‘SKYFLEET: MARCH OF THE MUTABUGS’ IS A PERILOUS ADVENTURE IN A NEW WORLD
EXPLORE A MUTATED FAR-FUTURE COLONY WITH AMBERLEY AND RIC
PUBLISHING OCTOBER 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tiny Tree Books is ready to take to the skies with the acquisition of a soaring new middle-grade adventure from award-winning author Victoria Williamson. ‘Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs’ is a fantasy epic set in the New World colony — a dangerous continent full of toxic radiation which has mutated the plants and wildlife. Tiny Tree publisher James Shaw acquired worldwide rights to the book, which is set to be published in October 2024.
‘Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs’ follows twelve-year-old Amberley and her best friend Ric on a quest to help the Skyfleet pilots defend the New World from a scourge of mutated insects. Success will mean breaking the rules, facing guilt and grief head-on, and working as a team. Can the pair overcome the odds and do their part for Skyfleet?
Victoria says: “This is my second book with Tiny Tree, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be setting out on another publishing adventure with the team after The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams came out last year.”
Winner of The Bolton Children’s Fiction Award, The YA-ldi Glasgow Secondary School Libraries Book Award and the RED Book Award, and twice nominated for the Yoto Carnegie medal, Victoria Williamson has an incredible pedigree as a children’s author. “It’s great to be working with Victoria again,” says publisher James Shaw. Tiny Tree previously worked with the author on the mysterious and magical middle-grade novel ‘The Pawnshop of Stolen Dreams’ (2023). James continues: “Skyfleet is packed full of all the action, suspense, and thrills that Victoria is so brilliant at bringing to life”.
About ‘Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs’
Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs is set in the fantasy New World colony, a dangerous continent full of toxic radiation which has mutated the plants and wildlife.
The pilots of the Skyfleet who protect the farmers and settlers of the New World are struggling to contain the threat of the new mutant insects which rise up from the dangerous Cauldron, the meteor crash site which caused the radiation fallout. It’s up to twelve-year-old Amberley Jain and her best friend, Ric Lopez, to disobey the rules and repair her parents’ smashed jet, the Firehawk, to help the Skyfleet fight off the new threat. But Amberley and Ric have their own problems to contend with: the crash that killed Amberley’s parents left her legs paralysed and she’s struggling to come to terms with her new life, and Ric’s precious Optikit which helps him navigate his blindness is put at risk by their dangerous undercover flying missions.
Can they work their problems out and help the Skyfleet save the settlers from the Mutabugs before it’s too late?
Inspired by Victoria’s love of 1980s after-school cartoons like Thundercats and M.A.S.K., sci-fi series like Firefly and her passion for history, ‘Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs’ is the author’s opportunity to create a sci-fi world. Victoria says: “Ultimately, the main inspiration behind Skyfleet was my love of getting lost in a brand new world of my own creation, where I got to name everything and give some very cool vehicles special features!”
‘Skyfleet’ also sees Victoria working again with illustrator James Brown, who provides the cover and internal illustrations. “I’m very excited to be teaming up with fabulous illustrator James Brown again, whose eye-catching cover has captured the Firehawk perfectly, and whose internal aircraft illustrations really bring the vehicles of the Skyfleet to life.”
Tiny Tree continues to expand our middle-grade offerings with Hallie and the Broken Ghost by Nadine Holland, Lost in Time by Dawn Treacher, and the second book in David Barker’s London Falling series publishing before the end of 2024.
‘Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs’ will be released in October 2024.
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About Victoria Williamson
Victoria Williamson is an award-winning author from Scotland who has worked as an English teacher in China, a secondary school science teacher in Cameroon, a teacher trainer in Malawi, and an additional support needs teacher in the UK.
Victoria writes children’s books for the education company Twinkl and spends the rest of her time writing novels, visiting schools and festivals, and running creative writing workshops. When not writing or talking about books, she’s often to be found up to her knees in mud on an archaeological dig or tangled up in a ball of wool playing with a crochet hook.
About Tiny Tree Books
Tiny Tree is an imprint of Andrews UK Limited. From its creation, the imprint has gone from strength to strength producing high-quality picture books, junior fiction, middle-grade fiction, and YA titles. Tiny Tree looks to champion new voices and talent whilst producing unique stories for children of all ages.