The World Without

Last Days of the Koonung is a rip roaring, fast paced adventure characterized by evocative imagery, positive values and original themes. Appealing to the imagination of readers aged 8 to 12, the story is set on Melbourne’s urban fringe where nature and city collide. It is here that Adam and Tom are persuaded by Adam’s older brother to climb the gigantic tree that grows in Edgars Valley. Unknowingly they cross the Gateway into the fourth dimension, ‘The World Without’, a beautiful land where the power of life is richer and greater than anything that exists in our world. However, a decade’s long conflict rages between the long-suffering Marou and tormented Fras who were recreated as lesser beings during the Diminishing; a catastrophic event brought on by Adam’s father when he was a boy. The Diminishing has left the Fras deformed and the Marou lessened in power and stature. The boys soon learn that the Fras have found one of the lost Life Elements which imbue extraordinary powers upon the holder. While the Marou seek the Elements in the hope of being restored, the Fras are filled with hate, intent on regaining the Elements and taking their revenge on the boy’s father, his family and the Marou. ‘For young reader, this rapidly evolving story, energetic writing and original themes sustain the narrative, for daring beginning to climactic end.’ ‘The book embodies the adventurous spirit of pre-adolescence when reality and fantasy overlap, as make-believe games, exploring and climbing trees become extraordinary.’