Not every ugly duckling becomes a swan...
In the wake of the disastrous attack on the Golden City, Lady Light Spinner has become Grand Sorceress and Elaine, the
Bookworm, has been settling into her positions as Head Librarian and
Privy Councillor. But any hope of vanishing into her books is negated
when a new magician of staggering power appears, one whose abilities
seem to defy the known laws of magic.
Johan is a Powerless, a person born to a magical
family yet lacking powers of his own. His dreams of a better life are
curbed by his family, who see him as a cripple at best and a burden at
worst. But when a political protest goes horrifically wrong, Johan
discovers that his true powers have merely been buried, waiting for
their chance to explode into the world. As he comes to grips with his
newfound talents, he realises that he finally has a chance to achieve
his ambitions.
But for the Golden City, reeling after the
devastation of six months before, he may be the greatest threat the city has ever seen. Elaine must unlock the mystery behind his powers before the political factions can kill him... or use him to unleash a
nightmare.
Returning to well-loved characters from Bookworm, the first book in the Bookworm series, as well as introducing some new ones, Bookworm II: The Very Ugly Duckling explores power – and the effect it has on the human mind.
