The Life Of Warren Bronck

Warren Bronck had had enough, so he took a rowboat out to sea and found himself an unpopulated island. He had grown tired of all the jibber jabber, falderal, and twaddle of the populous at large. All he wanted was a place to fish that was all his own. All he wanted was some peace and quiet.

Everyone knows that pelicans are natural fishers of the seas. Everyone knows that they are jovial, even tempered, celebratory creatures. Warren Bronck was a pelican but he was none of those other things. If you encountered him in the morning he was usually grumpy. By evening he was usually using a great deal of salty language.

Other than his temperament Warren was a striking figure of a pelican. He was tall, big chested, and had a deep rich voice. To most he seemed distinguished and charming. In truth he was such a master of the obvious and ironic that no one could tell when he was deriding them. What Warren thought was a painful verbal barb others took to be funny, wise, and sometimes sage advice from an elder.

The proud pelican’s pronouncements weren’t always confused and misunderstood. In the beginning he laughed with his mates and everyone was in on the joke. A sarcastic taunt from Warren was accepted as a badge of honor and everyone would roar with laughter. Inherit a nickname from the bird and it was yours for life. If today was the day for you to be the specific target of a majority of his taunts and teasings, you accepted it, and by day’s end you relished in it.

Then one day Warren changed.

Everyone knew the day it happened. Everyone knew that day would have a profound effect on their friend and colleague. Everyone deals with days like that in their own way. Warren dealt with it by changing into something he really wasn’t. Everyone else dealt with it by believing that nothing, not even Warren, had changed. But everything had changed and that change was most profound in the life of Warren Bronck.

Thank you for reading this excerpt from THE DEMISE OF FOXY JACK by Amazon bestselling fantasy and action adventure author Edward Medina.

The Demise of Foxy Jack is the tale of three islands.

One is the home of those who fish the seas for their keep. The second is the hidden home of a famous ghost ship and her cutthroat crew. The third is a fortress built seventy miles offshore from the southernmost point of the Empire.

One is where you’ll find a hero in the making, on the run from a tainted past and a broken heart. The second is where you’ll find a villain with death and destruction on his mind. The third holds a young and angry Queen along with her military advisors and a plan of annihilation.

The Demise of Foxy Jack is the first novella in the Adventures of the X Pirates series. Readers have made A Murder of Crows, the prolog to these tales, an Amazon top ten bestseller in both the fantasy and action adventure categories.

This next installment will tell us how Foxy Jack became a reluctant leader, what horrors mad Captain Nightthorn has unleashed, and the revenge Queen Anastasia has planned to answer his deadly mischief. There’s a travelling troupe of actors, a gang of clever grifters, a sect of stealthy spies, and we’ll learn what happens when Karma, Fate and Destiny join these dark pirate rogueries.

The Demise of Foxy Jack returns you to a world full of epic fantasy and steampunk adventure, where nothing is what it seems and everything is suspect. A world where both heroes and villains have a tortured past and every twist and turn tests their resolve. This is the story of three islands, the characters that are in residence there, and the dreams and nightmares that drive them.

The voyage begins in earnest this summer.

A Murder of Crows  is currently available on Amazon.com. This  Amazon top ten fantasy and action adventure bestseller has received 21 Amazon and Goodreads ★★★★★ reviews from readers, authors, teachers, and bloggers.

From The Pen Of Foxy Jack

My end of days is near. I can feel it. The Grim Reaper is just around the corner of my every aged turn. I can hear her siren song calling to me. I might be exaggerating slightly. I’m known to have a flair for the dramatic.

I will not apologize for the life I have led. I have enjoyed great joys and felt deep sorrows. I have loved and been loved. I broke a dear heart once, and had mine irrevocably broken in return. I have ended some lives by my own hand. Many have died at my word. I don’t know why I have been allowed to live. It appears that fortune truly favors the foolish.

But for a choice or two, the turn of a key in a different lock, or a path in the road not taken, I could have been a different soul. Upon my death I hope that I am not judged too harshly. To that end, I have decided to put my life, and the circumstances that surrounded it to paper. I have a case to compile for my judgment day. I have a story to tell.

