"The Mighty is a stunning opening to the Druid's Guise series by Michael J Sanford, a book that will entertain and surprise young adults and adult readers alike." Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite 5/5 stars
He's not crazy. Honest, he's not. He's just Wyatt. Wyatt the Mighty.
Fifteen-year-old Wyatt has been sent to a treatment center for "disturbed youth." No one understands him. He wants nothing more than to escape from it all.
And he does.
Through a magic he doesn't understand, he finds himself in Hagion, a realm of fantastical creatures and immense wonder. He quickly finds himself in the company of a runaway warrior and two Children--a strange race of underground creatures that seem forever joyful. They claim Wyatt is a Druid, a powerful figure of myth and legend, sent to restore peace to all of the Realms. He doesn't bother correcting them.
Finally, he can be the hero he's always dreamed of.
But claiming to be a hero and actually being a hero are two different things. And it's a lesson Wyatt may have to pay dearly for.
The Inspiration
After college, I worked for nearly two years as a Family Life Specialist at a residential treatment center for youths. Never have I had a more challenging, and yet rewarding, job. Each child/teen had their own way of dealing with their difficult lot in life. Some lashed out with violence, either to others or themselves. Others withdrew. No two were alike, but one resident in particular stood out in just about every way. In order to make sense of an insensible world, he used his imagination to retreat into a fantastical world of swords and sorcery. Some would say it was a way of avoiding important issues, but I found it oddly beautiful. As staff, we often wondered exactly what was going on in his mind and what it must be like to see through his eyes. That thought inspired The Druid's Guise series of novels.
However, the novel is a work of fiction. My real life experiences certainly seeded the idea in my mind, but beyond that, it is fiction. Pure and simple. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of my imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. And as far as Wyatt is concerned, the character's personality largely reflects my own. It's why I found such inspiration in the whole idea.
The Series
Fifteen year old Wyatt can't believe he's been sent to The Shepherd's Crook, a treatment center for disturbed youth. He's not crazy. His grandmother is just sick and once she is well again he'll be out. But he can't wait that long. The dorm bully latches onto him immediately and even the staff think he's a joke. Fortunately, he discovers a way to escape. He has an amulet that can open a doorway into another world. It's a world of fantastical creatures and immense magic. It seems a paradise and Wyatt wishes to remain there forever. Furthermore, the inhabitants of Hagion believe him to be a Druid, a powerful figure of myth and legend, destined to save the realms from the oppressive Regents. Wyatt is all too happy to adopt this new mantle. That is, until he becomes the target of the full wrath of the Regents. And to make matters worse, his magic amulet tosses him between worlds seemingly at random.
Soon, Wyatt becomes embroiled in turmoil across both worlds and can't stop making promises to those closest to him. But can he help the beautiful and vengeful Athena escape The Crook? Can he protect the Draygan warrior, Rozen, and free the realm from tyrants? He assures them that he can, though the haunting shadows that follow him aren't helping matters, taunting him with an eerie familiarity. He can save them all. He must.
But, he's not crazy. Honest, he's not.
He's just Wyatt. Wyatt the Mighty.
Release Schedule
Book One: The Mighty Available Now! Book Two: The Forsaken Available Now! Book Three: The Remembered March 2017