Lost parents. An unescapable city. A daughter who will not stop. Soarsha wants three things for her tenth birthday: sushi, chocolate cake, and listening to Wandering Heroes with her dad. Sure, she longs to find her mom, lost in the wasteland beyond Dedalo's prison-bar skyscrapers and impassable ringwall. Yeah, she wishes her classmates would stop tormenting her. Especially after she sneezed during her bully's sharing time. Better to let the shadow monster eat her... and when her father goes missing, she just might have to. Whether you love labyrinths, purple, radio shows, mysterious quests, the scent of lavender, comic books, boundless hope, or a city unlike any other in science fiction and fantasy, get ready for a STRANGE RIDE. The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue-all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair's storytelling has "universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett," and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe's unique combination of "quirk, wit, travel, and magic."