Guardian of the Talisman
Michael Gess
(CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Jan. 21, 2017)
GUARDIAN OF THE TALISMAN BEING THE FIRST PART OF THE FALCONARA TRILOGY A long time ago, the Dark Lord Skallerim trapped his death in a needle. He sealed the needle inside an emerald called Izmargahd and hid it in the Shadow world, out of reach of any mortal being, and thus he became immortal. Millenniums passed. The story of the Izmargahd became a legend, and then a fairy tale. But the emerald continued a life of its own. The world of fourteen-year-old Nick Falconara is shattered by the news that his father disappeared without a trace during an archaeological expedition. Nick thought life couldn’t get much worse. He was wrong. He is sent to a special school – a place where “to go on a summer vacation” means to be Killed in Action and to be “expelled” means to be canceled. As he tries to stay alive, an ancient emerald with mystical powers passes into his hands, setting in motion a strange chain of events that goes far beyond anything he could have imagined. Now Falconara should not only find his father, but also save the life of his friend Katie Lynx. As Falconara embarks on a journey beyond the world, he will face the ultimate evil, threatening to destroy everyone he loves.