by Jake Halpern
First published 2013
The dreaded nursery rhyme becomes reality. A dark shadow tree rises to destroy the world, and Alfonso must find a way to stop it. He has aged into an ageling while his companions face their own trials. Resuza and Hill have become slaves. Bilblox seems to have turned traitor. Leif lies shipwrecked beside a threatening forest. Ancient prophecy offers hope but demands blood payment and certain death for whoever attempts to destroy the tree. The hero must travel north across the polar wasteland to reach Dargora, a mythical city constructed from ice and human bones. A hooded girl walks through empty lands, moving with careful purpose. She carries a newborn baby in her backpack, protecting him above all else. She knows someone follows her but focuses on her precious cargo. The world grows lifeless around her, yet this infant holds the power to alter fate itself. Everything depends on keeping him safe.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, horror, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, epic-quest, found-family, prophecy
Setting: Dargora, Polar Wasteland
Period: Ancient
344 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: death, graphic-violence, violence