"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. . . .
On sale: June 6, 2023
Age: 8-12 years
Grade: Grades 3-7
Page count: 432 Pages
ISBN: 9780593482711
Reading level: Lexile: 780L | Fountas/Pinnell: X
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.
“
Spellbinders hooked me from the beginning, but it became one of my favorites around the first flying narwhals.'“
—James Riley,
New York Times bestselling author of the Story Thieves series
"Here comes a new series that
brilliantly embodies the power of creativity....The book’s immersive fantasy world of Lux is one I did not want to leave."
—George Jreije, author of the Shad Hadid series
"To use the local parlance, a
“ridonkulously” entertaining kickoff." —
Booklist"The themes of interpersonal relationships and change give the work emotional heft...
A love letter to escapism and writing one’s own destiny." —
Kirkus Reviews"Through subversions of familiar fantasy tropes and a thoroughly engaging plot, Auseon conjures an idiosyncratic realm replete with
endearing characters, madcap humor, and hijinks-filled adventure"
— Publisher’s Weekly
