Next Year in Avaria

By Jennifer Paller Girard

"It is fated that someday, a hero will be born, and he will traverse the continent to assemble the twelve keys and gather our people once more."

For the Jesimi people, hope is everything. Centuries ago, their people were separated and forced out of their homeland, Avaria, by Xhartana and now live in exile. They can only worship their god, El, in secret and are forbidden from using their magic gifts. Their only hope is the arrival of the chosen one foretold to bring their people back together.

Adam is just a normal Jesimi kid, apprenticing as a preserver and trying not to get in the way of any angry Xhartana soldiers. At least, that's what he thinks-until his life changes forever when he finds a letter from his mother claiming that he is the chosen one meant to reunite his people and save them from Xhartanian rule, once and for all. To complete his quest, he must venture to the twelve Jesimi villages and collect an enchanted key from each. When combined, they will give him the strength to earn his people's freedom. There are just a few problems-he has no training, no idea how to find the keys, and no knowledge of how to use his newfound magic.

With the help of his uncle Ben, his soul-sealed wolf, Zev, and the friends he meets along the way-especially Serafine, heir to Kiritum-Adam must find a way to collect the keys and save his people. Based on the Jewish diaspora, Next Year in Avaria is a story of the courage it takes to stand up against your oppressors and how one person can make all the difference.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1966786557
• ISBN13: 9781966786559
• Release Date: November 2025
• Publisher: Ballast Books
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 0.89 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 14 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 9 to Postsecondary