Archibald ‘Foxy Jack’ Leach

On the 7th day of the Owl’s Moon

in the Year of the Firefly

Thank you for reading this excerpt from THE DEMISE OF FOXY JACK by Amazon bestselling fantasy and action adventure author Edward Medina.

The Demise of Foxy Jack is the tale of three islands.

One is the home of those who fish the seas for their keep. The second is the hidden home of a famous ghost ship and her cutthroat crew. The third is a fortress built seventy miles offshore from the southernmost point of the Empire.

One is where you’ll find a hero in the making, on the run from a tainted past and a broken heart. The second is where you’ll find a villain with death and destruction on his mind. The third holds a young and angry Queen along with her military advisors and a plan of annihilation.

The Demise of Foxy Jack is the first novella in the Adventures of the X Pirates series. Readers have made A Murder of Crows, the prolog to these tales, an Amazon top ten bestseller in both the fantasy and action adventure categories.

This next installment will tell us how Foxy Jack became a reluctant leader, what horrors mad Captain Nightthorn has unleashed, and the revenge Queen Anastasia has planned to answer his deadly mischief. There’s a travelling troupe of actors, a gang of clever grifters, a sect of stealthy spies, and we’ll learn what happens when Karma, Fate and Destiny join these dark pirate rogueries.

The Demise of Foxy Jack returns you to a world full of epic fantasy and steampunk adventure, where nothing is what it seems and everything is suspect. A world where both heroes and villains have a tortured past and every twist and turn tests their resolve. This is the story of three islands, the characters that are in residence there, and the dreams and nightmares that drive them.

The voyage begins in earnest this summer.

A Murder of Crows  is currently available on Amazon.com. This Amazon and Goodreads top ten fantasy and action adventure bestseller has received 21 Amazon and Goodreads ★★★★★ reviews from readers, authors, teachers, and bloggers.

Voices In The Forest

There were no starlights in this place. No moons. No other worlds in the night sky. The darkness in this forest was complete.

Mathias had travelled the only road from town as far as he could. He had stepped off of the path and felt his way through what was now a dense patch of overgrown roots and bare prickly bushes until he found the pond and the long flat rock.

He had been sitting alone deep in the forest for what seemed like several hours. It took that much time for his eyes to adjust to the thick blanket of endless gloom that surrounded him

He could see now. There was a barely perceptible source of light coming from somewhere, but Mathias couldn’t tell from where. He could just make out the leafless trees that populated this lifeless forest. In the time that he sat, there was not one sound of life. There were no creatures of the night. Mathias was sure there were no creatures of the day either.

The tall trees were an angry tangled mass, and in the darkness, the thin, gnarly branches above seemed like fingers. Fingers on hands waiting to scratch and snatch at the unsuspecting. Trunks seemed to have faces. Eyes. Lips. Teeth. Fog from the cold night mist intertwined itself around these hollow faces adding sorrow to their already tortured features.

This place was not Sandbox Harbor. This place couldn’t possibly be the world in which his father and mother lived. All those people and all their children couldn’t be part of a community that was this grey and doom swept. In this eerie place, full of so much sadness, Mathias could understand why in this village, these people and their children had either gone or were in hiding.

Looming over all of this, was the castle in the sky. Mathias really couldn’t see it, but it was there. It was always there. He could feel it drawing him in and it was succeeding. Mouse said no one ever goes to the castle, but Mathias was convinced it was there that he would find the rider and the boy.

Mathias was still trying to wrap his mind around the moment Mouse was taken. The rider came out of nowhere. He was a blur, a deliberate, mean, calculated blur. He was a razor thin skeleton in black and red. He wore a long black cape with a hood to hide his face. Tall black boots. Black pants. A black blouse. A long red vest trimmed in black and black gloves trimmed in red.

Mathias wasn’t sure he was ready to face the rider again or go to the dark castle, but he would if it meant saving the boy.

Suddenly this soundless world produced a chilling echo. The echo echoed throughout the dense black forest.

“Someone help me!”

It was the cry of a child.  Mathias stood up on the long flat rock.

“Mouse,” he shouted, “is that you?”

Mathias waited. Just when he thought his imagination had created the voice, he heard it again.

“Please help me!”

This was the voice of a young girl and she was terrified.

Mathias tried desperately to find the child through the darkness, but he couldn’t see well enough to locate her. She was everywhere in the forest around him. Running. Crying. Screaming. But he couldn’t see her. He couldn’t see her anywhere.

