Brilliant Brand New YA!

From award-winning author DANIEL JOSÉ OLDER comes Ballad & Dagger — a thrilling page-turner that will transport readers to a world where magic, myth, and gods reign over the streets of Brooklyn.

Sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's homeland sank beneath the waves. San Madrigal — an island of magic, a community founded generations ago by pirates, Afro-Cuban Santeros, and Sephardic Jews — was dragged down by an ancient evil, and its people were forced to flee.

Now, the San Madrigal diaspora lives in Brooklyn, where Mateo Matisse is far more worried about homework and piano practice than about deadly magic. But when he witnesses a brutal murder on the night of the Gran Fete — his community's biggest party of the year — Mateo is thrust into an ancient battle that spans oceans and centuries. 

"Ballad & Dagger is a gorgeous romance, a wild adventure, and a powerful story that unravels not only the pain of diaspora, but the strength of community and the ways we provide refuge for one another." — Leigh Bardugo, New York Times #1 best-selling author of Shadow and Bone

DANIEL JOSÉ OLDER will be in conversation with CARLOS HERNANDEZ, author of the Sal & Gabi series, for this IN PERSON event and book signing! Don't miss this chance to meet two rising stars of fantasy for young readers! Get your ticket on Eventbrite today!

*One book may be brought from home to be signed for every book purchased at the event.

For all Books of Wonder events, we expect all participants to maintain a family friendly atmosphere, inclusive of respect and fairness. Anyone who violates this standard of behavior, including engaging in any form of harassment, inappropriate language, or disruptive conduct, will, at our discretion, be immediately removed.