Meet Josie, a puny girl and her grunting Cat - and join them as they encounter shady vendors at troll markets, explore fantastical cloud fairs and delve into the mysteries waiting in dark, abandoned sewer tunnels. From vanished dumplings to injured bogeymen and too-clever-for-their-own-good goblins; from kibble to ghost trains and the political ambitions of secretive Fae - Josie’s journey into the unknown is filled with wonder and peril alike. By blending the urban legends, folklore, and mythology of various cultures with fantasy, ‘THIS ODD & PECULIAR ASSORTMENT’ strives to pay homage to other works and to offer an enchanting yet sometimes gritty adventure. But prepare yourselves and get some before they’re all nicked: there are Knödel to be had. At 12 years old, Josie never quite fits in.With quirky habits and an oddball personality that just won’t click with others of her age, the girl often turns to the refuge of her beloved books. Still driven by curiosity and a taste for adventure, Josie has developed an eye for the exceptional, able to discover beauty in the overlooked, dismissed, and sometimes even the unsettling. Occasions to share what she holds dear are rare, while frictions with her peers are not. Grappling with the inability to change, her need to be independent conflicts with her loneliness, but the challenges of mundane life need to be faced all the same. After Josie makes a decision that requires her courage yet seems trivial in the grand scheme, unexpected friendships and new companions enrich her life. Unaware of secrets and the uncanny events around her, the girl struggles with the novelties in her life and soon encounters something that will change her world even more: Magic. All of a sudden, none of the so far familiar rules seem to apply any more.  Under the guidance of unseen protectors, Josie stumbles upon forgotten stories and ancient forces while trying to untangle the web of riddles she finds herself in. She also learns that peculiarities can turn into advantages and to trust her own strange instincts, allowing her to unlock hidden strengths along the way. But as the mysteries deepen and the shadows grow darker, the line between friend and foe blurs. Josie is well aware that not everything has to be as it appears at first sight, but what she doesn’t know is that this includes herself. Even her home, Veilwood House, and her life there hold secrets of their own, and not every story ends in light. This is the first book of the 'A Journey into the Unknown' Fantasy Series and was initially published under the working title "A Tale of three Kings". Participant in the Royal Road Writathon Challenge (November 2024)