“Run to my voice!” he cried out.

He could hear her coming closer. She was so close, he could feel her fear.

“Someone help me, please!”

This voice was in front of him. It was coming right at him. Even in this darkness, Mathias understood there was no one there. This was just a voice. Then she passed right through him and in that instant, he saw her.

A pretty, little blonde girl dressed as a princess. She was so scared. She looked so confused. Mathias could feel that she was heartbroken. Then she was gone, and the forest fell into a deafening silence.

But this time Mathias was not alone. The pretty, little blonde girl had left him with her fear as his companion. Tears began to well up inside of him. Her sense of desperation was so complete. Her feelings of hopelessness rang through his body. His heart hurt from her pain.

Then he heard hoof beats. This sound he knew. This sound he remembered. This sound made him run. He scrambled and tripped. He fell, but kept running. Low-lying branches snatched at him. Prickly bushes scratched at him and still he ran.

Mathias snagged his foot on a tree root and crashed to the ground. He could only lay there as the hoof beats came down upon him, and then passed over him. Like the pretty, little blonde girl, there was no rider. Only the ghost of the rider. Only the echo of a memory.

The forest fell silent again.

Mathias picked himself up and gradually found his way back to the path. He resumed his journey away from the madness of the village, through the lunacy of the forest and towards the sure insanity of the castle in the sky. At this moment the mind of Mathias Bootmaker was twisted. He could no longer tell the real from the unreal. His mind and his body were weak. He needed to rest.

As he walked he searched for the puzzle pieces. Some were there. Some were not. He was beginning to not care. There were new ones. Dark ones. Strange ones. None of them fit together. None of it mattered anymore. Mathias was alone in a world he did not know. He was lonely in a place where isolation seemed a given, and he had lost a child that was lost himself.

Mathias counted each uncertain step he took. Each step was getting him closer to Mouse. The sand on the path was still dark, but it was beginning to shimmer. With each step he took, Mathias could see more of it. He could also see there was a turn in the path. He could see because there was a source of light up ahead of him.

He started moving faster through the turn, but he remained cautious. He spotted a large boulder just off the path. He stayed low and ran to it. It provided him cover to spy on the scene taking place just beyond him.

There was what appeared to be an inn or tavern at the side of the road. The light came from two brass lanterns hanging on long poles set on either side of the small path leading to its door. The door was open, and a man was standing beside a carriage that had stopped in front of the establishment.

The small, burly man wore a long, filthy apron. His rolled up sleeves exposed his big muscular arms. He wore loose-fitting work pants and his work boots were unlaced. The man ran his thick fingers through his unkempt red hair. He was desperately trying to improve his appearance for the occupant of the carriage.

He wiped his hands, front and back, on the apron and gingerly reached out with his right hand, palm up.

A hand reached out from the carriage window. It was very much like a child’s hand, but aged. The occupant dropped seven silver coins, one by one, onto the innkeeper’s waiting palm. The burly man bowed. He then went to the back of the carriage and began to turn a heavily tarnished key set into the rear of the coach. A ratcheting sound could be heard with each turn.

The man knocked twice on the roof and the carriage lurched forward.

Mathias was fascinated by the conveyance. Its dainty size was more for a child than it was for an adult. It was obvious that it had once been a beautiful piece of craftsmanship that was no longer cared for. But the thing that was most curious about the carriage was that it had no driver and no horses.

It had the classic shape of a covered horse drawn carriage but it moved entirely under its own power. It was a very well designed, very sophisticated mechanical toy.

The large windup toy travelled to the end of the road where a jumble of trees and branches and roots blocked any further passage. The plaything did not stop. It travelled right into the blockade. It seemed to melt right through it.

The innkeeper stood and watched this happen. He didn’t seem at all surprised by the vehicle’s mystical exit. Once the carriage was gone, he counted each coin, one by one, one hand to the other. Convinced he had not been cheated, he pocketed the bounty and with a noticeable limp, stepped back into the inn.

Having no other choice, Mathias walked towards the small structure. Its construction was sound, but its haphazard collection of construction materials gave it an unbalanced appearance. Woods of various sizes and shapes blended with stones of various weights and colors. Brick and mortar framed the door and windows and large lumbering logs created a tall, imposing roof.

