The Shrouded Sword

by Owen Minter, Robert Bruce Ferguson

Overview

Owen Minter takes readers on a rollicking ride through a world of riddles, time travel, and magic. There are diverse heroes, evil creatures, wizards, and an enchanted house in this adventure series about friendship and the battle of good versus evil. Fans of the Fablehaven series and Harry Potter will love this book!

Twelve-year old Ethan Moseby and his ten-year old sister, Jynx, are dreading spending Christmas break with Socrates Maupin, an estranged uncle who is as peculiar as his temperamental mansion.

Little do they know he’s actually the legendary wizard Merlin, living under an alias in present-day Deadmoor, Virginia.

There's no internet access and not a single TV in the house. And what is causing the creepy occurrences within the old house? Ethan and Jynx are ready to leave.

But when Ethan hears a strange voice after discovering a maze on his uncle’s property, he knows he must stay to solve the voice’s cryptic message:

"Seek the light to reveal the shrouded treasure. For the sake of the trust."

With the help of Jynx, and a young local genius named Amos Sprunt, Ethan must crack riddles and ciphers to locate an enchanted painting leading to the shrouded treasure. A treasure hidden in the recesses of time. A treasure that—when reunited with three other concealed objects—could control the world’s fate with unstoppable magic.

But the kids aren’t alone on the hunt.

Along with their uncle, they battle blood-thirsty pirates of yore, and Morgause, a fairy witch with a riddle-loving goblin and a giant flame-spitting salamander on her side.

Can Ethan, Jynx, and Amos, find the wit, strength, and bravery they need to reach the treasure—before it falls into the wrong hands?

 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780578593104
Publisher:	Owen Minter
Publication date:	12/01/2019
Series:	The Gramarye Cycle , #1
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	280
File size:	7 MB
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Owen Minter wrote his first story, THE ADVENTURES OF INK MAN, when he was in the sixth grade. He then drifted away from writing, spending his time playing football, singing, and creating art. A brief flutter occurred when his poem, FINALLY ALONE, was published in THE GARNET, the literary magazine of his alma mater, Hampden-Sydney College. A study abroad program in England rekindled his love of stories. After a brief time in banking, Owen was hired by a small company in Charlotte that specializes in storage systems. He joined the ownership group of the company and watched it grow from just three offices in North Carolina to 18 locations in 9 states. He designed and planted two formal gardens, then began a drawing inspired by the Arthurian legend. From this drawing, Owen began to write his first book, THE SHROUDED SWORD, a story of adventure sparked by ancient magic and time travel. When he's not writing, Owen makes paintings with a leaf blower, reads, and enjoys coaching Special Olympics Athletics.
Robert Ferguson is a Graphic Designer living in North Carolina.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – A CURIOUS HOUSE… 3

