Defenders of the Scroll ~ History, Legend,and Lore ~ by Shiraz

From the Cover:

A teenage boy. A dark wizard. A mystic scroll. And the fate of a world hangs in the balance... When Alex "the Axeman" Logan is pulled from his world to help a young princess, named Dara, save her kingdom from the Shadow Lord, he thinks there has been a mistake. He's a teen guitar player close to failing 11th grade, not some defender of the realm. All he has are some school books, his wits, and his love of fantasy movies. Overnight his life is history. Alex must confront the Shadow Lord and his minions when he is thrust into a land that has changed from a magical paradise to a barren, hopeless, helpless realm invaded by a dark army. But Alex is not alone. He has the help of Dara, a magic scroll, and a band of unlikely companions drawn from his own history books: a hardened Roman Legionnaire, a swift Japanese Samurai, a fearless African Warrior, a fiery Amazon Archer, and a spirited Shaolin Monk. Can Alex become more than he believes and lead his small band of Defenders to the Hall of Shadows, the birthplace of the Shadow Lord? The fate of the realm and everyone in it rests on him.

Alex must choose, a chance in a lifetime or pass the 11th grade. A no brainer, right? Alex chooses the chance of a lifetime, skips his 11th grade exams, and goes to the Axeman Band audition. Just as he's set to perform, he feels strange. He slips away from his life and his reality being slammed into another place and time. There, a young wizard and daughter of the ruler, Princess Dara, begs him to help her, save her and her home.

Mornak, wizard and ruler of the realm of Mythos created the Hall of Shadows where all the evil of the realm was imprisoned. But, the Hall is rebelling, bringing forth it's own life, and it wants it's revenge against Mornak and the good people of the realm. The Shadow Lord has been born within the Hall and released to wreak his vengeance across the realm, taking over nearby Aspiria in the realm of Mythos, imprisoning Mornak, and enchanting the wizard King's knights, the Axeman. He travels through the shadows unseen by most eyes. Mornak's only hope is his young daughter who holds the scroll where he has poured all his magic, his entire being into. She holds the key to saving the realm.

Being only ten years old, Princess Dara is frightened of the immense power that has been thrust upon her. She does the only thing that she can think to do, she calls upon the Axeman to save her, hoping for the King's knights, and instead she gets Alex. Upon his arrival in the realm, he brings his school books containing teen heroes from throughout history. Since calling him, he is granted the gift of calling on the heroes and objects contained within the pages of those books. Maya, Amazon warrior, can shoot the straightest arrow. Tenzien, Shaolin monk who can move quicker than the eye. Genjuro, Japanese samurai with the quickest sword. Bantu, African warrior giant capable of holding off an army. Scorpius, Roman legionnaire who can defeat many enemies with his mighty military prowess. With Alex's imagination and modern know how, and his fierce warriors called from history, can they save the realm from the evilness of the Hall? Can they save the wizard King Mornak? They are the realm's only hope.

Defenders of the Scroll by Shiraz was a fast fun read. It creates a mystical ride for the reader with action, adventure, pirates, warriors, and magical creatures. It's a time and place where magic rules and wizards can be either good or evil. It is a land of enchantment where Alex's wildest dreams and nightmares can come true. A true comparison for me would be C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia. I enjoyed this mystical magical adventure wholeheartedly. It is written for a younger audience or those who are young at heart. If you like me, are willing to allow yourself to be transported to a magical realm, then this is the book for you. If you enjoyed C.S. Lewis' many tales of the land of Narnia, try this is the book. I can't wait to see what adventures, wizards, and magical beings we get to meet in Book Two, soon to follow I hope. This book is the imaginative creation of Shiraz, the author, and storytellers Rupinder Malhotra and B. Singh Khanna. I received my review copy from the author, thank you Shiraz for exciting my imagination. If you like to check out this new author's website or DotS, click here. If you like to meet the author and are going to be in the Ontario area throughout the month of October, check out Chapters or the author's website for times and locations.


Here's a peek at the book trailer.


I found this fanmade video for The Call and it fit the story so well, I had to include it.


Here's the last few minutes of The Chronicles of Narnia, Prince Caspian, just because I love Narnia!! If you haven't read C.S. Lewis, you're missing out on a real treat! Defenders of the Scroll put me in the mood to watch a few minutes.