When Mathias arrived at the door, he found his only clue to the name of this establishment.

A weathered rope was looped around a large rusted nail that had long ago been embedded into the center of the door. The rope was tied on either end to a fractured plank of wood.

Carved and burned into the plank was the image of a house on one side and what Mathias believed to be a representation of the castle in the sky on the other. A series of lines connected the two structures, and at their center was a large X.

The castle in the sky was his destination. The small house was the village he had come from. The lines were the road he was walking on, and the mark at its center was where he stood. Anyone travelling in either direction would find this spot the middle of their journey.

This place was the Inn Between.

Mathias tried peeking through the two large windows at the front of the inn. There was faint light coming from within, but the decorative etched glass provided no view. Not knowing what to expect, he slowly pushed the door open and took one step over the threshold.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Chapter Seven of It Is Said (MBKS1) by Edward Medina. The complete book is available at amazon.com.

This Amazon top ten action adventure and fantasy bestseller has received 21 Amazon and Goodreads ★★★★★ reviews from readers, authors, teachers, and bloggers. Perhaps it’s time for you to explore the world of Mathias Bootmaker. Welcome fellow traveler and enjoy!!

Queen Anastasia’s Pirate Killers

The previous night, the night of the christening celebration, the fireworks had looked lovely. With no moon in the sky the colors were quite a sight against the curtain of black with spots of bright star lights. Out at sea, in the same darkness, there were four ships quietly making their way towards Bourne. They were careful to stay just out of reach of each colorful flash.

When the echoes of cheering came across the sea towards the four ships, they knew the show was over. So they moved in a little closer. The Brethren of Crows slept a well deserved sleep that night, as did everyone in Bourne, and while they all slumbered, the stealthy craft crept in even closer.

These four were not just any four ships of Her Majesty’s fleet. These were the finest of the lot. Designed and built together so that they would serve at each other’s side. Each vessel’s unique attributes were replicated in the design of the other. Where one had a weakness, another would make up for the tactical shortcoming. Where one had a particular strength, another would augment its power.

Separately, they were known as the Valiant, the Courageous, the Advantage and the Provocateur. Together they were known as Queen Anastasia’s Pirate Killers, and as the Revenge began to set her sails that morning, the hunters were clearly visible, and in perfect position to sink their prey.

Anything unusual or dubious or illicit or illegal out at sea was within the purview of the four. Their chief disposition was the suppression of pirates. The economy of the kingdom rode on the waves of the open sea. The wealth of the powerful and connected rode along side it. Protection of the former was necessary. Protection of the latter was a necessary evil.

Under previous crowns, piracy was allowed to grow, and over time it flourished. History shows that the royals gained a great deal of their wealth from playing both sides of the coin. They took money from the wealthy to protect their riches at sea. Then the crown would loot the stolen fortunes from the pirate vessels they captured.

When the child queen Anastasia came to power, those with business at sea and influence in the palace took advantage of her naiveté. They convinced her that pirates were coming for her crown. They told her pirates were coming for the wealth her predecessors had stolen from them. A nightmare of a tall, dark, bird like pirate in her room spurred the young lioness into action. She herself named what would become her four favorite protectors.

The flagship of this small but potent armada was the frigate class Valiant, under the command of Admiral Ludlow Castle. One hundred and sixty creatures served onboard. Sixty guns were always at the ready. Anastasia thought this one the prettiest so she put her uncle in command. The fey mannered old lion never let his crew forget that fact.

Sister ship, Courageous, was commanded by Captain Anne Galley. This gutsy, but elegant skunk was known to her crew as the Iron Rose. The twin ships were matched gun for gun, but Courageous carried thirty additional creatures that comprised a contingent of the King’s Marines. The married captain enjoyed the company of well uniformed males.

The Advantage and the Provocateur were sloops of war. They brought speed to the pack coupled with deadly firepower for their relatively small size.

Captain Orville “Uncle Lucky” Hinkle was at the helm of the Advantage. He led a crew of eighty ferrets who boasted they had the fastest fourteen guns in the known world. They loved their fellow ferret leader. He had never been defeated in any encounter throughout his very long career.

