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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Monday, April 4, 2016

trapped in medieval time - Escape from the Past (The Duke's Wrath, #1) by Annette Oppenlander

When fifteen-year-old nerd and gamer Max Anderson thinks he’s sneaking a preview of an unpublished video game, he doesn’t realize that 1) He’s been chosen as a beta, an experimental test player. ...

Description:

When fifteen-year-old nerd and gamer Max Anderson thinks he’s sneaking a preview of an unpublished video game, he doesn’t realize that 1) He’s been chosen as a beta, an experimental test player. 2) He’s playing the ultimate history game, transporting him into the actual past: anywhere and anytime. And 3) Survival is optional: to return home he must decipher the game’s rules and complete its missions—if he lives long enough. To fail means to stay in the past—forever. 

Now Max is trapped in medieval Germany, unprepared and clueless. It is 1471 and he quickly learns that being an outcast may cost him his head. Especially after rescuing a beautiful peasant girl from a deadly infection and thus provoking sinister wannabe Duke Ott. Overnight he is dragged into a hornets’ nest of feuding lords who will stop at nothing to bring down the conjuring stranger in their midst.

Praise for the Book

“Fast-paced compelling YA debut.” - Giselle Green, #1 bestselling author of A Sister’s Gift”

“A wonderfully crafted romp to the time of lords, ladies, and knights.” - Lee Ann Ward, author and former Senior Editor of Champagne Books

“Escape from the Past is chock-full of the tiny details that make a story feel realistic and immersive, from the leather ribbons used to fasten shoes to the slimy gruel that formed the bulk of the peasants’ diet….those who love historical fiction or medieval fantasy will certainly enjoy Escape from the Past.” - Mike Mullin, author of the Ashfall trilogy

EXCERPT




I leaned forward because all of a sudden my chest was killing me. I was stuck in a truck-sized vise, my ribs squeezing together, body compressing. My lungs throbbed and I couldn’t breathe, not even a little. My arms and legs felt numb. Do something, I thought. I pushed myself to stand. Something is wrong with the game, stop the game, my mind urged. But I couldn’t. Lights exploded behind my eyelids and I had to pay every shred of attention to the task of breathing.

It occurred to me that I was having a heart attack. My mother’s face flashed by. I wanted to shout for her, but my lungs had quit for good, my tongue a rigid piece of meat. She’d find me in the morning dead on the carpet. My sight turned foggy then black. I was passing out. I sucked frantically and drew in a bit of air. Slowly with each breath the crushing heaviness disappeared.

Blinking away the haze, I wiped my sweaty forehead. I should make an appointment with the family doctor.

Something moved ahead. There at the edge of a clearing cowered the man in rags holding his right elbow. He trembled and now that I was closer, I saw blood dripping from his wrist.

The three riders had surrounded him, their blades pointing toward the man’s neck. One rider dismounted, his face shadowed by a half helmet and curled brownish beard, his hands covered by steel gauntlets like lizard scales. The other two sat motionless, waiting. I tried to get a better view of what the horsemen were doing when I looked down.

And froze.
I stood on the root of an oak tree. Surely I imagined things. But those were definitely my Nikes I’d forgotten to take off when I returned home. I moved my foot. Leaves crackled. A twig snapped. Something terrible had happened, something I couldn’t wrap my mind around. I blinked and looked to my right. Trees and undergrowth were losing themselves in the gloom. I remembered the mouse in my right hand, but when I lifted my arm, my fingers came up empty—except for the smear of something sticky on my palm. I was bleeding.
Wait.
The bush next to me was covered in blood. Not mine, I realized with relief. Disgusted I wiped my shaking hands with a fistful of leaves and turned to look behind me. The woods stretched into darkness—shadows within shadows nearly black.

My room was gone.

About the author:

Annette Oppenlander writes historical fiction for young adults. When she isn’t in front of her computer, she loves indulging her dog, Mocha, and traveling around the U.S. and Europe to discover amazing histories.

“Nearly every place holds some kind of secret, something that makes history come alive. When we scrutinize people and places closely, history is no longer a number, it turns into a story.”

Author's  Giveaway

15 comments:

kim hansen said...

Sounds like a good read.

Unknown said...

Sounds like a great read . Thanks for the competition :)

Jan Lee said...

My teen niece might like this book; she's into gaming :)

Caitlin said...

Time travel! This book sounds great and the cover is beautiful.

Unknown said...

History and Gaming? I'm in!! :)

Danielle merkle said...

Sounds interesting, thank you for the giveaway!

Natalie said...

I wonder what it would be like to be trapped in Germany during that time!

Jo-Anne B. said...

This sounds like a pretty exciting story about a gamer who goes into the past. Not only will YA readers like this but I would like to read it, too.

Unknown said...

The gaming aspect is very intriguing! Definitely on my to-read list.

Sharon E said...

I loved the description, especially the gaming-historical connection. Will be sure to read. Thanks for the giveaway.

Annette Oppenlander said...

The story is based on the history of Castle Hanstein in Thuringia, Germany and its most famous knight, Werner von Hanstein. The cover image is from an original drawing of the castle, created around 1450. I visited the Hanstein ruins in 2012 and got so inspired, I knew I had to write a story about it.

Reading Away The Days said...

I have never heard of this before but it sounds good.

Anonymous said...

I used to think it would be cool to live back then. But the more I realize how brutal things were, the more I'm happy right where I am.

Stephanie LaPlante said...

This book is a combination of my 2 favorite things to read, medieval and fantasy! Sounds great!

Bella Martinez said...

I love this idea! Historical fiction is my favorite genre.