The legendary island of Atlantis is on the brink of collapse due to a curse. Can Aria and Liam save it before it’s too late?

Aria in the middle-grade book The Cursed Empress
Aria & Liam and The Cursed Empress book cover

Thirteen-year-old best friends Aria and Liam never meant to find Atlantis. One moment they were sailing at high speed to win their competition; the next, they found themselves trapped on an island ruled by a cursed Empress and threatened with destruction. The Crystal of Light, which has kept Atlantis thriving under Poseidon’s protection, is fading, and with it, Atlantis itself.

As more tragedies strike across the island, panic among the citizens grows. It’s no longer just the royal family at risk, but every Atlantean life. Aria and Liam must find who is behind the curse before Plato’s warning of Atlantis being swallowed by the sea becomes reality.

But as smiling faces turn into accusing ones, surviving the islanders may prove harder than escaping the curse. Can Aria and Liam break the curse and return home, or will Atlantis vanish forever, taking Aria and Liam with it?

Aria and Liam in Atlantis
Aria and Liam in their adventure in Atlantis.
Aria and Liam with their friends during their adventure in Atlantis.
Aria and Liam with their friends during their adventure in Atlantis from the book The Cursed Empress.
Aria and Liam during their adventure in Atlantis from the book The Cursed Empress.
Liam doing in the adventure The Cursed Empress
Aria and Liam during their adventure in Atlantis from the book The Cursed Empress.

Book Details

Author: Coline Monsarrat

Publisher: Apicem Publishing

Series: Aria & Liam

Age range: 8 to 12 years old

Genre: middle-grade, adventure, fantasy

Time-period: Legendary city (3,000 BCE)

ISBN: 978-1-959814-24-5

Format: paperback and e-book

Aria and Liam and The Cursed Empress book cover
Liam profile picture from the middle-grade book series "Aria & Liam"
Aria profile picture from the middle-grade book series "Aria & Liam"

❝ Thanks to this adventure, I realized that some people can become scared when you’re not exactly like them. At first, they treated us a bit coldly because we were so different, and they couldn’t really understand us, which made them feel suspicious. But guess what? We showed them what we’re made of, and they finally understood our differences weren’t scary at all. And then, boom! They were all friendly and nice again. It’s just that people need time to understand each other.❞

❝The most important thing I learned from this adventure is to never lose faith in ourselves! There was a moment when I was about to give up, but thanks to Liam’s incredibly motivating speech (seriously, it was amazing!), I found the strength to continue. I had almost lost confidence in our ability to succeed, which definitely would have led to failure. But, hey, we believed in ourselves, and that made all the difference!❞

This story grew from my desire to show how quickly a rumor born from fear can spread and harm an entire community. Even a peaceful and prosperous island like the legendary Atlantis can lose its kindness when fear takes hold.
Through this tale, I hope young readers see how fear of outsiders, or the fear that there won’t be enough for everyone, can push good people to make hurtful choices.

Coline Monsarrat

More Books in the series

Coline Monsarrat showing Aria and Liam drawing

Coline Monsarrat grew up believing books were gateways to magical realms where anything was possible. Her love of history and boundless curiosity shaped her belief that life is an adventure waiting to be written.

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