Not to be outshined, the Provocateur and her twelve guns had as its captain, the legendary Lionel Swift. This bear had no fear. His crew of forty was made up of pirates he himself had captured and imprisoned on the very ship they now served aboard. His crew always followed each and every one of his orders, while quietly plotting his demise. Several attempts had been made. None had been successful to that day.

Four seasoned commanders, one hundred and forty six tried and true guns, four hundred and seventy battle tested animals, all at the ready to dance with a rather unusual enemy. These were not pirates. These were not creatures of the sea. These were clowns and jugglers and acrobats in a makeshift carnival ship. It was unanimously agreed that this minor encounter would be dealt with quickly and severely and with decisive force.

That was a grave mistake.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this excerpt from A Murder of Crows by Edward Medina. The complete book is available on Amazon.com.

This Amazon top ten fantasy and action adventure bestseller has received 21 Amazon and Goodreads ★★★★★ reviews from readers, authors, teachers, and bloggers.

From the author of the Amazon top ten action adventure, and fantasy bestseller It Is Said (MBKS1) comes a dark, steampunk, fantasy adventure full of  treachery, deceit, and terror.

A Murder of Crows is the possibly true life story of the deadliest pirate and criminal mastermind to ever sail the high seas, and the principal villain in the YA novella series, Adventures of the X Pirates.

This first installment tells the origin story of Benjamin Nightthorn, his spiral into madness, the indoctrination of his cutthroat crew, the creation of the eerie ship they sail, and the night of violence and murder that bore them all.

​A Murder of Crows is a completely new and unique experience in the world of pirate lore. It is a tale best left to the daring wanderer, the strong of heart and those without fear. Turn off the lights, burn a single candle bright and embark, if you dare, on this voyage of frights.

The Birth of Benjamin Nightthorn

Raul and Julia raised their son together. They protected him, but never sheltered him. They let him wander some in order to find his own way. They lived in a crazy three-ring world, but they would always find time for their little family. They would always find the time to talk to their beloved Benjamin.

His father would talk to him about adventure.

Wherever the circus would stop Raul would take his son with him to find a stream or a lake. Father and son would sit at the edge and sail paper boats on the water.

Circus’s had always travelled to distant places, crossed territories and provinces, but they all remained landlocked. Ships were now sailing further and further out to sea to discover new lands and bring new opportunities, but a circus had yet to set upon the seas.

Raul had grand dreams of building the first circus ship. Raul believed that adventure was fire for the soul, and he wanted his son to be brave and bold and fearless. He wanted Benjamin to be prepared for the great changes that were happening now and that were coming soon. He wanted his son at his side when the Nightthorn Circus of Flight set sail.

He wanted his son to understand that it was true, crows once flew. The wind could take them wherever they wanted to go. Now that their kind walked, he wanted his boy to believe he could still go wherever the wind could take him. He wanted his son to know that the world was his for the taking. Benjamin just had to reach out and grab it.

His mother would talk to him about his gift.

After giving birth to the egg that bore her son, Julia watched over it carefully. The shell of his cocoon was thin and weak. It had come out with tiny cracks on its surface. Mother was worried but not overly concerned because the entire egg was being held together by a thin membrane. The clear layer was unusual, but it was keeping her son safe.

The covering was also considered a sign.

Crows of faith believed that some of their kind could hear and feel the thoughts of other creatures. It was said that this gift was passed on through every other generation. Benjamin’s grandmother on his mother’s side had it, and Benjamina Thorn was known to have been a remarkable crow.

His mother would talk to him about his gift because she wanted her son to be ready. Julia knew that that it would be both a blessing and a curse. She also knew that there was no way of knowing when the effects of his inheritance would begin. If she couldn’t be there when it happened she at least wanted him to be prepared for its profound effect.

The Nightthorns loved their son. They loved him deeply. They were crows of faith so they believed he was gifted, but they also knew, deep in their hearts, that he was much more than that. They knew he was special and they were right to think that.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this excerpt from A Murder of Crows by Edward Medina. The complete book is available on Amazon.com.

This Amazon top ten fantasy and action adventure bestseller has received 21 Amazon and Goodreads ★★★★★ reviews from readers, authors, teachers, and bloggers.

