Major announcements for Kingdom of Florida: Book 6 include title, new illustrator

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, May 4, 2021 - During a special YouTube premiere event at noon on May 4, author Taylor Thomas Smythe revealed the title, synopsis, release date, and a new illustrator for the forthcoming sixth installment in his Kingdom of Florida fantasy series. Kingdom of Florida: Coral and the Treasure Hunters, book six in the ongoing middle-grade series, picks up a few years after the events of last fall’s The Curse of Coronado and continues the adventures of now-teenage heroes Oliver, Ellie, Ben, and Annie.

Coral and the Treasure Hunters takes readers on three intertwined adventures set in two different eras in the Kingdom. While readers jump back into the continuing story of Oliver and his friends, they’ll also find plenty of surprises in the thrilling, swashbuckling quest that runs parallel to it. This secondary storyline is set several decades in the past, and follows the early days of Princess Coral on her mission to reclaim a treasure that was taken from her family.

“There are countless easter eggs sprinkled throughout the new book, and they connect to hints that I dropped in the earlier books,” Smythe noted. “As an author, it’s incredibly satisfying to see so many of those moments come full circle, and I think my avid fans are going to love it. Plus, we’ll get to experience a few familiar moments from a new perspective.”

In addition to the title and synopsis, Smythe also introduced viewers to artist Samantha Pollack, who will provide illustrations for the new story. Pollack, a Florida native now based in Pittsburgh, follows in the footsteps of Alice Waller, the illustrator for the first five installments in the series. As the story takes place several years after the prior books, Smythe explained that he wanted to add another artist to the Kingdom of Florida family to flesh out this new era in the world and timeline. 

“I’m super grateful to Ali for her incredible work,” said Smythe. “And I’m thrilled for readers to see the equally-brilliant work that Sam brings to the table. The two of them have captured my literary vision so well and in unique ways.”

Kingdom of Florida: Coral and the Treasure Hunters will be available in early June. It is the penultimate novel in the series, which draws inspiration from such classics as The Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, and L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, and follows the journey of a group of South Florida children as they discover a magical parallel world ruled by an evil prince. Smythe shared that the seventh and final book is slated to arrive in 2022, and he hinted at an additional surprise before the end of 2021. 

The first five individual Kingdom of Florida books are independently published and available via online booksellers and www.kingdomofflorida.com in paperback, hardcover, Kindle ebook, and — for the first two installments — audiobook. ​