The Mask of the Storyteller

By Jeff Zelkowitz

"An imaginative world and sophisticated themes combine in this rewarding blend of myth and mystery. Our Verdict: GET IT." - Kirkus Reviews

"Replete with insights about friendship, commitment, purpose, and courage... a powerful tale filled with reflections about modern issues, climate change, magic, and love that libraries and readers will appreciate." - Midwest Book Review

Aggie Brown lives in a climate-altered Arctic ruled by an absurdly bureaucratic regime. When she interferes with the theft of an Inuit spirit mask, she uncovers a conspiracy by a wolf-eyed woman, driven by demons of her own to take what Aggie holds most dear and destroy what is sacred.

Aggie teams up with her classmate Tommy Tulugaq, a hockey star stepping into his place in his community, where dreams carry messages and masks awaken secrets. Joining them is her faint-of-heart, strong-as-an-ox friend Emmett. Their journey leads them across the dangerous beauty of the melting polar ice cap-but the heart of the conspiracy lies farther still: an ultra-wealthy Manhattan transformed by canals.

To protect the people and places they love, they will need to entrust each other both with their burdens and their stories-and discover the mask's power over travelers, guides and lost souls.

A lyrical debut about cross-cultural friendship and the power of storytelling. This YA fantasy is for readers who love Philip Pullman's moral complexity and satirical edge.

Target audience: Ages 15-18 with adult crossover appeal.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0H875L3CG
• ISBN13: 9798995521501
• Release Date: October 2026
• Publisher: Eurekasignal Press
• Length: 396 Pages
• Weight: 1.01 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 15 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 10 to Postsecondary