Part One: Moving Slideways

Orin and the Elementals #1

by Michael T. Clark

Orin is an odd boy—brilliant, withdrawn, and perhaps a little sullen. Around him strange things just seem to…happen. When he reads beneath a tree, blades of grass subtly bend in his direction. Stuck locker doors spring open as he walks by. Random couplets of song or poetry burst forth from thin air and then just as quickly lapse into silence. Most of his classmates avoid him.

Most, that is, except the Trio, a triumvirate of brutal bullies who constantly have Orin in their sights. A violent altercation beneath a covered bridge (carnivorous plants and river zombies, anyone?) launches Orin on an adventure into another world connected to his mysterious past, an Elemental realm equal parts dangerous, strange, and astounding. There he joins a group of spiritual guardians as he races to master each of the elements—water, wood, fire, earth, metal, and air—in order to restore an ancient artifact that can save not just Earth, but all the worlds in a multiplane universe. Oh, and he’s also being pursued by hyena-like demons bent on total destruction. Naturally.

This is the first of five installments which will complete the novel Orin and the Elementals.

65 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 31, 2015

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun new book for middle-grades, with an interesting world structure. Great start, and has everything that middle-school me would have devoured in a story.

[Corrigan Vaughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I generally have no interest in fantasy, but this was a really enjoyable read. Love the Clark's description, which paints a picture of the action and setting without becoming cumbersome and boring.

[Ryan Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magic, fantasy, adventure, other worlds and universes, this story is perfect for fantasy fans young and old! (This is part one of five, and I can't wait for the rest to come out!)