The Homebound

Rosemary Marandi

How do you choose, when the same route can lead to ruin – and refuge?

Animal-whisperer Aria and beast-soother Zayd flee into an unknown wilderness as their lives are upended by monstrous forces in snow-clad Kashmir. Their only chance of survival: the intriguing, magical train – The Homebound.

This is no simple escape, though. Onboard, they meet five other runaways, each carrying their own scars and urgent hopes: the three Channi brothers, searching for belonging; Mehera, escaping a forced marriage; and Aarushi, desperately seeking her lost parents. As the train's mysterious driver, Aurasen, reveals that their journey to the mystical Manidvipa is no accident, a terrifying truth begins to emerge.

Thrust into a universe teeming with ancient magic and perilous secrets, these seven unlikely allies must confront not only the darkness threatening their world but also their own deepest wounds. In the end, their extraordinary quest will decide the fate of everything they cherish – and utterly redefine where and what home truly is.