


Books in series

#1
Mia and the Lightcasters
2022
Beware of the shadows, the Reaper King is coming . . .
Mia always dreamed of being an umbra tamer until she met the wild creature on the Nightmare Plains. Since that day, she prefers to stay safe within the walls of Nubis. Safe, that is, until a surprise attack. With her parents captured, Mia's only hope is to travel to the City of Light to find help. But with only her little brother, two friends and one solitary tamed umbra, the journey feels impossible. Mia not only has to overcome her fears, she also has to learn to harness her umbra taming abilities if they are to complete the quest in time.
For fans of Amari and the Night Brothers, The Legend of Podkin One-Ear and Nevermoor, this is the first in the sensational Umbra Tales series, illustrated by Ana Latese.

#2
Mia and the Traitor of Nubis
2023
You can't escape the shadows . . .The Elite are imprisoned, the Reaper King is once again banished from the world and the city of Nubis is trying to return to normal. So is Mia, but it's not so easy. Coming to terms with new powers and being the tamer of two umbra, she's also plagued by nightmares. Is the fear all in her imagination? Or are the agents of darkness somehow planning another assault? Once again, Mia's skills and resilience will be tested to their limit.This is the second book in the sensational Umbra Tales series, illustrated by Ana Latese.

#3
The Secrets of Lunis
2024
Mia and her umbra go on the offensive to restore light to her moonlit kingdom in this thrilling third and final book in the Umbra Tales middle grade series that’s Keeper of the Lost Cities meets The Golden Compass.
Having grown up in the moonlit city of Nubis, Mia McKenna has always found comfort in the darkness. And yet the dark days following her father’s death at the hands of the Reaper King aren’t something she’s prepared to handle.
Daniel McKenna was Mia’s rock. He was the whole city’s rock as the leader of the umbra tamers—the highly trained fighters who protect Nubis from atop creatures made of shadows and starlight. Without him, Mia, the tamers, and all of Nubis are lost.
There’s little time to grieve when the tamers are facing two the Reaper King, who has achieved corporeal form, and Queen Katiya, who powers her city with a terrible secret. Mia must channel her emotions into resolve to get revenge on those who have hurt her family, but if she isn’t careful, the darkness swirling inside her might change her—and her powers—forever.
Author

Janelle McCurdy
Author · 4 books
Janelle McCurdy is an author and fully-fledged gamer. Having started writing and querying at only sixteen years old, she joined Jo Unwin Literary Agency (JULA) in her early twenties. After graduating from Royal Holloway University with a Criminology and Sociology degree, Janelle moved back home to London and began writing middle grade fantasy. In her free time, you can find her holed up in her room, gaming and watching anime (some of her favorites being Inuyasha, Dragon Ball Z, and Death Note), or attending numerous comic cons and gaming events.