Blog Tour: Zeina Starborn and the Emerald King

Today, I am thrilled to be taking part in the Blog Tour for ‘Zeina Starborn and the Emerald King’.

I absolutely loved ‘Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whales’. The sequel, Zeina Starborn and the Emerald King’ is every bit as excellent, offering a very satisfying continuation of the story.

From the first page, the reader is pulled back into this incredibly vivid, captivating world. The corruption of those in power and their complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of the sky whales and other people is very relevant, making this a thought-provoking as well as enjoyable read.

Zeina is a wonderful character. Warm-hearted, trusting and kind, she is supportive of those around her and determined to see things through. Jackson really comes into his own in this story, focused on correcting the wrongs of his family and freeing all the sky whales. The reader also learns more about Sparks in this story as she increasingly finds her voice with those she trusts.

Compelling story, engaging characters, excellent writing all combine to make an excellent story. I can’t wait to see what Zeina and Jackson get up to next- and I hope we don’t have to wait too long before we find out!

Now, I am delighted to welcome author, Hannah Durkan, to the Bookshelf to share a Q and A about her wonderful books.

1. Please can you introduce us to your characters Zeina and Jackson?

Zeina Starborn is brave and adventurous; she knows what she wants and doesn’t worry too much about bending (breaking) rules to get it! As a Below, she should be happy to work in her polluted city for the rest of her life, yet she dreams of exploring the skies and is determined to do that, no matter the consequences. On the other hand, Jackson Willoughby can be quite sensitive and cautious. As an Above, he is destined to live a life of luxury aboard an airship or sky whale hotel, but what he really wants is to find friends and a family who cares about him. Zeina and Jackson clash completely as characters, but they must begin to trust and learn from each other if they are going to discover the hidden truths in their world.

2.       Where did you get the idea for sky whales? Did you consider any other animals?

I had been dreaming of sky whales long before I started writing Zeina Starborn. I think the idea originally came from visiting the Natural History Museum as a child and seeing ‘Hope’ – the skeleton of a blue whale that now hangs high above visitors’ heads as they enter the main hall. I can remember feeling tiny in comparison and in complete wonder of how she appeared to be flying. I think there are similarities between the oceans and the skies and I can certainly imagine writing about other flying ocean-dwellers in future.

3.       If you could travel anywhere in the world on a sky whale, where would you go and why?

My favourite type of holiday is when I’m exploring somewhere new, a location that I’ve never visited before. If I could choose, then I’d love to go to Sweden, as I’ve never been anywhere like that before and I have been researching ice hotels for Zeina Starborn and the Emerald King. I think watching the Northern Lights aboard a flying sky whale would be pretty special – that’s if the sky whale was ok with it, obviously!

4.       As an author, do you have a specific place to write, or can you write anywhere?

I need relative peace and quiet to write. (Relative because with two small children, quiet can sometimes be hard to find!) I also get bored easily so I have to break up a full day of writing with some location changes. I might start at my desk and then move to the kitchen table, but best of all is when I make it out to a café! It doesn’t happen very often, but when it does, a cup of coffee, a slice of cake and the background hubbub is writing perfection.

5.       What do you hope readers take from this series?

I hope that the series inspires its readers to be curious about the world around them, to ask big questions and to have the strength to make a stand when they don’t like the answers. Zeina, as a character, is far from perfect, but she’s brave, determined to follow her dreams, she cares for others and is learning all the time. I wrote her that way because that’s the advice I would give my children on how to best make their way in the world.

Many thanks to Hannah for sharing this and thanks to Hachette for inviting me to take part in the Blog Tour. Make sure you read this series- and enjoy the rest of the posts on the Tour!

You can read my review of Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whale here and you can find teaching resources here.

Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whale

Zeina Starborn spends her days dreaming of having adventures in the sky, above the smog-filled city of Ravenport, escaping the life of a Below. When invited to the annual Grand Birthday Bazaar celebrating the 12th birthday of rich Above, Jackson Willoughby, she is reluctant to go, but this leads to her winning a chance to visit the famous Willoughby Whale Hotel- a giant structure built on the back of a flying whale- with Jackson and his Uncle Hamilton. Although her father does not want her to go, Zeina seizes her opportunity and sets off on the journey of a lifetime, full of adventure, mystery and danger.

‘Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whale’ is stunning- I couldn’t put down for a second! From a divided society to environmental issues, there is so much packed into this book, making it a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable story.

At first glance, Zeina and Jackson could not be more different. The Willoughbys are a powerful Above family with untold riches, living in opulence whilst Zeina lives on the airship platform, where her father works as an engineer. However, Jackson is not like the rest of his family, preferring to race velocycles to studying, owning sky whale hotels or taking over the family business. He is more cautious whilst Zeina is impulsive, boisterous and ready for action. Initially wary of each other, they grow to understand each other, becoming a team in the face of hardship and betrayal.

The importance of animal welfare and the dangers of pollution are at the heart of the story. Zeina and Jackson’s growing horror as they realise the truth of the whale hunt they are on- the cruelty and the STAN system used to control them- sits in stark contrast to the callous indifference of those leading the hunt whose only concern is the profits captured whales bring. The way power corrupts, misinformation and reporting bias are also explored through the story. It would make an excellent text for guided reading or for a class novel with plenty to reflect on and discuss whilst enjoying a fabulous adventure!

I am certain that there will be more stories about Jackson and Zeina as they continue their adventures on airships, their friendship now firmly established. Highly recommend this one!

Zeina Starborn and the Sky Whale Hannah Durkan

Orion ISBN: 978-1510110649