The Sky Beneath the Stone

Thirteen-year-old Ivy North is an adventurer. She can pitch a tent in four minutes flat, knows the local landscape like the back of her hand, and she’s an expert map reader. There’s just one problem.

She’s afraid to go outside.

But when her little brother is transformed into a kestrel by a powerful sorcerer, Ivy is the only one who can rescue him. Following him through a mysterious hole in the garden wall, she emerges in Underfell — an enchanted realm that seems like the Lake District she knows, but is dangerously different.

Battling her dread of being out in the open, Ivy must gather all her courage to navigate a path across this extraordinary world, where haughty fairies with birds’ wings fly through purple skies and a ghostly spectre haunts her every step. With the help of an unexpected new friend, can Ivy break the spell — before her brother becomes a bird forever?

Floris Books, 2022
Cover art by Diana Renžina

Add to Your Shelves

StoryGraph – Goodreads

Where to Buy

Kelpies
Lighthouse Books
Sam Read Bookseller
Squishy Minnie (Aus)
Or ask at your local bookshop or library

Summer Reading Challenge Booklist selection 2023

A Note from the Author

The Sky Beneath the Stone is inspired by the county where I grew up, Cumbria. If you’ve ever visited the Lake District, that’s Cumbria! We moved there when I was nine, and I spent my childhood playing in the fields behind our home, with views of Ennerdale and Dent in the distance.

The fairy realm in the book, Underfell, is literally underneath the fells. It has the same geography as the world above, but the myths and legends of our landscape live and breathe there. There are grid references in every chapter so you can visit the real places that inspired the settings of the book.

Playlist

  • "When her brother is enchanted, a young girl must overcome her fear of the outside in this assured fantasy debut. The richly drawn Lake District setting is enhanced by Ordnance Survey grid references at the beginning of each chapter."

    The Bookseller

  • "Mullarky's deep love of nature and the Lake District creates a stunning backdrop to this captivating and magical tale of loyalty and love."

    Bren MacDibble, Aurealis-award winning author of The Dog Runner

  • "A beautifully written adventure steeped in the myths and magic of the Lake District. I long to journey through the wall and explore the enchanted, dangerous wilds of Underfell!"

    Ross MacKenzie, author of the Nowhere Emporium trilogy

  • "I absolutely adored this! The Sky Beneath the Stone is beautiful, bright and brilliant – a perfect blend of magic, adventure and heart"

    Sophie Anderson, Carnegie-shortlisted author of The House with Chicken Legs

  • "The story is atmospheric, beautiful, cosy and heartbreaking by turns. The ending is as snuggly and satisfyingly tied up as a mug of hot chocolate beside the log burner after a windy walk on the fells."

    Hannah Foley, Kelpies Prize-winning author of The Spellbinding Secret of Avery Buckle

  • ""This Lake District-set adventure tingles with magic, mystery and sorcerer’s spells as it explores family bonds, the power of friendship, and facing fears"

    LoveReading4Kids