The Thirteenth Hour by Joshua Blum
“The ancient clock in the Land of Dreams struck thirteen, and the dreams, now free, soared back to Earth under first vesper’s light …” And so begins “The Thirteenth Hour,” a tale about dreams and wishes, wild hearts and childhood promises, and the quest to find the unsung hero that lies in all of us….
“The ancient clock in the Land of Dreams struck thirteen, and the dreams, now free, soared back to Earth under first vesper’s light …”
And so begins “The Thirteenth Hour,” a tale about dreams and wishes, wild hearts and childhood promises, and the quest to find the unsung hero that lies in all of us.
When a young boy falls asleep during school one day, he is transported into a fantasy world of wizards, dragons, quests, and the tale of Logan, who has come of age and must leave his sleepy village to be a soldier in King Darian IV’s Imperial Army. Although he finds himself immediately at odds with military life, Logan’s tour is surprisingly extended when he is picked by the King’s wizards to be specially trained as an Imperial Ranger for a mysterious quest to find the secret to eternal life, catapulting him into an epic adventure he had previously only thought possible in books, daydreams, and fairy tales.
Combining the adventure of “The Princess Bride,” the irreverent humor of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy,” and the feel of 1980s science fiction and fantasy films such as “The Neverending Story” and “Labyrinth” with a healthy dose of introspection surrounding the journey teens experience on the way to becoming adults, “The Thirteenth Hour” is part adventure yarn, part fairy tale, and part introspective narrative that can be enjoyed by both teenagers and teens in remission.
“The Thirteenth Hour” contains over 35 illustrations, music written specifically for the story, and rich world both on and off-line that was sixteen years in the making.
Check it out today, and let the adventure of “The Thirteenth Hour” become your story!
Continue the quest here:
• Website: http://13thhr.wordpress.com
• Book trailer: Youtube.com
“Fun story”
Five Star Review on Amazon By Jodie N.
Very interesting and original story. There are a few clever things the author does, such as color-coding the text of different characters, that helps the story flow more easily while giving it a sense of charm. The illustrations are fun and capture the overall feel of the story. The main characters are like-able in their ‘normalcy’, and it is fun to see their development as the story goes on.
There are twists and turns, many surprising and comical. There is an interesting mix of modernity with traditional old fashioned story telling and settings. The tone of the book allows the reader to follow the story arcs to their most incredible moments. The wisdom the characters learn is applicable to our every day life, but its presented in a way that is accessible.
Overall, it is a fun, easy read that has a mix of moments that make you think, make you laugh, and make you wonder what else was in store for the characters.
About the Author
A child of the 80s, Joshua Blum, like many other people, remembers wishing he had Marty McFly’s hoverboard from “Back to the Future 2” to ride to and from school. For awhile, he wanted to be an American Indian hunter and spent many a misspent day making bows and arrows out of tree branches, ultimately leading to a love of archery which continues to this day. After entering that penal colony known as middle school, he decided that he ought to learn to defend himself, leading to the wide world of martial arts and lots and lots of push-ups, both of which he enjoys to this day.
All of these elements were inspirations for aspects of “The Thirteenth Hour,” which he wrote after finishing high school and edited little by little until the present day – in effect growing up with the characters. During this time, he was educated at Princeton and Penn State Universities. In total, he estimates having spent 23 years of his life in school (give or take). Despite that rap sheet, he still enjoys learning new things. He credits his mother for instilling in him a love of literature, music, and yard sales. He credits his father for teaching him to do, you know, manly things, like hit a baseball, ride a bike without falling over, and most importantly, never give up on the important things in life. He credits his younger brother for helping him stay young at heart.
He currently enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter. Although not surprising given the decade in which he grew up, he still enjoys breakdancing, though he will admit the bruises take longer to go away now that he can no longer consider himself a young adult. He hopes to forever avoid corporate middle management and is currently at work on a graphic novel for adolescents as well as a sequel to “The Thirteenth Hour.” He hopes it does not take sixteen years to finish.