false 5938946 1 For Young Adult readers. Esther is the thirteen year old princess of a dying monarchy. Her mother disappeared on a scientific expedition four years ago, just before her father, King Alvill, died from a mysterious illness. Since then, Esther and her two brothers, Charlie and Quentin, have been left to fend for themselves in the royal palace as the world outside those walls continues on without them. All of that is about to change, and Esther must come to realize that she and her brothers cannot escape their destinies in the future of their kingdom. Political strife now threatens to take away everything they once had, as Charlie (the eldest and heir to the throne) forms a secret alliance with the corrupt Prime Minister Branford, agreeing to hand over power to him, dissolving the monarchy forever. As Esther begins to develop symptoms of the illness that took their father's life, she and Quentin look for a way to defy Charlie and Branford's plans. They find their answer in the Movement, a group of revolutionaries who are pledged to recover the missing queen and restore her to her rightful place on the throne. Through a journey that carries them into an underground world, the children begin to learn the secrets of the past, showing them that they have more in common with these rebels than they knew. It is only through their story that Esther and Quentin will have a chance of finding their way back to their mother. 6111403 2007 The Book of Alvill total:1|5:1| 1 5 1 1 5 0 false false Wed Nov 26 16:13:07 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 26 16:14:42 -0800 2008 2