Not all stories have happy endings.

Everyone loves Mathias. Naturally, when he discovers it’s his destiny to save the world, he dives in head first, pulling his best friend Aaslo along for the ride.

However, saving the world isn’t as easy, or exciting, as it sounds in the stories. The going gets rough and folks start to believe their best chance for survival is to surrender to the forces of evil, which isn’t how the prophecy goes. At all. As the list of allies grows thin, and the friends find themselves staring death in the face they must decide how to become the heroes they were destined to be or, failing that, how to survive.

Saddle up and grab your swords because excitement and danger lurk around every corner in this wildly inventive new saga about good, evil, and (not) saving the day!

Mathias longs for excitement in his life, but his strict grandmother keeps him from doing anything fun, unlike his BFF Aaslo who is an orphan but perfectly happy leading a quiet life. When the fates reveal that Mathias is the Chosen One destined to save their world, Aaslo goes along to help, despite his dislike of magic, creatures, and anything outside their familiar plot of forest. TL;DR: They’re going on an adventure! (*Insert Hobbit adventure gif here*) But what will Aaslo do when the Chosen One fails?

WOW! Failing to save the day has never been so much fun! I am a huge fan of Chosen One narratives (Hello, Buffy Summers!) but Kade turns the mythos upside-down. What we get instead is a compelling tale of questing, full of twists and surprises. On top of the magic, humor, and swordfights (sometimes all at once), I really loved the friendships portrayed in this book, and the idea that sometimes it’s the sidekicks—and not the heroes—destined to save the day. So kick back and enjoy!