The Seventeenth Quest

Seventeen is a little robot whose greatest desire is to become a knight like those from the fairytales in his database. When a mysterious Voice in the sky sends him on a quest to find the humans that have been missing for over 100 years, it’s his only chance to prove himself worthy. After he saves the life of a daring girl named Hazel who can’t remember where she’s from or where her parents are, they set off on a search together. ​On their way, they recite poetry and tell stories, encounter magical creatures, and discover what it means to be human.

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Where setting is concerned, my book is science fiction. Where style is concerned, it’s written with the lyrical prose of a fairytale. ​Reading-level-wise, it’s a middle grade novel. Intended-audience-wise, I’ve tried to make it as universal and intergenerational as all of my favorite classics.

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The Seventeenth Quest will be published in Fall 2026 by Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers at Penguin Random House. It will also be published in 10   other languages throughout the world. The book will feature black-and-white illustrations by the breathtakingly talented Elise Hurst.