Strump: a World of Shadows

by Michael Alexander Beas

Overview

Upon the death of King Aerostat II, two brothers fight for the keys to the throne of their fathers beloved Blue Kingdom. Through a labyrinth of lies and deceit the Shadow Lord uses the oldest of the two brothers to unite the pieces of a magical game board called Strump. If successful a shadow uprising would bring death and destruction upon all the inhabitants of the Blue Kingdom. The search for truth becomes an enchanted adventure where humans and mermen, pirates&mice, sorcerers&pixies make alliances to defend their Kingdom before it falls into ..... A World Of Shadows.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493148233
Publisher:	Xlibris US
Publication date:	12/30/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	447
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Author Bio coming soon.

Editorial Reviews

Beas' attention to the smallest detail of his imagined world is impressive, and he offers a tight narrative style that helps keep the story moving. That's no small task, considering the breadth of this work, which spans more than 400 pages. In fact, though, that sheer density may be the work's greatest downfall. The amount of lore, legends and mythology within the first 50 pages is difficult to remember and makes persevering through the entire tome challenging.

That said, the characters and plot structures are bound to appeal to hardcore fans of the fantasy genre. Beas has created a wide-ranging tale that, while missing the mark for casual fantasy readers, should appeal to the most hardcore fans of epic fiction.

BlueInk Reviews

"Beas has crafted an epic fantasy with storybook-quality adventure...Devotees to the high-fantasy genre will be delighted by the imaginary world conjured by Michael Alexander Beas inStrump: A World of Shadows, which explores the well-trod good- versus-evil theme in a unique and sweeping fashion.... The story Beas tells is epic in scale, following several parties of males and females - human and not - who swear allegiance to one king or another as they face tests of valor and loyalty across the geographically expansive setting of the Blue Kingdom....Strump - the first in a promised trilogy - delivers storybook-quality adventure and heroics in the face of evil forces. Those who enjoy multiple-POV novels, fantastical worlds, and storied mythologies will enjoy Beas's introduction to his trilogy...."

Shelley Mae Hazen - ForeWord Reviews/Clarion Book Review

"In the recent years there has been a strong public clamor for stories that take place in a medieval concept. Series like Game of Thrones continue to capture the imagination of millions of viewers all around the world. This is largely due to the fact that castles, sword fighting, valor, honor and strength will never grow old-fashioned. A World of Shadows written by Michael Alexander Beas promises to provide excitement, a world of enchantment and wonder, it promises to recapture the imagination of readers and has proven to provide numerous tales that are sure to get the audience asking for more. It was inspired by an enchanted game called Strump, this was a concept that was patterned upon ancient Game Pieces, the Shadow Lord, which was a major character in the story aims to reunite the Game Board of Strump with the sole purpose of reuniting the anachronism of the shadows once again. If the reader is looking for a story that dwells around good and evil, then this is the book to explore. It is filled with struggle, action and is clad in the armor of deceit, but also still focuses on the quest for glory. Characters like Prince Gorgan and Prince Alexander adds much needed spice to the story as they fight each other for the keys of the throne of Blue Kingdom. The reader who is in search for mystical powers would appreciate how the writer explores the possibility of the magical board game called Strump....The book is reminiscent of plots from stories like Harry Potter, the search for truth is a central focus on the story. However, the book focuses more on familiar mystical characters like pirates, sorcerers, pixies and mice instead of creating new fantasy characters. This book has the inner workings of J.R.R Tolkien's "The Hobbit", and "Lord of the Rings", this book will not fail readers who are accustomed to fantasy fiction characters that are diminutive of the humanoid race.The book is also including the search for a rightful king, certain incidences in the story will leave the reader guessing who should be the best ruler of the area. There is no easy way to discern who will be the rightful ruler since the characters are thrown into various alliances and broken loyalty over the series of chapters. Who should read this book? This book would be a definite hit for young adults and elders alike, it is complete with innocent yearnings of man, but is also complete with a much darker plot that older readers seem to crave. The author studied various plot stories and strived to create a map of legendary fantasy books, this was inspired by the masters of creating a new magical world that people would be excited to join in. The author was keen on introducing historical details in the book to make it more interesting on every page. It is a most promising book that could also build its own set of fan fiction followers. It has included all of the needed formula to make it work."

Article from Erich Ruters posted in Ritz Herald - British Newspaper - Erich Ruters

"Emotionally charged ... You won't be able to put it down! ... Nothing is like STRUMP: A World of Shadows"

Award Winning News Journalist, Talk Show Host, National Spokesperson - Ed Tyll