Two young boys off for an overnight adventure discover the key to an ancient secret and soon find themselves trapped in a mysterious world in search of a way home. Along the way, they make trusted allies and ferocious enemies, leading them to face a deadly and life-altering decision.

This novel is part one in a series following the adventures of the Benson family after discovering the entrance to a magical and dangerous realm, The Lands of Zinerath. I began the series with the second book, The Black Beast of Hollendell, and quickly realized the backstory I had devised was so fascinating to me it was begging for a novel of its own. To the point I almost stopped work on The Black Beast to write the prequel instead. However, I forged on with the second part of the story, embellishing the history as I progressed. I’m glad I did, because what came from this process wove them together and raised both parts of the story to heights I couldn’t have imagined otherwise.