The Beast Player - Hardcover

by Nahoko Uehashi (Author), Cathy Hirano (Translator)

Named one of Kirkus' best books of the 21st century

Elin's family has an important responsibility: caring for the fearsome water serpents that form the core of their kingdom's army. So when some of the creatures mysteriously die, Elin's mother is sentenced to death as punishment. With her last breath, she manages to send her daughter to safety.

Alone and far from home, Elin soon discovers that she can communicate with both the terrifying water serpents and the majestic flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill gives her great power, but it also involves her in deadly plots that could cost her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war? Or is there no escaping the terrible battles to come?

Author Biography

Nahoko Uehashi is one of Japan's most popular children's writers. She has won numerous awards, including the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award. An associate professor at a Japanese university, she has a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology and studies indigenous peoples in Australia. Her books include the multivolume Moribito series. She lives near Tokyo, Japan.