2023 Readers' Favorite Silver Medal Winner

A Leap into Darkness is an enchanting middle grade fantasy animal adventure perfect for fans of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Green Ember.

Magic stirs and evil awakens. A dog speaks: the kingdom will fall. Time for humans to listen.

Nobody told Jake that dogs don't talk...and that they have no business trying to stop a war between three kingdoms. But Jake has the gift..."The Shine"...and nobody's told him that either. He's certain he's ordinary. And he knows he doesn't deserve to live in a rags-to-riches fairy tale, rescued from his hardscrabble life and pampered and loved by the King of Gorseland and his two royal children, Janice and James.

But the good life is threatened with the arrival of the sorcerer, Beezeldorn, and his raven. Beezeldorn is a seeming charlatan: a crowd-pleaser with his sleight-of-hand and cheap spectacle. But his power from dark magic runs deep, on display in town when he heals a leper.

The queen senses the danger and pays for her instincts with her life.

Jake knows something is wrong, but what can he do? Beezeldorn is always one step ahead, moving into the castle, earning the king's confidence, and befriending James. Even Janice is drawn to him.

Now it's up to Jake to protect his family...before it's too late...for the king...and his kingdom.

"The deeper I got into the story the harder it was to put the book down!" ★★★★★

"...one of the best preteen children's books I've read." ★★★★★

"...will capture the hearts and imaginations of both young readers and the young at heart." ★★★★★

Based on the original, two-time Coverfly Redlist Fantasy Feature Top 20 screenplay.