The Carver & The Queen by Emma C. Fox

"In the age of Imperial Russia, deep in the Ural Mountains, two teenagers plot their escape from serfdom and dream of a destiny beyond their birth. Petr, a castoff orphan, longs to make a name for himself as a sculptor of malachite, the Ural's most treasured gem. His best friend Lena harbors an even more impossible goal: to escape an arranged marriage to the cruel village bailiff and become an artist in her own right. When their bid for freedom falls to pieces, Petr seeks help from the mythical Malachite Queen, only to find himself trapped in an underworld where godlike skill comes at the cost of his humanity. It's up to Lena to contrive a daring rescue before Petr is lost forever in a kingdom of stone."

About the Author
Emma (Marshall) Fox '05 graduated from Covenant with a B.A. in Music and a minor in Art, and received her M.A. in Art History from the University of Alabama/U.A.B. She lives in Birmingham, Alabama, with her husband, three kids, and an energetic border collie. Her passion for the arts takes many forms, from tutoring writing to leading church choirs to conducting tours at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Emma is the author of the award-winning historical fantasy novels The Arrow and the Crown (KDP, 2019) and The Carver and the Queen (Owl’s Nest Publishers, 2023), and a contributor to The Lost Tales of Sir Galahad (Rabbit Room Press, 2022) and several poetry collections. Her third novel, Heart of Stone, releases from Owl's Nest Publishers in May 2026.