Fire Tests the Purity of Silver and Gold, but the Lord Tests the Heart.
Journee, a mouse princess and daughter of the Great Mouse-King, has a rebellious streak. When she and her companions, Abisai, Toby, Ethan, and Reijo, go on a midnight foray against her father’s wishes, they find trouble. Or do they? Their magical encounter deep within the enchanted Zoe-Chai orchard might be just what the kingdom needs to thwart a perilous threat of an alien bat army seeking the power of the Zoe-Chai tree. So now even though the kingdom has never known true war, the time has come for all its animals, great and small, to defend the Zoe-Chai tree, while Journee and her faithful companions must travel north to retrieve a magic elven staff, forged long ago to protect The Tree forever. Once with the elves, a surprise twist of fate awaits Journee, forcing her to face a zealous queen who looks much like herself. Who is she, really?
This adventure is a race against time. Can Journee and her friends find the staff before all is lost to a battle between good and evil—a battle of hearts, wits, and minds? Who will win in the end? Can love triumph over ambition? Only one thing is certain: Journee must choose her destiny on her own.
The Last Storyteller is the fourth book in The Pearls of Wisdom Series: Stories Inspired by Biblical Proverbs.
The Last Storyteller is a children’s chapter book for ages 12 and up.
The Last Storyteller is book 4 in The Pearls of Wisdom Series. I currently have four books. Each book is inspired by a Biblical Proverb which is listed in the front of the book. With the Proverb as a foundation, the books are a creative adventure fable for ages tweens and up. The Last Storyteller skews slightly older than the first three books gearing towards middle schoolers and young adult.
Journee and her faithful friends, Mr. Steed, Mr. Owl, Mr. Toad, and Mr. Hopper, (now knighted with new names for services to the king: Abisai, Ethan, Toby, and Reijo), experience a magical encounter deep within the Zoe-Chai Orchard launching them on a new, and dangerous path of fate, changing their lives, and beloved kingdom, forever. There is no going back, only forward to what lies ahead.
The pond began to glow a neon blue, casting the surrounding landscape in a haunting light. The glow grew brighter, like a beam emitting upward, touching the stars.
In case a quick getaway was necessary, Journee climbed Abisai’s tail to join the others on his back, pulling Toby up with her.
Thousands of yellow lanterns flitted over the water, summoned out to dance under the stars.
“Fireflies,” said Ethan, pointing to the pond.
“They are on us!” shouted Journee, watching one crawl up her arm.
Ethan flicked a few off himself with his wing. “It’s only a firefly, Journee. What harm could it do?” Then he dusted Abisai’s mane, now covered with them.
Reijo chatted with one, rubbing his hind legs together.
“Who knows?” Toby shook several off his handkerchief. “We’re in a magical place. We can’t be certain anything is harmless!”
“So now we think magic could be dangerous?” Abisai said, nostrils flaring, ears back. He ran from the sandy beach with his charges, heading for the hill above the pond. Journee could barely hold on due to his speed. Millions of stars, thousands of
fireflies, wings abuzz, growing to a crescendo until . . .
It was no more. Sunrays penetrated the orchard canopy. Birds began chirping with the sunshine. The dawn brought with it a hint of warmth, promising another glorious summer day.
“Was it a dream?” Journee asked, shoving her paws in her jacket pockets to keep them from shaking.
Hues of gold, pink, and blue bathed the cheery landscape. No more stars. No more fireflies. No neon sapphire-blue light emanating from the pond.
Reijo started jumping up and down on Abisai’s mane, antennae waving, rubbing his hind legs together in distress. He flew to hover over Toby’s head. They turned to look, even Abisai turned, though he wasn’t quite able to see all the way behind him.
“What are you all staring at?” Toby asked.
“Oh, Toby,” whispered Journee, “you are . . . you are glowing a neon green!”