From the author of the Amazon top ten, action adventure, and fantasy bestseller It Is Said (MBKS1) comes a dark, steampunk, fantasy adventure full of  treachery, deceit, and terror.

A Murder of Crows is the possibly true life story of the deadliest pirate and criminal mastermind to ever sail the high seas, and the principal villain in the YA novella series, Adventures of the X Pirates.

This first installment tells the origin story of Benjamin Nightthorn, his spiral into madness, the indoctrination of his cutthroat crew, the creation of the eerie ship they sail, and the night of violence and murder that bore them all.

​A Murder of Crows is a completely new and unique experience in the world of pirate lore. It is a tale best left to the daring wanderer, the strong of heart and those without fear. Turn off the lights, burn a single candle bright and embark, if you dare, on this voyage of frights.

The Bizarre Circus of Wonders

Belladonna’s Circus Bizarre was a seedy little spectacle. The wagons of this once great show had been rolling for almost one hundred and fifty years now, but time and circumstance had taken a vicious toll on its once proud heritage. At the very beginning of its history, the original owners chose to name the glorious three ring spectacular which they created, the Bizarre Circus of Wonders.

The Bizarre’s were a family of otters from the old country, so they really knew how to put on a show, and their show was truly wonder filled. Performers, as acts and as singles, from all over the globe, sought the booking of the greatest big top extravaganza ever. They hired big troupes and small showcases and they made sure all the star headliners were there.

From the Sing Long province came the antics of the Misu Panda Clowns. From the land of the jungle clouds came the Tumbling Monkeys of Mann Troupe. The all important snap and pop of the spectacle’s music was provided by the whacky birds, and bears, and squirrels, of the World of Animals Revue.

And high above the rings flew the most elegant duo of the aerial arts, Raul and Julia Nightthorn. Where this crow couple came from was quite the mystery, and they played to that drama. They seemed to dance on air in their colorful costumes, and the love they had for one another endeared them to the admiring crowds that came just to see them.

The Bizarre Circus of Wonders was magical then, but it was a very different extravaganza now.

In order to keep the spectacle going, the Bizarre’s had made some foolish investments. They borrowed from the wrong animals. They gambled monies away trying to make the payroll. Many of the acts were let go. The adoring throng noticed the show was slipping. Slowly the flow of the crowd began to trickle away.

But the worst was yet to come.

In a moment of money owed panic, in the midst of an emotional longing to bring back a past that would never return, those that remained of the Bizarre family made a deal.

A very bad deal.

Run while you can from your debtors.

She said.

I will invest my money.

She assured.

I will take care of everything.

She promised.

The lady was so elegant in her manner. So endearing in her charms. Her dress and jewels spoke of money and security to the embattled Bizarre’s, and so they signed on the dotted line. They signed away the family circus and put it in her trust. Sadly for them they never saw the crooked little smile or the slight curl at the corners of her mouth.

The Bizarre’s boarded a private coach that whisked them away. Bubbly drink was provided, and as they went each otter had a flute full. They toasted to the future of their long held family legacy. They cheered their new investor’s name and sang her praises.

Somewhere between the town and the seaport the coach came to a stop. The finely dressed coach hares hopped down off their perch, opened the doors of the carriage, and dispatched each and every one of the remaining members of the family Bizarre. They did as the lady had told them to do. Neither the bodies or the hares were ever seen or heard from again.

It was all such an, oh so foolish affair because everyone knows that no matter how elegant or mannered, no matter the dress or the sparkle, a crocodile is rarely to be trusted, and when it came to Belladonna DeRanged well, she was the worst of the lot. There is no point in dwelling on her past. She didn’t have one. She had told so many stories, wove so many guises, that even she couldn’t tell you much about herself.

There was a cruel father and an even crueler mother. That shrew died in an odd accident involving a bucket, a sponge and a locked room. Belladonna was outside the door when the accident she had triggered occurred. The young croc heard her mother call out for help. She listened at the door as the shrew’s beastly life gurgled away.

The father was too powerful to tangle with. She had to be patient and wait until he finally went mad with age. He tortured his daughter until the very last day. He died in his sleep with the help of Belladonna’s favorite pillow. She loved that pillow. She still had it. It was the only thing she took with her when she left her first lair.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this excerpt from A Murder of Crows by Edward Medina. The complete book is available on Amazon.com.

