Where Carpets Fly, by Elise Edmonds is a trilogy of young adult fantasy novels about teenage Elina Faramar, who doesn't want to work in the dusty carpet shop her family runs and dreams of seeing the world, but gets more than she bargained for when she and her new best friend Kara Westerli accidentally end up in the volatile country of Pallexon, and Kara is mistaken for a spy. With her own freedom at stake, Elina must set out on a journey to save her friend and uncover the secrets of Pallexon.
In the first book, heroine Elina Faramar moves to the port city of Kamikan to live with her aunt and learn magic at the local magic school. Though Elina soon sees a darker side of life: a foreigner arrested at the circus, forbidden schoolhouse rooms with odd comings and goings, and unsociable pupil Simeon's shady deals at the docks. Everything seems connected to the volatile neighboring country of Pallexon, but no one will explain anything to her. Elina and Simeon develop a magical mind link, but just as he is about to open up to her, she and Kara are taken away on an unexpected voyage to unknown danger in Pallexon, where Kara is mistaken for a spy. Elina must rely on her wits and magic to save her friend and uncover the secrets of Pallexon.
The three books are:
- Where Carpets Fly (2017)
- Where Secrets Lie (2020)
- Untitled book three (unknown release date)
This book provides examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Shades of this in terms of Mikal's treatment of Elina in Book One. In flashbacks, we learn that he would verbally abuse Elina at home when she couldn't perform magic to his expectations, hence her move to Kamikan—her mother insisted upon it so the two could have a break from each other. He gets better, though.
- Anger Born of Worry: Mikal yells at Elina in Book One when she finally reappears in Kamikan after being left behind, though it's also a good way to see that he really does care about her, albeit if he doesn't always make his feelings known.
- Arc Words: Elpis. A secret spy organization that has been working to dismantle the corruption in Pallexon. It eventually split into two factions: Aid and Action. With the aid of Mr. Jaxon and Simeon, Elina works with Aid to rescue Kara from jail, and Kara joins up with Action in Book Two.
- Fantastic Racism: Tamarins vs. Pallexis. AKA magic users vs. non-magic people who are scared of magic. Heck, they even started a full-blown war against each other!
- First Girl Wins: Subverted with any potential love interests for Elina. The first boy her age she meets in Kamikan is Simeon, but she ends up in a relationship with Janni, instead. Even with Simeon, he's met other girls before Elina but not really had strong feelings towards them.
- I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: Elina pulls a version of this in Book Two—when she and Janni are out and about together, it only ends up in disaster, with hers and Janni's safety at risk. She breaks up with him for his own good so he won't be seen dating a Tamarin girl.
- No Loves Intersect: Subverted—Elina is in the middle of a love polygon in that Simeon and Janni both have feelings for her. However, from the moment we meet him, Simeon is very clearly a friends-only character and Elina never develops a shred of feeling for him—she and Janni are the official couple all throughout the series.
- Lawman Baton: The guards at the Herapolis headquarters use these to control their prisoners. Referred to by the characters as truncheons.
- Mage Species: Tamarins are born with the innate ability to use magic. Compared to Pallexis, who have no innate magical ability whatsoever. Though Pallexon also used to be a magic-based country, but they grew afraid of magic and as such, Pallexis are no longer able to use magic. Mr. Jaxon, a Pallexi by birth, should not be able to use magic, however, he learned by practicing really hard.
- Magic Carpet: If it wasn't already obvious by the series title. This series is the embodiment of the trope. Elina's family owns a carpet shop, and all citizens of Tamarin use carpets as their main transport.
- Official Couple: Janni and Elina, who fall in love late in Book One and whose interracial relationship is a large part of the conflict in Book Two. Book Two reveals our beta couple: Clauda and Jaxon.
- Our Pixies Are Different: River fairies feature prominently in Book One—they're little tiny creatures reminiscent of Tinker Bell that fascinate the residents of Kamikan. Elina in particular has an affinity with them and can even understand what they say to her, due to her magic.
- Psychic Powers: Cognitive Magic is a type of telepathy—those who are able to use it can transmit their thoughts to one another.
- Qurac: Tamarin is a Middle East-inspiried setting, with a country ruled by a Sultan (and magic carpets galore!) Contrast that to Pallexon, which is a more steampunk-themed metropolis.
- Reasonable Authority Figure: The Sultan, although we only see him really in Book Two. He's not averse to giving a reward to Elina, but at the same time, the reader gets a sense of how shrewd he is because ultimately, it means Elina will be working for him and he'll have access to her expertise.
