Books with author Peter Lane

“There we are,” Anna whispered. The dragon foal went still at her voice. Then it snorted and swiveled its snout towards her. Its eyes were still shut. Its tail quivered and its nostrils flared. A menacing growl rose from its chest. “Easy there,” Anna said gently. “Easy.” She placed her palm on its forehead, applying calm pressure between its eyes. The foal went quiet, gave a satisfied snort, and settled back against Nightlove’s flank. And then it opened its eyes. They were big, blank, and sightless. Like white, silvery moons. The baby dragon had been born blind . . . .

And once again, little Narmos charged. Bleeding and wounded, the little bear had managed to get back on all fours and now ran slowly at the giant bear and its rider—hobbling—but charging all the same, still trying to get in front of Liz, still trying to protect her. Evil blossomed in Modró’s eyes and he adjusted his aim, the carbine’s barrel dropping toward Narmos, his old white bear looking down at the charging cub, red eyes sad with knowledge. Liz cast around, looked to the arrows buried behind her in the snow. There was one left, half buried, unbroken . . . .

“There we are,” Anna whispered. The dragon foal went still at her voice. Then it snorted and swiveled its snout towards her. Its eyes were still shut. Its tail quivered and its nostrils flared. A menacing growl rose from its chest. “Easy there,” Anna said gently. “Easy.” She placed her palm on its forehead, applying calm pressure between its eyes. The foal went quiet, gave a satisfied snort, and settled back against Nightlove’s flank. And then it opened its eyes. They were big, blank, and sightless. Like white, silvery moons. The baby dragon had been born blind . . . .

Below the waters of the river are several gold coins. They are made of special gold. The Dark Man must find them. These coins can help him find the Golden Cup. What will the Dark Man meet below the waters? Can he find what he seeks? Who is the Dark Man? He is a hero who lives in the shadows. He shuns society. In the fight between good and evil, the Dark Man works for good. His continuing mission is to seek the Golden Cup, but he must continually fight the Shadow Masters who seek the cup in order to spread evilwar, pestilence, famine, and misery. The Dark Man can never rest. The story text is short and simple but not patronizing. Stories are gritty, full of tension and mystery. The language is terse. The Dark Man is a serious comic hero with his own mythology. Each book is a self-contained story, but each story is a part of a greater whole. Although each novel reveals a little more about the Dark Man, the eighteen books can be read in any order: no one story depends on having read another first.

And once again, little Narmos charged. Bleeding and wounded, the little bear had managed to get back on all fours and now ran slowly at the giant bear and its rider—hobbling—but charging all the same, still trying to get in front of Liz, still trying to protect her. Evil blossomed in Modró’s eyes and he adjusted his aim, the carbine’s barrel dropping toward Narmos, his old white bear looking down at the charging cub, red eyes sad with knowledge. Liz cast around, looked to the arrows buried behind her in the snow. There was one left, half buried, unbroken . . . .

Meet the Dark Man. He is a hero who lives in the shadows. A man with secret powers. The only man who can fight the evil Shadow Masters.The Dark Man series is designed for middle school and young adult struggling readers who may have never successfully managed to read a book. Each book is short, but mature, with only 36 pages and word counts ranging from 230 to 380. The graphics are dark, adult in style, with clear references to gaming, film, and graphic novels. The layouts change to maintain interest and avoid predictability. The white space is used to dramatic effect. The text is short and simple. Stories are gritty, full of tension and mystery. The language is terse. The Dark Man is a serious comic hero with his own mythology. Each book is a self-contained story, but each story is a part of a greater whole.