This Amazon top ten fantasy, and action adventure bestseller has received 21 Amazon and Goodreads ★★★★★ reviews from readers, authors, teachers, and bloggers.

From the author of the Amazon top ten action adventure, and fantasy bestseller It Is Said (MBKS1) comes a dark, steampunk, fantasy adventure full of  treachery, deceit, and terror.

A Murder of Crows is the possibly true life story of the deadliest pirate and criminal mastermind to ever sail the high seas, and the principal villain in the YA novella series, Adventures of the X Pirates.

This first installment tells the origin story of Benjamin Nightthorn, his spiral into madness, the indoctrination of his cutthroat crew, the creation of the eerie ship they sail, and the night of violence and murder that bore them all.

​A Murder of Crows is a completely new and unique experience in the world of pirate lore. It is a tale best left to the daring wanderer, the strong of heart and those without fear. Turn off the lights, burn a single candle bright and embark, if you dare, on this voyage of frights.

YA Author Natasha Slight Reviews It Is Said (MBKS1)

As part of my `Snagging an Author’ Reviews, I peruse the internet, secretly looking for books that deserve to have a spotlight put on them. I am not paid for these reviews and the author is unaware that I am even reading their book, until I post my reviews. That is why I am so happy to bring this book to your attention. If I can help shed some well deserved light on this dazzling piece of work, I will go to bed with a smile on my face. While reading It Is Said I embarked on a journey I will not soon forget. In fact, I even urged my eldest daughter to read this stunning gem of a book.

I have decided not to reiterate the plot in this review, but instead I want to concentrate on conveying this message: how fervently I want people to read this book. By the end of my adventure into this wondrous world, I sat back, thinking, “Wow!” How’s this for an idea: Imagine taking your imagination for a walk in its own imagination…I’ll give you a moment to let that sink in…

Now, imagine your imagination living in a world where imagination is not allowed. It’s not a tongue twister, it’s a brain twister and that’s what I absolutely loved about this book. It makes you stop and think. The scenes make you scratch your head (in a good way), as you try to figure out what is real and what isn’t. Beware, though, because once you think you have things figured out, something else creeps up to completely twist things around. This story is so out of the ordinary, it’s Alice in Wonderland stuck in Dorothy’s tornado from the Wizard of Oz, and by the end of the book, I wanted more!

What I also loved was the constant play of opposites. The scenes are whimsical and dark, the characters are wild and fun and the writing…let me say this about the writing: The chemistry of the words blend into an alchemical potion that makes the writing sing straight off the page with such lyrical sweetness. The story emanates a force that pushes the mind to read faster and faster, yet there’s an ease imposed on the words, so that you simply glide along as you read.

I have to share my absolute favorite passage:

‘A life is an amazing gift. It’s not something to be lost or wasted or forgotten about. It’s an adventure to be grasped. You must be big and bold in the choices you make. Strong in your convictions. You will gain wisdom but you must retain a child-like fascination with everything new. And you must always see beyond your limitations.’

Heck, that’s my life’s motto! I had to reread this passage quite a few times, that’s how much it resonated with me.

There is only one thing I regret with this book. That I didn’t have the chance to read it all in one sitting, as life usually tends to get in the way! There aren’t enough hours in a day, but you know what? I will reread this book, and to be able to do it in one sitting will be worth it for the ride that Edward Medina takes you while you’re reading.

And so, I take to my feet and give a standing ovation to the author for such brilliant writing, and gladly hand over 5 dazzling stars.

It Is Said (MBKS1) by Edward Medina is currently available at amazon.com.

This Amazon top ten action adventure and fantasy bestseller has received 21 Amazon and Goodreads ★★★★★ reviews from readers, authors, teachers, and bloggers. Perhaps it’s time for you to explore the world of Mathias Bootmaker. Welcome fellow traveler and enjoy!!

NATASHA SLIGHT has been an avid reader and collector of books for many years. As a stay-at-home mom she one day set out to write a story her children could read. The result of that trial is her debut novel GUARDIANS OF THE GRIMOIRE. Armed with a quirky sense of humor, Natasha writes to inspire, tap into the mind, and unleash the imagination within.  You can find out more about her and her works at  http://natashaslight.blogspot.com/