Rosa Lia e la Regina dei Serpenti

The smell of ash in the air, exotic snakes in the city, mysterious presences in the building, and strange statues in the cellar: the beginning of summer is anything but peaceful. Regular school is over, and for Rosa Lia it is time to return to Floria, the Academy of Theatre Magic and Botany. The Fire Army of the fearsome Cisnero, the Magare announce, is attacking the forests of Solea. But danger is closer than it seems: Miro, the classmate Rosa Lia dislikes most, has moved into her apartment building. Traitor or ally? And who is living with him? Amid broken taboos, new powers, and unpredictable magical creatures, Rosa Lia will have to decide whether to trust the very person she believed to be her enemy. Together with her friends and the legendary Queen of Snakes, she will confront secrets and truths, shadows and light—all while fearing that yet another threat may be lurking in the dark.

Nora W. Almerina

Nora W. Almerina was born in Palermo in the days when the Berlin Wall was falling—though some insist she first saw the light aboard a sailing ship sealed inside a bottle. One autumn night, taking advantage of a tiny crack, she led her crew out of the glass and toward a small Sicilian island pencilled onto a top-secret map. She learned to climb trees before she could walk, and to turn the pages of a book before she could speak. She has been spotted dancing in Soweto, singing and playing the violin in Tbilisi, getting lost in search of an ancient treasure near Lake Van. She studied photography and delved into the most eclectic subjects: bonsai sociology, concealment, and the revolutionary art of promoting invisible works in a museum. Recently, she has returned to her city, and you can find her seated in a café downtown, in the company of her characters.