Whakatāne author Linley Edmeades is set to enchant young readers with the launch of her debut junior fiction book Zephyr on Monday.

Written for children aged 7 to 12, Zephyr is the first in a four-part fantasy series that promises magic, mystery, and heart.

Published through New Zealand-based company YourBooks and illustrated by Edmeades’ husband, Malcolm Foster, Zephyr is proudly designed and printed in New Zealand.
Copies will be available at Paper Plus Whakatāne, with a special display starting next week. Edmeades, a life-long lover of books and grandmother of six, has also donated a copy to the library.

At the heart of the story is 10-year-old Zephyr, a brave young girl who embarks on a daring quest across deserts and mud pools, facing dust storms and sea hawks to find her missing mother and other women from her village, who have been captured by fearsome wind wizards in a castle on the wild west coast. Guided by mysterious star witches and accompanied by her father, uncle, and a very special dog, Zephyr’s journey is one of courage and discovery.

“I originally started writing Zephyr for my granddaughter,” Edmeades said. “She was five or six at the time, and now she’s 17. I would send her a chapter each week, and the story just grew and grew from there.”

What began as a heartfelt project for her family blossomed into a full series over five years. Now retired from her work as a community physiotherapist, Edmeades has poured her energy into bringing Zephyr’s world to life.

“Once I’d written the first book, the other ones just fell out of it quite easily. I found myself driving around during work trips thinking, ‘What’s Zephyr going to do next?’ It was a real joy—it just came alive.”

Zephyr features maps, magical keys, star crystals, and even a mysterious egg—all part of a richly imagined world that echoes classic adventure tales like The Chronicles of Narnia, one of Edmeades’ childhood favourites.

The book explores key themes of friendship, family, and resilience. “It’s about bravery in the face of feeling like things are never going to be okay. Things can work out—even when they seem impossible,” she said.

Young readers can look forward to the second book in the Zephyr series, already printed and set for release in the first half of next year.

In addition to the Zephyr series, Edmeades recently published a picture book titled Mrs McTilly’s Cat and has a new children’s picture book in the works, currently with a publisher.