A small-press published book (published by Hollywood Books International). Intended to be a series, Samantha Stone and the Emerald Dagger is now on Amazon.
Ten-year-old Samantha Stone lives with her mother in New Orleans after the flood. One day, her mom is savagely attacked by an unknown force and put into a coma, resulting in Samantha being sent to live with her father, Sam Stone, a scientist traveling the seas. His boat is attacked, and Samantha has to escape again, to a fantasy world called Aerynon, where she learns that her mom is in fact the intended queen of the realm, and Samantha is the prophesied savior. So she reluctantly begins training to learn how to use her hidden powers and, she hopes, be able to fight back.
The book has a brisk pace, fun characterizations, some unique ideas and a Lemony Narrator who isn't as bad as you'd think (and stops being Lemony halfway through the story).
This book contains examples of:
- Alien Sky: When Samantha enters Aerynon, the sky is white and the clouds are blue. Not the only alien thing about the world, but the first thing she notices.
- Bound and Gagged: For good reason: It's one way to stop Samantha's Story-Breaker Power.
- Chekhov's Gun: A surprising number of them. More noticable in a second read.
- Chosen One: Why Samantha has to save the world, and why the bad guys want to kill her.
- Death of a Child: A teenage boy is killed in battle, and a 10-year-old girl is later executed.
- Kid Hero: Samantha. But also, many teenagers who engage in battle.
- Lemony Narrator: The narrator has plenty of comments on things in the story, but later stops being Lemony and just narrates the action directly.
- Parental Betrayal: Samantha's dad works with the villain to help him capture her.
- Story-Breaker Power: Samantha earns one later on. Teleportation, both of herself and others.
