How does one discover a magic system? Perhaps it's in the air a person breathes, if that person is as curious as a sixteen-year-old boy who explored the world by reading books in his wardrobe.

The Shell is built on stability. Its six continents are self-sufficient enough that no one has ever had reason to cross the seas between them, until tremors begin moving through the ground with no explanation anyone can find. Cielo, of Noble blood, once read the journals of a dead explorer, the only person to ever make those crossings over a century ago. The journals pointed to Ruin: the sole uninhabited continent in The Shell, a scar in the face of a world that otherwise made perfect sense. Cielo leaves his wardrobe behind, sneaks out of his homeland, and abandons a future perfectly arranged for him to discover the root of these disturbances.

He does not travel alone for long. A boy who introduces himself as O.G.—the original roamer of the world—appears in his boat with no explanation for how he got there, and no logical reason he should be dry. As they traveled the continents, Cielo uncovers secrets hidden in the air, and what he finds changes what he understands about himself: the relationships he forms, the abilities he never knew he had. But the disturbances are worsening, and Ruin is still waiting. What is it hiding? What is cracking the foundations of a world built never to break? And who The Shell is O.G.?

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A Particular Boy Among Air Particles is a fantasy adventure with a heart. In the spirit of Tress of the Emerald Sea and Castle in the Sky, it moves from cozy to thrilling, with worldbuilding that fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Xenoblade Chronicles will recognize.

Story by Irvin Embalsado

Cover Illustration by Ali

Interior Design and Illustrations by Sheeraz Ahmed

For readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy adventures with hidden magic, mystery, and exploration.

A Particular Boy Among Air Particles follows sixteen-year-old Cielo, an heir who would rather read about the world than inherit part of it. When unexplained tremors begin shaking the foundations of The Shell, he leaves behind a future already chosen for him and follows the trail of a long-dead explorer toward the only continent no one has crossed in over a century.

Along the way, he discovers secrets hidden in the very air people breathe, abilities he never knew he possessed, and a mysterious companion known only as O.G.

Readers may enjoy:

* Hidden magic system
* Coming-of-age adventure
* Continent-spanning journey
* Slow-burn mystery
* Found family elements
* LGBTQ+ protagonist
* Cozy fantasy atmosphere with escalating stakes

Comparable titles and inspirations:

* Tress of the Emerald Sea and the original Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson
* Avatar: The Last Airbender
* Xenoblade Chronicles

Advance Reader Copy provided in exchange for honest feedback.