Arlene Klasky, who is the iconic creator of Rugrats released her first YA novel in January called MING & LEOPOLD: A CITY IN THE SKY.
What if the future of our planet marked a return to the Dark Ages, with half of the Earth’s population void of electrical energy? Arlene Klasky, an Emmy Award-winning animator and television producer known for her work on hit Nickelodeon TV series includingThe Rugrats, Wild Thornberrys, and Rocket Power, unfolds that possibility in her debut novel, MING & LEOPOLD: A CITY IN THE SKY ($14.99 Paperback; $9.99 eBook), a young adult fantasy with timely, hard-hitting messages.
Set in the year 2299, the novel follows Ming and Leopold, a pair of Good Witches who also happen to be soulmates, on a quest from deep in the Amazon jungles to the dangerous streets of New York City, a once glorious metropolis now plunged into darkness and despair. Ming is a striking woman of Eurasian descent, with long auburn tresses and piercing blue eyes, who appears to be eighteen. Leopold is ruggedly handsome, with a shock of dark hair, and looks twenty-one. In reality, they’re both ancient. At ten, Ming lost her beloved parents to terrible fates—her mother was stoned to death and her father died in a Siberian prison, where he was sent for the crime of being married to a Mongolian Warrior Witch. Ming will never die—she’s an Eternal. At ten, Leopold lost his dear mother to heart failure. His father quickly remarried and, two years later, was poisoned by his wife. At twelve, Leopold was sent by his stepmother to be a soldier in the Russian Army. That was centuries ago, and he still battles PTSD. Oh, and he’s eternally cursed.
Ming and Leopold both found a family with The Circus of Witches and Gypsies, and after becoming friends, fell in love. They now share a vision: to offer free electricity to all people. The key to making that happen is the Electrical Insect, an amazing natural source of energy. When the novel opens, Ming and Leopold land in NYC with a single E-Insect and a goal to build the prototype Electrical Energy Farm. But first, they need to find a female mate for the male in their possession. While searching for that precious ladybug, who’s rumored to be kept by a scientist in the city, Ming and Leopold collide with a formidable threat to their plan: the Dark Witches.
As MING & LEOPOLD: THE CITY IN THE SKY reveals, Ming and Leopold have arrived in NYC at a critical moment in history. The Dark Witches have already staked their claim on the city’s streets and subways—and now they have their sights set on its Third Tier. Commonly known as Oz, the Third Tier is a state-of-the-art dream city situated four miles above the ground, complete with enclosed affordable housing, schools, medical facilities, green spaces, job opportunities, and its own system of electrical power and artificial intelligence. Sadly, the architectural genius behind Oz mysteriously disappeared seven years ago, and city governance shuttered. If the Dark Witches seize control of Oz, they’ll have the power to attack humans at street level with chemical bombs from above and intercept Oz’s technology. Guided by the Spirit of the Cosmos, Ming and Leopold embark on a dangerous mission to take down the Dark Witches and bring together the ultimate power couple: two tiny but vital E-Insects. What follows is an all-out war—fought not only to restore the glory of NYC but also to protect people across the planet from evil, corruption, and oppression. Are two Good Witches with a lot of baggage up for the challenge?
Driven by a cast of colorful characters with assorted superpowers and relatable human traits,MING & LEOPOLD: THE CITY IN THE SKY is a gripping future fantasy adventure that raises relevant, real-world questions about the environment, inequality, injustice, and government. With her debut novel, Arlene Klasky is sure to captivate young adult readers and speak to the imaginations and hearts of older fans of “Rugrats” and anyone holding onto hope for a brighter future.
