The Dreadful Tale of Prosper Redding

This thrilling fantasy adventure introduces Prosper Redding, a seemingly ordinary boy from an extraordinary family, who finds his life upended when he discovers a powerful demon, Alastor, has taken residence within him. The demon, bound by an ancient, broken contract with Prosper's ancestors, seeks revenge and the destruction of the Redding line. Prosper, with the reluctant help of his estranged uncle Barnabas and his magical cousin Nell, must race against time to break the curse before Alastor fully takes over and wreaks havoc. The book explores themes of inherited responsibility, justice, betrayal, and the struggle for self-identity, all wrapped in a suspenseful narrative with a touch of dark humor from Alastor's taunts. It's suitable for readers aged 9-12 who enjoy complex plots, magic, and a blend of spooky and adventurous elements.

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet thee, Prosperity Oceanus Redding, but truly, I only anticipate the delights of destroying thy happiness?." Prosper is the only unexceptional Redding in his old and storied family history-that is, until he discovers the demon living inside him. Turns out Prosper's great-great-great-great-great-something grandfather made-and then broke-a contract with a malefactor, a demon who exchanges fortune for eternal servitude. And, weirdly enough, four-thousand-year-old Alastor isn't exactly the forgiving type. The fiend has reawakened with one purpose--to destroy the family whose success he ensured and who then betrayed him. With only days to break the curse and banish Alastor back to the demon realm, Prosper is playing unwilling host to the fiend, who delights in tormenting him with nasty insults and constant attempts to trick him into a contract. Yeah, Prosper will take his afterlife without a side of eternal servitude, thanks. But with the help of his long-lost uncle, Barnabas, and his daughter, Nell, a witch-in-training, it seems like Prosper has at least a fighting chance of ridding himself of Alastor before the demon escapes and wreaks havoc on his family. Little does Prosper know, the malefactor's control over his body grows stronger with each passing night and there's a lot Alastor isn't telling his dim-witted (but admittedly strong-willed) human host? From #1 New York Times best-selling author Alexandra Bracken comes a tale of betrayal and revenge, of old hurts passed down from generation to generation. Can you ever fully right a wrong, ever truly escape your history? Or will Prosper and Alastor be doomed to repeat it?