Kit in the Serpent’s Lair: A North Queensland Cadet Adventure

At his Cairns secondary school, Kit battles daily with bullies, grapples with his brothers’ constant teasing, and faces rejection from the one girl whose friendship means everything. Even his part-time job at his father’s haulage business, meant to teach him practical skills, becomes another arena for torment.

But Kit harbours a secret. Sharing his surname with the legendary hero of his favourite graphic novels—the Phantom—Kit decides it’s time for his own transformation.

Over eight gruelling weeks, he begins to change, one small victory at a time. Though his journey brings friction and more than a few moments of humiliation, it also leads to an unexpected romance.

Then Kit uncovers a dangerous truth that plunges him into a real-life adventure more perilous than any comic book tale. In the unforgiving Australian outback, he’ll need every scrap of newfound courage and wit to survive.

Because sometimes the greatest battles aren’t about size at all—they’re about discovering who you truly are.

A gripping adventure suitable for young teenagers