Category: Fantasy Publisher: Champagne Books
Type: Fiction
Pages: 150
Copyright: July 2012
Secrets are revealed as Charlies tries to survive the king's work camp.
Charlie is an elfblood, descended of a conquered people brought to the brink of extinction in the aftermath of a long war. Being able to pass for human gives Charlie an advantage over most of his kind. Only those who look at his record or those he chooses to tell, need ever know his secret. Growing up in an orphanage is hard enough without having to live with that stigma.
When soldiers come and haul the kids off to a prison work camp, Charlie finds himself no longer able to hide the truth of what he is. If that isn’t bad enough, the magic buried inside him is growing stronger and more out of control. As Charlie struggles with his own problems, and with the dangers of the work camp, he finds himself swept up in a much larger struggle, one whose outcome could decide the future of the world.
Excerpt
Charlie looked up at the sound of his name, though it took a conscious effort to pry his eyes from the unbelievable truth he held in his hands. The Shadowhound was staring down
at him with its blood-red eyes. For a heartbeat they stood frozen that way, the boy looking at the hound, the hound
looking back at the boy. Then the hound lunged.
Charlie slammed the file back into the cabinet and bolted down the aisle in what he hoped was the direction of the door. In his panic, he ran full force into the thing, knocking himself backwards in the process. Sharp pain shot up his tail bone as he hit the hard concrete floor.
Charlie was quickly back on his feet, scrabbling at the door knob. Twist and turn and pull as he might, the door would not budge. He flung himself at it, screaming at the top of his
lungs as he pounded his fists against the smooth wood.
A snarl sounded close and Charlie whirled, pressing his back against the door. The Shadowhound stood beside the
nearest cabinet, head lowered, lips pulled back to reveal long,pointed teeth.
The hound bunched its legs, preparing to strike, and all Charlie could do was stand there on trembling legs, staring his death in the eye.
BOOK I of THE JADE OWL LEGACY SERIES: An out of work Chinese History Professor crosses paths with a young scamp in San Francisco and becomes part of a quest for a lost and dangerous Chinese relic.
Second in The Chronicles of Illúmaril series, author Gary Caplan's The Return of the Ancient Ones is a distinct tale that illustrates how one's fiercest enemy can become one's most aggressive ally.
Winner 2012 NABE Pinnacle Book Award in Fan
A world of steam and springs. A breakneck race for power. Will one woman's defiance topple a kingdom? If you like feisty heroines, fearsome dragons, and fast-paced action, then you'll savor this steam-powered thrill-ride.
