"IYANWA WOULD BE VERY DIFFERENT WITHOUT YOU, ELLIOT."
Early reviews for FAHLI
"Magnificent writing. Just really well done!"
"I'm a fan of Elliot; a deep thinker, strong, and full of fight!"
"The ending got me ... just like it did in IYANWA."
FAHLI is a middle grade adventure book
for ages 9+.
COMING 06.23.26
FAHLI
The journey that was never meant to happen.
When Elliot returned to Iyanwa with Izzy, the animals called him a hero. But the truth behind that title was built on impossible choices. This is his side of the story.
His promise to Nana was simple: find Izzy. Nana’s promise to Elliot was just as clear: find his adventurer or risk never reaching Gideon.
But in the shadows, the Aygar waits. And within the promises lies a darker truth.
FAHLI reveals the hidden half of a much larger world.
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Read a preview of
FAHLI
Chapter 1
Time
An excerpt
“Hurry!” Elliot bellowed as they bound through the slippery mud and rocky pools baiting them to fall. Trees creaked against the jagged thunderclaps stinging the air. The wind hammered the rain sideways.
But they were close.
They raced through the foreboding forest of the Tahlen, teeth gnashing at their heels. Beyond the jagged undergrowth, the giant steps of Gideon rose into clouds glowing with hopeful shades of pink and amber. Elliot suddenly realized dawn had reached the horizon and had snuck to the shores of Iyanwa far too quickly, adding to his frantic concern.
“Get off!” Elliot kicked a jaw full of sharp teeth off his ankles.
There was no time to stop. Before entering the Tahlen—a forest suffocating in the grim, rotten stench of decay, demise, and the curse of the Aygar—Elliot and his adventurer had decided that she would sprint through while he would become the distraction. Their strategy would conclude with him meeting her, as she would patiently wait for him at the steps of Gideon.
“Ah!” Elliot groaned, eyes watering. Every stomp through the spiny undergrowth caused immense pain, but he had no time to dwell, teeth were chomping for his ankles. He looped the same words in his mind, Nearly there and she’ll be at Gideon waiting for me … Nearly there, and she’ll be at Gideon waiting for me. Just got to keep the cursed animals at bay long enough and she’ll be there waiting for me.
“Keep going!” Elliot roared ahead, and burst out of the trees and into the open.
The hissing and snapping of jaws stopped. He shot a look over his shoulder. The cursed mob chasing him had halted in the shadows of the trees.
“Go, go, go!” Elliot trumpeted onward. “I’m right behind you!”
The wet clay underfoot soon turned to thick, tall grasses. Sprouts of purple flowers exploded like fireworks as Elliot burst through. The farther he ran, the taller and thicker the grass stood. Soon it was brushing his shoulders. He ran through the rushes that had been parted by his adventurer. He squinted, hoping to see the girl. He realized he was farther behind than he had thought, when he hooted and screeched to a halt.
A sheer cliff face appeared in front of him. By his toes, a small, crumpled footprint dusted the cliff edge.
But there was no trace of the girl, his companion, his adventurer. On the opposite side, too wide to jump, was a clear path leading upward to Gideon.
He peered down from the cliff edge he found himself on. Swirling sea mist blanketed the distant sound of waves crashing far below. His ears sunk.
“Where are you?” he shouted as daybreak burst beyond the horizon. “I’m here! Let’s go! We can still make it!”
Small, unstable rocks fell down the sharp cliff side, echoing as they ricocheted into the mist.
“Where did you go?” he bellowed.
He squinted at the opposite side of the cliff face, hoping for a sign of the girl’s footprints. But there was nothing. She must be waiting for me down there. She must've found another way he thought. There were two options for finding her: jump off the cliff or run back through the Tahlen forest to the shoreline.
He sucked up a lungful of air, grit his teeth, and puffed out his chest.
“We’re not done yet,” he said. “I’m coming!”...
"Lavai Koa-Kua, malakai Gideon."
"Gideon is where you will reach. Koa-Kua is who you will be."
"C. J. Biggin has written a heart-stopping adventure that dives deep into life’s complexities, centered on an enduring friendship that lasts far beyond the steps of Gideon. These characters reflect all of us—stumbling through life, trying and failing, hoping and doubting. Together, Elliot and Nana experience it all, in all its immense joy and harsh cruelty."
FAHLI
Classroom Activity Kit
Bring the World of Fahli Into Your Classroom — Free Printable Activities for grades 3-6 (KS1 & KS2) Teachers
*This book will be released June 2026*
A NOTE ABOUT
FAHLI
FAHLI was a book that had already defined itself well into the writing of IYANWA. The loose ends in IYANWA made it such that it became necessary and important for me to finish telling this single story from the island. By the time IYANWA went to print, I had begun writing this version. I had actually started writing another version of FAHLI a number of years ago, but it didn't quite work. I realized that was because of a few important items had since changed in IYANWA, so with those natural changes, it clicked.
The book took me a little over a year to complete this time around. The shortcuts were that the world had already been created, and the beginning and end of the story had already been formulated. It was just down to finding the time to write it.
So it was back to the (very) early mornings and late nights, anywhere and anytime I could, with a cup of tea in hand, and headphones on. But going back to the world this time around was very different. It was a new angle, and a very important reason.
I was lucky enough to head to Joshua Tree for five days to get the book across the finish line in December 2025. Just me, and a couple of my favorite books (thank you Orphan Island, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone!), a small cabin, and the desert. It was such a rich experience of dedicating time purely to the world, and I truly believe if I hadn't had taken the trip, the book a) would still not be finished yet, and b) would not have been written the way it was.
FAHLI, just like IYANWA didn't end the way I thought it would, but that is exactly what makes me want to write. To see where it goes. And away it went. <3
FAHLI blog posts
Read about the final writing push and illustrating the front cover here
A small passage from chapter 17.
News will Travel
The mist glistened around them, and there, at the center of it all, was a reflection of the giant moon, shimmering against the glittering waterfall.
Silver light danced along the banks, and the flowers glittered as though diamonds had grown among their petals.
The radiance brought unexpected chirps of morning animals, as light danced through the air.
Everything seem to be watching the moon’s dance; the plants, the trees, the eyes in the trees, even the stars twinkled in great appreciation ...