The Unmarked Girl

Winner of the 2019 CODE Burt Award for Caribbean Young Adult Literature

Listed in Kirkus Reviews' Best 100 Indie Books of 2019 and the top five (5) Best Indie Middle-Grade & YA Books of 2019

"An engrossing sci-fi/fantasy that breathes new life into old tropes." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Unlike everyone else on Mira, Yara has no birthline markings. She was found as a baby by a Photak and taken to the Photak village, despite how strange she looked. With an unknown origin, unmarked skin, and unusual features, the Elders were extremely wary that the baby could be a secret weapon of the Skotads. Mysteriously, however, Yara could withstand the rays of Sunstar, which no Skotad ever could. She was allowed to stay. Sixteen years later, still without any clues to her origins, Yara is training to be a warrior for the Photak Tribe. Now, an eerie, soft voice begins to haunt her dreams. It asks only one question every time:

"YaraStar... do you know who you are?"

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Book One of the YaraStar Trilogy, The Unmarked Girl, comes with a gift:

Immerse yourself in the fantastical Sounds of Mira, the music album for the YaraStar Trilogy, composed and produced by Dechode Mode (Jeanelle Frontin as Zerzura, and Kevin Licorish as KLiC). The first two tracks were created directly from Yara's world. Look out for more songs from the album - they will be released with Books Two and Three.

Feel free to listen, as you read, to the Photak flutes and the Gem Glass Drums of Mira. For free streaming access, go to: