Utkin, Alexander

"In The King of Birds, a quarrel between a mouse and a sparrow over a golden apple leads to a civil war. In The Water Spirit, an unwitting merchant is tested and tricked by powerful creature. Then it's a race against time in Tyna of the Lake as a young boy must find a willing ally to help escape a water doom"--Back cover.

"This is the story of how a small golden apple started a great battle. It all began with a mouse and a sparrow, but soon all the animals and birds were waging a mighty war. After all, the King of Birds forgives no one... but what will happen when he finds himself at the mercy of a plucky merchant?"--Back cover.

After a deal with Vodyanoy, the water spirit forces the merchant's son into a life of servitude under water. When a not-so chance encounter with Vodyanoy's daughter Tyna occurs, it may mean that the merchant's son now has a chance at freedom. They must survive long enough to plan an escape and avoid the creatures that lie in the deep blue.

"We rejoin our friend the merchant as he returns home from his adventure with the King of Birds. When curiosity gets the best of him and he opens his new mysterious golden chest, the merchant unwittingly condemns his newborn son to a life under the sea"--From publisher.