Chapter 2 – A MESSAGE IN THE DARK… 19

Chapter 3 – THE THREE-COOKIE PROBLEM… 35

Chapter 4 – THE THIRD EYE… 56

Chapter 5 – THE FRESCO… 74

Chapter 6 – THE ENIGMATA… 93

Chapter 7 – THE SHADOW'S SHADOW… 107

Chapter 8 – LANCASTER BROWN… 127

Chapter 9 – PIRATES… 140

Chapter 10 – A SECRET… 154

Chapter 11 – THE ISLAND… 164

Chapter 12 – THE HIDDEN MAZE… 179

Chapter 13 – BLEISE… 192

Chapter 14 – THE BATTLE… 208

Chapter 15 – SALAMANDRA… 223

Chapter 16 – A GRAND LADY… 247

Chapter 17 – THE FORBIDDEN ROOM… 256

Chapter 18 – THE WIZARD… 263

Editorial Reviews

08/24/2020

Drawing influences from multiple sources, Minter assembles a boisterous series opener that finds children solving puzzles, traveling through time, and fighting pirates. For the three weeks of this year’s Christmas break, the Moseby siblings—Ethan, 12, and Jynelle Xyla “Jynx,” 10—are deposited at their eccentric uncle Socrates Maupin’s Gramarye House, in Deadmoor, Va. Given free rein over the property, and with no television or internet to otherwise occupy their time, the two, along with Amos Sprunt, a bibliophile and the local undertaker’s son, explore the oddities of the sprawling estate. Soon, they find themselves absorbed in the mysteries of a hedge maze and embarking on a journey that leads them to a graveyard, a derelict mausoleum, and the deck of Captain Kidd’s ship, facing riddles galore. Meanwhile, the witch Morgause watches from her tower prison, scheming to interfere and escape—but the children have an ally in the wizard Merlin. References to Edgar Allan Poe, Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur, and Alice in Wonderland abound. While characters feel underdeveloped and the story suffers from a surplus of ideas, this is nonetheless an adventure filled with surprises. Ages 8–12. (Self-published)

Publishers Weekly

“The plot is unquestionably full of surprises. . .” --- Kirkus Reviews

“Owen Minter brings great inventive energy to his richly detailed story. You’ll be surprised and delighted over and over again as you witness the forces of good and evil battle it out -- heroes and goblins, wizards and demons – in both the present and the past. There is trickery, mystery, and humor throughout these pages. Get set for a rollicking ride!”

— Judy Goldman, author Together: A Memoir of a Marriage and a Medical Mishap

“If your child enjoyed the middle-grade Fablehaven series, he or she will love The Shrouded Sword (the first book in Minter’s fantasy/adventure series)! Join Ethan, Amos, and Jynx on their wild search for a hidden treasure that could control the fate of the world. Packed with pirate chases, time travel, riddle-spewing creatures, magic, and mystical mazes, The Shrouded Sword is a fun read from beginning to end!”

Andrea, Goodreads

“The Shrouded Sword has a keep you glued to the book pace. It combines a magical world, an epic quest and endearing characters that you care about. Makes a wonderful read aloud. I cannot wait for the next in the series. Thanks Mr. Minter, for writing such a great book!”

Great Adventure Read

“Get this book if you love middle grade adventure stories—creepy, magical houses, mazes, puzzles, time travel, an evil witch, humor, and friendship.”

Betsy Thorpe

From the Publisher

2020-03-02
In debut author Minter’s middle-grade series opener, two boys try to solve a riddle that leads them on an adventure.

Over Christmas break, Ethan Moseby and his younger sister, Jynx, are left with their eccentric, reclusive uncle, Socrates, at his mansion, Gramarye House, in the fictional town of Deadmoor, Virginia. With no TV or internet to distract them, and no curfew or house rules, the children set off to explore the estate. They find an incredible library, as well as a maze “the size of a football field.” Ethan later befriends Amos Sprunt, who’s the son of the local undertaker and a fan of Sherlock Holmes mysteries. Together, Amos and Ethan try to solve a riddle that takes them through the library to a secret gallery of paintings, then to a graveyard, a secret doorway, and finally to an ancient mausoleum with a massive painted fresco, guarded by raucous ravens. Meanwhile, fairy witch Morgause is conjuring spells and plotting her escape from a tower, where she’s been imprisoned by a powerful wizard. Later, the boys find themselves sent back in time to a pirate ship. However, someone, who’s later revealed to be the wizard Merlin, has also been tracking the boys, using his special powers of meditation. Literary references abound, from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Edgar Allan Poe to King Arthur. Sherlock Holmes is referenced many times; Socrates even smokes a Meerschaum pipe. The plot is unquestionably full of surprises. The adventures not only include time travel and pirates, but also portal hopping, a “forbidden room,” multiple riddles, and a cipher. There are so many ideas, in fact, that it’s sometimes hard to keep up with them; as Socrates says, “It gets confusing and all catawampus,” and it’s hard to disagree. Many characters feel underdeveloped, as well. There’s a menagerie of creatures surrounding the house, for example, including Badger, an exotic pet leopard; Puck, a bluetick hound; Admiral benbow, an all-seeing raven; a Mad Hatter-esque goblin named Dwaine; and his salamander sidekick, Salamandra. Fewer characters might have made for a more cohesive read.

An ambitious tale with perhaps a few too many narrative elements.

Kirkus Reviews