Jeff Knowles

Telaria River: Incursion of Chaos Jeff Knowles

Elesindra, an ordinary young pixen, stands nervously awaiting her ceremonial First Flight?unaware she is on the brink of more than her own rite of passage. In hindsight, Talis historians would later regard this as a pivotal time for the land?for it marked the beginning of the Chaos incursion.

The Telaria is not the largest river on the little continent of Talis, but it is lifeblood to many of its sentient races. Pixenni, sylphaen, faedren, even the powerful sylmanni?all rely on the river?s water, and the bounty of life it supports throughout its valleys. But a spreading sickness threatens to rob the flying races of their flight magic, while strange beasts and phenomena begin appearing throughout the region. Tiny Elesindra must learn to draw upon her inner strength to fight for her loved ones? survival, while Queen Taliana struggles to investigate the source of the chaos.

While new alliances are forged, members of the four very different sylphaen tribes come together to launch their own desperate hunt. Through frightful encounters and frustrating setbacks, they learn that a workable coalition can only be built with trust and tolerance. But will their unique combination of skills and Srin magic be enough to destroy the source of the chaos?or even find it in time?

Telaria River is a faerie tale like no other. It is at once epic and subtle, virtuous and imperfect, magical and practical. It is a story of ingenuity and loyalty and perseverance, safe for most young readers without talking down to sophisticated ones. The imagery, simultaneously exotic and realistic, emphasizes storytelling and natural beauty to vividly bring this story of courage to life.