Book One
The Bloodstone
The Leaf and the Tree of Old
An epic fantasy about a boy, his friends, and a darkness older than the mountains — written so the kids who “hate reading” actually finish it.
Laik never set out to save the world. He set out to help his grandparents.
But an ancient evil is waking, and the darkness it spreads is already reaching the edges of everything he knows. To stop it, Laik and his friends must survive deadly creatures, impossible choices, and the fear that they may not be strong enough to save the world — or each other.
Along the way they uncover forgotten kingdoms, ancient legends, and the mystery of the Bloodstone.
A classic epic fantasy in the spirit of The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia — as much about growing up, and about facing what waits at the end of everything, as it is about saving the world.
Chapter One · Nothingness
Read the opening
“Death comes to us all.” Those were words his Grandmother had once told him, and a phrase that had haunted him since he was a child.
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“If you want to be around me, you have to be quicker. I’ve seen Grandma Elona move faster than this, and if you don’t hurry, we won’t make it back with enough time for her to tell you one of her stupid fake stories,” Vidion grumbled as he trotted further from Laik.
They were on their way back from collecting firewood for the night, which would normally have taken them a fraction of the time they had taken today. Vidion had played the fool and taken a longer route to ensure he did not have to hear one of his grandmother’s bedtime stories. Additionally, Vidion had convinced Laik that his shoulder was hurting and he would not be able to carry the firewood. Of course, Laik saw this as an opportunity to help his family, and volunteered to carry the wood himself. It was times like this that he longed to show his older brother that he was not as useless as he always told him. It was also the only way he thought he would make it on time for Elona’s bedtime stories.
Her stories were usually filled with mystical adventure, something Vidion hated and Laik loved. It was Laik’s favorite part of the day. The rest of the villagers at Toewood thought of Elona as a crazy old lady with nothing better to do than spread false stories and false cheer. Still, they also knew that she was harmless and cared for them all. Right before bedtime, Elona would gather all of the children of Toewood and share a story about the days the gods had roamed their lands. It was either that, or about a monster that had once lurked in their forests. It was stories like these that made Laik want to grow up to be as brave, respected, and strong as his father.
As the boys approached Toewood, Vidion began to stretch his shoulder and move it around. “What a miracle!” Vidion exclaimed. “My shoulder. It feels fine. Let me take the wood the rest of the way. I should be fine, and you could use a break. You did a fine job, Laik.” Laik was relieved. Although he was much smaller and younger than his brother, he’d managed to carry the heavy load of firewood over four miles of all sorts of terrain. His body was weary and shaking.
Vidion tried to hide the smirk that formed on his face.
From Chapter One, “Nothingness”
Who this book is for
Reluctant readers
Written deliberately without the dense description that makes kids quit at page eleven.
Teachers & librarians
Classroom-tested by a working teacher on the students it was written for.
Fantasy readers
A classic quest with forgotten kingdoms and ancient legends, in the Narnia tradition.
“A book I can’t seem to put down for too long. My 12 year old is intrigued… he’s excited to read it as well.”
“Not only a great fantasy read, but also a great coming of age story… a great read for many age ranges.”
