The Golden Swift
A lot has changed for Kate in a year. She and Tom are now full-fledged conductors of the steam-powered, animal-saving Great Secret Intercontinental Railway. Life is good!
Or good-ish, anyway. Her uncle Herbert has gone missing, and the worsening climate means that there are more and more animals that need help all the time. How many times does Kate have to save the world before it stays saved?
And her real life isn’t exactly perfect either. She flunked her audition for the junior high musical and got stuck in the chorus, while her archenemy Jag got a lead.
So, out of desperation, Kate breaks the rules and takes the Silver Arrow out on an unsanctioned mission, to find Uncle Herbert and bring back balance to the world. But she quickly discovers she’s not the only one on the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway. There’s a mysterious train called the Golden Swift out there too, with an agenda of its own. Is it an ally? A rival? An enemy? A bit of all three?
The question will turn Kate’s world upside down, take her from the Scottish Highlands to the Australian outback to the bottom of the Bering Sea, and lead her straight on a collision course with the mysterious masters of the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway itself. Because when you're a human being fighting to save nature, are you the hero or are you the villain? There are no simple answers.
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Lev Grossman
Lev Grossman is a writer who has a knack for blending the fantastical with the familiar, creating worlds that feel both dreamlike and deeply relatable. Born in the U.S. and raised in a family where books were a constant companion, Grossman’s early love for literature blossomed into a career that would forever change the landscape of modern fantasy. His Magicians trilogy, which began with The Magicians, stands as a cornerstone of contemporary fantasy, redefining the genre for a new generation of readers.
The Silver Arrow
On an ordinary birthday, Kate receives an extraordinary gift: a sleek old steam train that isn’t just for show—it’s a ticket to a hidden world where talking animals, endangered species, and magical railways intersect.
The Silver Arrow series invites readers into a quiet kind of magic—not the kind born of spells or sorcery, but of wonder, courage, and unexpected responsibility. This isn’t a story that barrels through fantasy tropes. Instead, it glides along winding tracks through a world that feels tender, strange, and just a little bit wild. At its heart is a train ride like no other, where every stop introduces a new creature with a story to tell and a truth to confront.
The Silver Arrow consists of two books and series is set to expand with the upcoming release of one more book. The current recommended reading order for the series is provided below.
