Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One - Hardcover

Buch 1 von 3: Spellbinders

Auseon, Andrew

 
9780593482711: Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One
Hardcover
ISBN 10: 0593482719 ISBN 13: 9780593482711
Verlag: Labyrinth Road, 2023

Inhaltsangabe

"Ben may only be pretending to be the 'Chosen One'—but I’ve definitely chosen this one as my favorite new fantasy series.”
—Max Brallier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Last Kids on Earth series

How far would you go to play the hero? One seventh grader gets way more than he bargained for when he is swept into the fantasy quest of his gaming dreams in this funny illustrated series full of adventure and twists.

It’s not so easy being the Chosen One (or in Ben Whitlock’s case, pretending to be the Chosen One). Sure, when you’ve been mistaken for a long-prophesied hero by a teenage girl/mysterious assassin and transported to a fantasy realm you're supposedly destined to save, you don’t have to worry about things like math homework. But when flying narwhals are trying to blast you into oblivion (gulp) and a bunch of old mystics in flip-flops want you to enter something called the Gullet of Eternal Torment (double gulp), suddenly a C in algebra doesn’t seem like such a big deal.

Back in the real world, Ben preferred to escape into fictional adventures and role-playing games. But the more he learns about his true quest, the more he realizes that being a hero goes way beyond rolling a few dice. . . .

Die Inhaltsangabe kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Andrew Auseon is the author of several books for children and young adults, and he is the writer of numerous bestselling and award-winning video games. A transplant from the Midwest, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his family and two very naughty cats. He loves breakfast cereal, the sound of the ocean, and the feeling of a brand-new book in his hands.

Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

1

Life with Biscuit


“Did you just call me an Ogre Lord?”

“Huh?”

A chair squeaked. “Ben? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Outside in the nearest tree, a small bird chirped joyously, and somewhere far away on the recess field, a kickball boinged. Shouts and clapping. A potted plant on the principal’s sunny windowsill died of thirst, inches from a full pitcher of water.

There was no Ogre Lord. This was not a dungeon throne room.

Across from Ben sat Mr. Sandusky, the principal of Sweet Air Middle School, and a man with far too many photos of his dog on his desk. It was like a shrine to a potbellied, bug-eyed pug named Biscuit--a name that Ben knew because Biscuit was usually photographed wearing expensive sweaters with his name on them.

“You looked far away,” Mr. Sandusky said with a smile.

Ben blinked, taking in his surroundings. Real life, in all its boring sameness. Room B12, the principal’s office. It was 3:15 p.m. on another Friday. “Yeah, sorry,” he said, feeling a rush of color in his cheeks.

The kids outside shouted and laughed, and he’d never felt more alone.

“Tell me, Ben,” said Mr. Sandusky, leaning forward with his elbows on the edge of his desk. “How are you doing?” A single strand of hair crossed from one side of his pale bald head to the other, like a crack in an eggshell. On one of his bookshelves sat a framed photo of Biscuit in a stroller. The principal seemed like a nice guy, but it was sometimes tough to take him seriously.

Ben would have preferred the Ogre Lord.

“It’s been six months since you came to us,” Mr. Sandusky said, “and I’d like to think you’re settling in.” His fake smile turned upside down. “But I’ve talked to your teachers, Ben, and they’re worried about you. They say you don’t pay any attention in class and don’t talk to any of the other students in the halls. They say that you spend all your time doodling in your little notebooks.”

Ben tried to explain. “When I get ideas, I have to write them down.”

“What about making friends? How is that going?”

“I’ve already got friends,” Ben said. “But they’re back home. I’m sort of the leader, the one who keeps the group together. Well, I was, until we moved.”

“Who’s the leader now?” Mr. Sandusky asked.

“It’s called a Quest Master,” Ben said, “and the new Quest Master is my friend Big Barry.”

“Why is he called that?”

“Because he’s bigger than Regular Barry.”

“I see.”

Ben sighed. “I don’t really need to make new friends here because we’re not going to stay in Sweet Air.”

Mr. Sandusky’s eyebrows jumped. “Oh, you’re not staying?”

“I have a feeling this whole move won’t last very long,” Ben said with a shake of his head. If he said it enough times, he might actually start to believe it.

“Well . . . ,” Mr. Sandusky began, rubbing his hands together. “Six months is a long time.”

