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Elisa Downing

Deadly machines. Strange creatures. A sinister secret.

A crew of treasure hunters risking their hearts to uncover the truth.

But they’ll have to find the lost House of Matchsticks first …

"Readers will be swept away … [House of Matchsticks] is a literary rarity." –The Booklife Prize

On the surface of the sea, a burning island beckons the Collector.

Approaching the fire, the Collector bears witness to a vicious crime. When he realizes an innocent life will be lost—a baby, swathed in a bundle and left to die in a floating rowboat—the Collector makes a choice that will change his course forever.

So begins House of Matchsticks, a brand-new, unforgettable YA Fantasy series set in a world called Benemourne, where a mysterious ore powers a society rife with danger.

Follow Isaline, a girl who dreams of becoming a City Watchman in Benemourne’s capital, and Jack, a former treasure hunter with a dark and painful obsession, as they are dragged with the Collector into the beginnings of a deadly adventure.

House of Matchsticks is a third person, multi-POV series with found family, slow-burn romance (straight and LGBTQ+), and a healthy dose of action/adventure. This is Part 1 in the series. Expect a cliffhanger.

The House of Matchsticks series:

House of MatchsticksNight of MatchsticksTree of Matchsticks
... and more to come.

PS. Your first clue: it’s all upside down.

Zura Johnson

Dark Window Books

House of Matchsticks

“Readers will be swept away … [House of Matchsticks] is a literary rarity." –The Booklife Prize

Stolen memories. Poison-induced visions. A mission they might not survive.

The House of Matchsticks is calling ...

Isaline is desperate to keep her identity a secret. In the space of one night, her future as a City Watch has crumbled before her eyes. And now she’s on a train across Benemourne with two complete strangers—dangerous treasure hunters that she can’t trust with her real name. 

But she can’t outrun her lies forever. Jack Fael, a retired treasure hunter thrust back into the mystery that’s been haunting him for years, senses Isaline is keeping secrets. His obsession with the House of Matchsticks has been reignited, and when Jack receives a crucial message in the form of an Adrudian vision, he finds the discovery of his lost expedition tied to Isaline’s fate.

The Collector’s own destiny has been turned upside down. After witnessing the events at Casret Academy, his companion, Caladrius, seems unwilling to lead him anywhere but on Isaline’s trail. Shadowing a human goes against the Collector’s every intuition—and he’s beginning to fear he altered his course forever when he pushed that rowboat sixteen years ago.

In Night of Matchsticks, follow Isaline, Jack, and the Collector as they delve deeper into the hidden truths of their mechanical, Adrudian-lit world and grow closer to the underground expedition that will prove every secret comes with a price. 

House of Matchsticks is a third person, multi-POV series with found family, slow-burn romance (straight and LGBTQ+), and a healthy dose of action/adventure. This is Part 2 in the series. Expect a cliffhanger.

Night of Matchsticks

“Readers will be swept away … [House of Matchsticks] is a literary rarity." –The Booklife Prize

Ancient secrets. Simmering lies. A deadly expedition into the deep.

The House of Matchsticks is calling …

Lost, frightened, and thousands of feet underground, Isaline is trying to hold herself together. The expedition to find King Faraday’s workshop has begun, and deep in Benemourne’s deadly Adrudian mines, anything can happen. With the help of her companions, Isaline is ready to discover who she is. But lies and forgotten memories are catching up to her.

Jack Fael is no stranger to forgotten memories. Finally on the way to finding the House of Matchsticks, Jack is torn between a new friendship and uncovering the details of his lost expedition. When Adrudian Milk brings old feelings to the surface, past and present threaten to entwine, and Jack finds himself drawn to a discovery that could change everything.

The Collector and Caladrius have been making discoveries of their own. After the events at the palace, the Collector is desperate to leave Isaline and Jack behind. But Caladrius has other plans, and with their friendship on the line, the Collector must decide between the life he knows and a journey deep underground, where something ancient stirs …

In Tree of Matchsticks, descend into a world of buried secrets and otherworldly evil as Isaline, Jack, and the Collector come face-to-face with an adventure that will test their friendships, their romances, and the very fabric of destiny itself.

House of Matchsticks is a third person, multi-POV series with found family, slow-burn romance (straight and LGBTQ+), and a healthy dose of action/adventure. This is Part 3 in the series. Expect unanswered questions.