A dangerous journey…
ELISSA has escaped the clutches of the greedy Khan, only to encounter another problem--she's lost! All she wants is to be reunited with her father, but when Elissa becomes separated from her only friend, Maya, and her faithful donkey, Gertrude, she embarks upon a perilous voyage. Through her adventures with the motley crew of the rickety craft called the Swamp Maiden, Elissa learns that the prophecy of the Phoenix isn't the only challenge she must face. What is this mysterious new weapon that has the force of lightning? Why is her Gift growing in power? Will she be able to master her Gift before it masters her? And is an unseen hand leading her to other people with Gifts of their own?
In Book Two of the Phoenix Rising Trilogy, Erica Verrillo introduces readers to an intriguing and delightful cast of new characters to accompany our brave young heroine on her adventures as the series approaches its climax--making us laugh while we fall deeper in love with Elissa.
Author comments:
I originally called this book The Voyage of the Swamp Maiden. For the most part it is faithful to the orginal version (except for the middle chapters, in which Elissa meets Night and Shadow). The inspiration for Elissa's travels through the Great Swamp came from a trip I took into the Amazon in the 1970s. It was a magical place, even without the presence of giant black cats. (They were hiding.) I will never forget the heady, intoxicating scent of huele de noche or the sight of an abandoned hotel on an island in the middle of the river, filled with enormous metallic blue butterflies.