Karin Erlandsson: The Bird Master

In an exciting adventure of mythical creatures and deep forests of the wintery north, a fierce battle for freedom breaks out.

Author: Karin Erlandsson
Swedish original: Fågeltämjaren
Publisher: Schildts & Söderströms, 2018
Genre: Children’s fiction, fantasy, middle grade
Number of pages: 311 pp.
Reading material: Swedish original, Finnish translation, English synopsis, English sample

Rights sold: Bulgaria, Perseus; World English, Dedalus; Estonia, Sinisukk; Poland, Dwukropek; Sweden, Bonnier Carlsen

Miranda, the pearl fisher, and Syrsa, the pearl whisperer, have successfully concluded their search for the eye gemstone: they have found each other. They have settled down to live in the northern harbour town in the wooded parts of the kingdom where the people have an ability to appreciate what they already have. Miranda concentrates on cutting down trees and Syrsa starts to learn skills as a healer.

The eye gemstone, however, has ended up in the possession of Iberis who starts to use it to get everything she has always desired. When the usually timid colossus birds attack the townspeople Miranda realises that Iberis’ greed for power reaches even the far north.

As it turns out, the attack is just the beginning. Soon the whole town and the people, who have been forced to flee there from other parts of the kingdom, are under the tyranny of Iberis. It seems that Syrsa and Miranda are the only ones who can rescue them.

The Bird Master is the second book in Karin Erlandsson’s captivating four part series Song of the Eye Gemstone. The exciting, multi-layered story, located in a skilfully constructed world, grows from book to book into ever more epic portions–a grand tale of friendship, longing and of what truly matters in life.

The first novel of the series, The Pearl Fisher, was awarded the prestigeous Runeberg Prize and nominated for the Nordic Council Children and Young People’s Literature Prize in 2018.

Also available:
Children’s fiction
Song of the Eye Gemstone #1, The Pearl Fisher (2017)
Song of the Eye Gemstone #3, The Scaler of the Peaks (2019) 
Song of the Eye Gemstone #4, The Victor (2019)
Night Express (2020)

Adult fiction
The Blue Yarn. What I Know About Knitting (2022)
Home (2021)
The Misdeed (2016)
Enclosed (2018)

About the author:
Karin Erlandsson