOMG! readers deep into her story so you can learn what it’s all about. Plus, we’re giving away FIVE copies of the first Carmer and Grit book, The Wingsnatchers.

Get to know the story via this introduction from the author herself and then keep on reading to meet the characters and explore the world within The Wingsnatchers. When you’re done reading this post, click here to discover what lies ahead and explore book two, The Crooked Castle.

“Though Carmer and Grit are destined to become our titular mystery-solving duo, they don’t start out The Wingsnatchers with very much in common at all; at the start of the story, they’re not even friends! But though their relationship begins as an alliance of convenience, it quickly blossoms into a transformative friendship. Carmer and Grit accept each other, and that’s an important part of friendship, it’s true. But perhaps even more importantly, they find the good in each other. They challenge each other to explore new skills and even new worlds and to question their ideas of right and wrong. It’s not always easy. They don’t always trust each other, and they don’t always succeed. But in the end, they find talents and strength they didn’t know they possessed, and use that strength to keep evil at bay.

I hope that readers will take heart in the unlikely friendship within The Wingsnatchers’ pages, and remember that the best of friends can appear anywhere, at any time – especially when you least expect them.” – Sarah Jean Horwitz

Beyond the Pages of Carmer and Grit: The Wingsnatchers:

MEET THE CHARACTERS

Carmer

Felix Cassius Tiberius Carmer III, better known as Carmer, is just about the least magical magician’s apprentice ever. Shy and scholarly, he’d much rather be tinkering with his latest inventions than sawing pretty girls in half onstage, but his apprenticeship with Antoine the Amazifier is the only thing keeping a roof over his
head (even if it’s a portable one).

Grit

Fiery, one-winged faerie Grit is a born adventurer. Unfortunately, she’s also Princess Grettifrida Lonewing, the sole heir to a Seelie faerie kingdom-which is not something she likes to be reminded of. Set apart by her flightlessness and her royal blood-not to mention that she feels smothered by her overprotective mother, the strict Queen Ombrienne-Grit prefers to take her chances out in the big human city with the wild “street fae.”

EXPLORE THE SETTINGS

Skemantis

This “city of the future” is a technological hub known for its elevated railway, the Relerail, and a general love affair with all things steam-powered. The city plays host to the Skemantian International Exhibition, a World’s Fair­like celebration of all the latest developments in science and engineering, as well as the Seminal Symposium of Magickal Arts, the biggest magic competition in the land-both of which draw attendees from all over the world.

Oldtown Arboretum

Oldtown Arboretum is the biggest and-as you may have guessed from the name-oldest public park in Skemantis. It’s also the most magical. The Arboretum is one of the last remaining faerie kingdoms, ruled by Queen Ombrienne Lightbringer of the Seelie Court. Faeries light the lanterns along its pathways, illuminating everything from the frog ponds and flower beds to the more extraordinary elements of the gardens, including the Whispering Wall, where humans reveal their deepest secrets in exchange for the possibility of a granted wish.

The Great Willow

The Great Willow is the heart of the Arboretum and home to Queen Ombrienne, Grit, and the rest of the royal court. The Willow is the oldest and wisest tree in the Arboretum; it even changes its shape to protect its faeries from nosy humans! But whether the Great Willow looks like an actual willow or a sprawling oak or a bristly pine, a faerie or Friend of the Fae true of heart can always find it.

The Vallows

The Hollow Valleys, also known as the Vallows, are the remnants of an abandoned mining town on the edge of Skemantis. Once home to bustling factories and a prosperous pyrite mine, a series of collapses and industrial accidents lead to its eventual ghost town status. Few people-faeries or humans-dare to tread there, and for good reason: the Vallows may not be as empty as they seem …

The Orbicle

The Orbicle’s famous golden domed roof is the crown jewel of the Skemantian skyline. The theater is the most prestigious venue for magicians in the city and features only the best of the best-including the mysterious masked man known as the Mechanist. Contestants in the Seminal Symposium of Magickal Arts perform here for packed houses of up to three thousand people.

Theian Foundry

From his private lab in Theian Foundry, the brilliant inventor and industrial tycoon Titus Archer rules over his empire. The Foundry is the place to be for all up-and­ coming innovations-including the new technology
that’s sweeping the nation: electric light. But deep in the bowels of Archer’s laboratory, dark secrets are stirri ng. His miraculous inventions may come with a price.

The Green Goddess

The Green Goddess pub is the preferred underground gathering place for the wild street faeries of Skemantis-or as they prefer to be called, the Free Folk. Located underneath an actual human brewery, the Goddess is run by the ancient, blind faerie Abby Absinthe, who keeps her customers in line with her wisdom and her magical dandelion puff staff.

Faerie

Not to be confused with the tiny winged creatures themselves, Faerie is a magical world hidden within our own. Carmer calls it a “sideways world.’ But the doorways leading to this sideways world are closing faster than ever, forcing faeries to spend most of their time in the iron world outside. Soon, some fear, Faerie may disappear altogether.

Carmer and Grit: The Wingsnatchers Book Giveaway:

We teamed up with Algonquin Young Readers to giveaway FIVE copies of Carmer and Grit book one, The Wingsnatchers. Good luck, book lovers!

WHAT DO I WIN?:

– FIVE (5) lucky winners will receive a copy of the first book in the Carmer and Grit series, The Wingsnatchers, provided by Algonquin Young Readers.

HOW DO I ENTER?:

Get permission from your parent/guardian and fill out the form below by April 24, 2018! Giveaway begins on April 10, 2018 at 12:00 pm ET and ends on April 10, 2018 at 11:59pm ET.
You must be 18 or older to enter. If you are under 18, you’ll need to get permission from your parent/guardian to enter and again if you win. Please provide THEIR email address when entering below. If chosen as a winner, you’ll need to provide contact info where we can reach your parent/guardian if you win. They’ll need to sign an affidavit permitting us to send your prize. Be sure to read the fully detailed rules HERE before entering. Note: Algonquin Publishing will be sending your prize, so we will need to share your information with them if you win.

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED AND THE PRIZE HAS BEEN CLAIMED.

Now that you know everything there is to know about The Wingsnatchers, take an inside look at Carmer and Grit book two, The Crooked Castle.