Guardians of Porthaven

Key Selling Points

• Fifteen-year-old Malcolm Gravenhurst is about to become a Guardian to defend his city against aliens when he learns some disturbing truths about his family.
• Guardians of Porthaven offers an excellent exploration of allyship and representation featuring themes of male mental health, LGBTQ+ relationships, in-equality and equity in action.
• This book is perfect for fans of the Percy Jackson series or the X-Men comics.
• The author has long been a superhero-comics fan and wanted to explore the less glamorous consequences of having that kind of power.
• The story is also a subtle and timely commentary on socioeconomic disparity and the responsibilities of the wealthy and privileged.
• Free Discussion Guide available for download at orcabook.com.

On his fifteenth birthday, Malcolm Gravenhurst is preparing to take on the mantle of Guardian, like many Gravenhursts before him.

The Guardians are tasked with defending the city of Porthaven, and his family is the only one to possess the superpowers necessary to battle the frequent alien invasions of robotic klek. But power has brought the Gravenhursts more than just responsibility—it has also brought them fame and wealth. When Malcolm meets some teens living and working in secret, he learns that underneath their heroic facade, the Gravenhurst family is hiding some very dark secrets. With the threat of annihilation on the horizon, soon Malcolm must choose between family loyalty and doing the right thing.

The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Praise for Dominion and Terra Nova

"Arbuthnott's debut novel is the first part of an original, fascinating tale that offers an unusual, magical spin on how far human beings will go to gain dominion over the world...Feisty young Molly will keep [readers] grounded in this page-turning mystical adventure."—Kirkus Reviews

"What a fabulous read! There are elements of Airborn and The Golden Compass there...and there was also a huge welter of originality, a charming band of characters—including some truly horribly baddies—and, well, all the ingredients to make it an extraordinarily imaginative first novel. What a poignant plea for our environment, not to mention a stirring indictment of slavery in all its myriad forms. A truly moving book. I hope there are many more to come."—Tim Wynne-Jones, award-winning author of The Emperor of Any Place

“Arbuthnott creates an intriguing steampunk world with a smooth combination of technology and magic...A fast-paced read with a strong female lead, this will leave steampunk and adventure fans looking forward to a hinted-at sequel.”—School Library Journal

★ "In this sequel, Arbuthnott elevates his story...allowing this imaginative steampunk fantasy to slowly build...This spectacular sequel takes steampunk into new territory."Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Sometimes a book comes along that rocks you back on your heels, smacks the self-pity, the selfishness, and ignorance out of you, and makes you ashamed of your own timidity. And sometimes that book happens to be a kids' book. Read Dominion, and then read Terra Nova. Read them for you. Read them for your kids. Read them to your kids. Let your kids read them and ask you questions. I don't care how you do it; I'm just asking you to do it."—Sci-Fi & Scary blog