“Maybe. But why make new friends when I’ve got a great group back home?”

“Okay. That’s fair. Do you still see them a lot?”

Glancing away, Ben felt his face flush. “Not a lot. Not right now. I mean, it’s been a while since we’ve had a chance to hang out, but I’m seeing them tonight, actually. They promised.”

“Tell me,” Mr. Sandusky said. “When you and your friends get together, what do you do for fun?”

“Games, role-playing games, mostly.”

“A role-playing game. Is that like playing pretend? Like, with imaginary friends?”

Ben grumbled. “No. I’m talking about Kingdoms of Forever, the fantasy game. It was created a long time ago, like, in the nineteen-somethings. It’s pretty famous. You play with a group of friends. Um, not imaginary ones. The real kind.”

“And you play Kingdoms of Forever with them?”

“I used to, back home,” Ben said, flinching at the words back home, which he found himself saying much too often. “We played every week. They were my party. That’s what they call the group you adventure with--a party.”

“Neato. Parties are fun.”

“Once, my friend Wanda’s character got turned into seaweed.”

“Exciting!” Mr. Sandusky said, but in that voice adults use when they’re making you feel good about something they think is a waste of time. “Maybe you could meet some kids here who play? Start a new game group?”

Ben shook his head. “I’ve already got a party. We call ourselves the Five of Legend.” Leaning over, he unzipped his backpack and dug inside. “But until I go back home, I’ve been working on making my own game, as practice.”

“You’re making a game?” Mr. Sandusky asked, brightening. “Wow. That’s so cool. Does it have a name?”

“Not yet.” Ben pulled a large notebook out of his backpack and set it on his lap, trying to keep it balanced, as stray scraps of paper fluttered to the office floor. A shooting star was branded into the fake-leather cover.

Mr. Sandusky’s eyes widened. “Wow. What’s all that?”

Ben grinned. The notebook had been a gift from his dad, and he carried it with him everywhere. Last time he’d checked, he’d filled 541 of its 600 pages. Inside, he kept scattered notes on his new fantasy game, all the ideas he’d been recording since last summer: maps; monster descriptions; long, cool character backstories; complex family trees; and, most important, all the rules of how to play. It was more than a story, it was a whole world, and it was the only place where he felt in control.

“I can see that you’re passionate about this,” Mr. Sandusky said, scrunching up his face so that he bore a remarkable resemblance to Biscuit. “But you can’t work on your game in class, and you can’t ignore your teachers. You won’t make any friends if you avoid the other students.”

“I’m not avoiding--”

Smiling, Mr. Sandusky leaned over his desk. “Listen. I know you’re new here, and I know we don’t know each other that well. But I can see that you’re a smart kid. Very smart. You’ve got so much potential. How can we help you learn if you’re always distracted, always somewhere else in your head? You can’t succeed in life if you don’t take it seriously sometimes, if you don’t set goals for yourself.”

Ben had been in enough of these meetings to know what to expect. Especially when the principal, teacher, or guidance counselor started pulling out words like potential and goals. He was twelve. His goals should be playing laser tag with Wanda and Dee Dee, or brainstorming the best way to melt an Ice Dwarf, or scavenging for turkeys online with strangers in Smash Royale. He should enjoy life, like Biscuit in his little stroller.

“Can I go home now?” he asked. “It’s Friday.”

“Got some big Friday plans?” Mr. Sandusky asked.

“I’m going to the Fantasy Fandom Convention downtown. My friends are supposed to meet me. We do it every year.” He didn’t mention that Wanda,...

„Über diesen Titel“ kann sich auf eine andere Ausgabe dieses Titels beziehen.

Verlag
Labyrinth Road
Erscheinungsdatum
2023
Sprache
Englisch
ISBN 10 
0593482719
ISBN 13 
9780593482711
Einband
Gebundene Ausgabe
Anzahl der Seiten
432
Kontakt zum Hersteller
preigu GmbH & Co. KG
mail@preigu.de

Lengericher Landstr. 19
Osnabrück
Niedersachsen
49078
Deutschland

Weitere beliebte Ausgaben desselben Titels

9780593482742: Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One

Vorgestellte Ausgabe

ISBN 10:  0593482743 ISBN 13:  9780593482742
Verlag: Random House Children's Books, 2024
Softcover