With full-bellied sail, Kramer’s second book about Captain Zale “the Gale” Murdoch and the crew of the good ship Queenie charts its course for first-rate epic fantasy adventure. The emphasis this time is on the epic, as this sequel—the second in a series—offers more, more, more, doubling the original’s length and bursting with quests, escapes, ancient cities, cock-eyed crew banter, and era-crossing surprises, all without diminishing the original’s breezy charm. The action picks up right where Murdoch’s Choice ended, with Zale having chosen his own unexpected course when faced with an evergreen dilemma for fantasy heroes: what to do with the impossibly powerful artifact many interested parties would kill for? His choice—chuck it into the sea—leads to devastating fallout, as a mysterious “darkfrost” now corrupts Warvonia and its harbor, with many blaming Zale, including much of his own crew. You don’t have to be a diehard fantasy hound to guess at the solutions to Zale’s troubles: a quest, of course—partially to undo his own act. Again setting Kramer’s appealing series apart is an infectious love of genre expectations and the skill with which he dances around them, at times gently tweaking them. “One does not simply dispose of the Grimstone,” a character says, of the MacGuffin. But Kramer’s spirited sense of fun never undercuts the stakes or the characters, as Zale’s story is always earnest and exciting, even the familiar elements, like the villains’ zeal to bring back an age of shadow. Kramer imbues that shadow’s rise with evocative, even sumptuous detail, mining fresh possibility from light versus darkness. Zale and his crew—including strong new additions, like the grimkin warrior Enshuzu—again carry the story with buoyant spirit, the occasional chanty, and a welcome vibe of regular folks just doing what needs done, even as elements of destiny and lineages become increasingly prominent. - BookLife

Wayne D. Kramer lives in the Southern Indiana countryside. He loves the open spaces and fresh air. His family keeps a small greenhouse, usually a little garden, chickens, and an overweight cat. He has been married to his wife and best friend, Kaly, since 2004. They have five daughters with the nature-themed names of Dawn, Brooke, Holly, Ivy, and Jade. Wayne wanted to be a published author for nearly 25 years before finally publishing Heroes of Time Legends: Murdoch’s Choice. Life finally afforded enough flexibility that he is able to focus a lot more time developing the “Heroes of Time” series that he is very passionate about. Another major novel in the series has already been written. From early on writing was one of Wayne’s favorite pastimes. He wrote short stories throughout middle school and high school for Young Authors contests and group projects. Before “Heroes of Time” dominated his mind, he worked extensively on creating an epic-fantasy novelization of a popular role-playing video game. Over the years Wayne received frequent feedback on many revisions of this novelization, making it one of the primary vessels through which he fine-tuned his writing. Wayne currently owns and runs his own business, W7 Global, which sells parts for medical imaging equipment all around the world. Throughout his professional and personal endeavors, Wayne has visited nearly 40 countries and about 25 states in the US. He especially loved visiting Hobbiton in New Zealand. Wayne feels truly blessed by God to pursue his dream of writing and publishing stories. The world of Eliorin was inspired by Wayne’s love of stories of classic fantasy and time travel, and he is incredibly excited to share this rich world with you.

Publisher: Heroes of Time Productions, LLC
Author: Wayne D. Kramer
Illustrator:
ISBN: 9781955997041
Size (H x W): 5.5x8
Weight: 1.28 pounds
Cover Type: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 482
Language: English
Date Published: 2022-10-24