The Dandelion Riots

by Kim Smejkal, Penelope Rawlins (Read by), Penelope Rawlins (Contribution by)

Overview

Enter a broken world in which girls are cursed at birth with terrible powers . . .

Set in a world which is governed in a draconian way by witches who maintain their power by cursing girls at birth, this exciting novel deals with finding your power, relying on friendship, and recognizing the healing power of love.

Drinn's curse is the worst yet, for should she fall in love the world will be beset by unimaginable disaster. When she escapes the captivity she has been kept in and finds refuge in the city, she joins forces with other cursed girls to battle the evil put in place by the witches. With each day bringing her closer to unleashing the full power of her curse, can Drinn and her friends change the course of what has been determined for her?

This nail-biting adventure is fresh new teen romantic fantasy that relishes the power of girls and celebrates the ultimate life-giving power of love and friendship. With its surprising enemies to lovers storyline and ambitious fantasy world, this book is sure to delight fans of Samantha Shannon and Stephanie Garber.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798228558946
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	09/30/2025
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 5.70(h) x 0.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Kim Smejkal writes fantasy for young adults and not-so-young adults, always with a touch of magic. Her books include The Dandelion Riots, Ink in the Blood, and Curse of the Divine. When she's not writing, she's often lost in the woods, wandering a beach, or puttering around in her garden, and she currently lives on Vancouver Island in Canada with her family and anxious dog, Pigeon.

Penelope Rawlins’ voice work has encompassed many accents and ages in recording audiobooks, animation, computer games, English language tapes, and corporate commercials. Among her numerous audiobook narrations are The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory and Fox Friend by Michael Morpurgo. Her narration of Tom Rachman’s The Rise and Fall of Great Powers earned her an AudioFile Earphones Award.

Editorial Reviews

"This narrative is a thrilling ride centering on girls’ and women’s agency...A poignant tale of queer love, friendship, and sacrifice."
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2025-06-13
An orphaned teenager who’s imbued with unimaginable power finds community and fights back.

Drinn Tryba has spent her life in isolation, moved yearly on her birthday among various carers, overseen by Aunt Melusine, the most powerful of the Aunts, who are “part seer and part witch.” They curse those they perceive as “rotten souls.” Other kids made it clear that Drinn was different, calling her “damned.” She was cursed at birth by Melusine with the seemingly innocuous ability to communicate with the earth. When she’s upset, dandelions sprout from Drinn’s neck, their leaves, stems, and yellow flowers growing behind her ears. But Drinn can do so much more—and when Melusine turns up on her 16th birthday, things turn violent. Drinn flees, guided by a pin cherry sapling through a portal. She finds herself in the eerie, crowded city of Oblison, where she meets a girl named Story and a boy called Bash. Drinn and Story are drawn into a slow-burn queer romance, but Drinn learns she’s part of a network of girls cursed by the witches and, to her horror, that there are tremendous negative consequences if she ever falls in love. The girls rally together in a terrific display of the power of kindness, unity, and love in all its variety. This narrative is a thrilling ride centering on girls’ and women’s agency. Drinn is cued white, and there’s diversity in skin tone in the cast.

A poignant tale of queer love, friendship, and sacrifice.(Fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews