From Wales to global bookshelves – Cardiff author launches new fantasy adventure

Welsh author Nathalie Laine is celebrating the launch of her latest novel, Alessia in Atlantis: The Aquamarine Prophecy.

Written for ages 9–13, the series has won multiple awards worldwide and this new adventure is a tribute to the storytelling traditions that first sparked her imagination in Wales.

For Nathalie from Cardiff, the journey started in Lisvane where she grew up listening to her mother’s tales about fairies living inside the trees at Cefn Onn Park.

“I used to press my ear against the trunks, hoping to hear whispers of magic,” says Laine.

At Llys-faen Primary School, her beloved teacher, the late Mrs. Mackeddie, encouraged her love of reading and introduced her to Roald Dahl—whose whimsy became a lasting influence on her writing. Inspired, Nathalie began stapling together her own ‘books’ and promised herself she’d write one someday.

Even after studying management and living abroad, that dream never faded. While working as a Marketing Director, she woke at 5 a.m. to write before work. Seven years later, she published the first two books in the series.

In her latest novel, she’s hidden an “Easter egg” in a special nod to her Welsh roots: a reference to Wales’ legendary underwater world, Cantre’r Gwaelod.

“There are many versions of the myth, from a fairy well overflowing to a drunken watchman letting the sea flood in,” she says. “Mentioning that bit of home was my way of honouring where my journey began.”

In this third adventure in the series, thirteen-year-old Alessia must solve an ancient riddle to stop a dark prophecy threatening Atlantis, while facing coral fairies, rebel mermaids, and her own temptation for power.

The Alessia in Atlantis series, which has earned a Mom’s Choice Gold Award and was a Booklife Editor’s Pick, invites young readers to explore underwater worlds both magical and real—and to dream as wildly as Nathalie once did under the trees of Cefn Onn Park.

About the Author:
Nathalie Laine grew up in Llys-faen, Cardiff, and now lives in Paris, France. She has lived around the globe, but credits her Welsh upbringing for igniting her love of stories. A former Marketing Director, she now combines writing with running her own marketing training business.

Format & Availability:
Alessia in Atlantis: The Aquamarine Prophecy will be published on 31 July 2025
308 pages | Ages 9–13
Paperback: £12.99 | eBook: £4.99
Available in bookstores everywhere.

Short Book Description:
Alessia in Atlantis: The Aquamarine Prophecy is an underwater adventure for ages 9–13. It follows 13-year-old Alessia as she tries to stop a dark prophecy threatening Atlantis, solving an ancient riddle and facing coral fairies, rebel mermaids, and her own temptation for power.

About the Series:
Jam-packed with adventure, mystery, and underwater mythology from around the world, the Alessia in Atlantis series has received international recognition, including the Mom’s Choice® Gold Award and a Booklife Editor’s Pick. Perfect for fans of Keeper of the Lost Cities and Percy Jackson.