Splinter & Ash: A Middle Grade Fantasy About a Princess and Squire on a Dangerous Quest for Kids (Ages 8-12)

“A winning addition to boundary-defying heroines like Alanna of Trebond and Sir Callie.” ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“An exciting, twisty story packed with everything you want from a fantasy adventure.” ―Anne Ursu, author of Not Quite a Ghost 

In New York Times bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp's immersive middle grade fantasy, two young misfits embark on a dangerous quest to save their kingdom―and each other. For fans of B. B. Alston’s Amari and the Night Brothers, Soman Chainani’s School for Good and Evil, and Tamora Pierce’s Tortall books.

On the eve of her twelfth birthday, all Princess Adelisa―Ash to her friends―wants to do is run away. The palace doesn’t feel like home. Her mother is holding the war-torn kingdom together by a thread. Her brother bullies her. And the masked ball to celebrate her birthday turns into a nightmare when the nobles openly mock her.

Then Ash meets Splinter. Fierce, brave, and adventurous, Splinter dreams of becoming a knight like her older brother, though only noble sons get to be squires. Until now.

There’s never been a princess’s squire before, but Ash decides it’s the perfect solution. Together, they can face the bullies, snobs, gossips, and disapproving families.

But as their friendship grows, Splinter and Ash discover a deadly conspiracy of nobles planning to overthrow the queen. When Ash is kidnapped, Splinter must navigate long-held secrets and dangerous plots. Ash needs to be a princess who saves herself. And they both have to find a way back to each other to save the kingdom, together.

The first in a trilogy, bestselling author Marieke Nijkamp’s Splinter & Ash evokes the classic adventure and atmosphere of fantasies by Lloyd Alexander and Tamora Pierce and the fresh, inclusive lens of writers such as Rick Riordan, Angie Thomas, and Soman Chainani. It invites everyone―no matter who they are or what they look like―to fight for what they believe in.

Two misfits determined to prove their worth. One conspiracy that could destroy everything.

• Unlikely Friendship: Princess Ash needs an ally at court. Splinter needs a chance to become a knight. Together, they might just save each other.
• An Aspiring Knight: Fierce, brave, and determined, Splinter isn't a boy or a girl―she's a hero ready to break tradition and fight for her dream of knighthood.
• Political Conspiracy: When Ash and Splinter uncover a secret plot of nobles trying to overthrow the queen, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
• Epic Quest Adventure: After Ash is kidnapped, both heroes must navigate deadly plots and long-held secrets to find each other and save the kingdom.

Marieke Nijkamp (she/they) is the author of the Splinter & Ash trilogy; Ink Girls, a middle grade graphic novel illustrated by Sylvia Bi, and its companion Clock Hands; and several books for young adults, which include #1 New York Times bestsellers, a critically acclaimed anthology, graphic novels, and comics. She studied philosophy and medieval history, and when she isn't writing, she loves to garden, roll dice, and daydream. Marieke Nijkamp lives and writes in Small Town, the Netherlands.