In The Valley Of The Ancients

Stories from the rich oral tradition of Southwest native people as told by a master storyteller. Tales of wandering, cultivation myths, wise riddles, and other stories introduce readers to the unwritten history of Indian culture.

In a London suburb two families guarding an extraordinary secret plan an epic journey to a lost crater in the Amazon jungle. Their mission: to discover whether dinosaurs still exist on earth. Thousands of miles away, in a Brazilian high-security prison, a gang of ruthless criminals hatch plans of escape and murder. In a nearby university laboratory a brilliant but evil professor becomes obsessed by one of the most incredible inventions in human history. Soon, all their destinies become inextricably linked in a violent and mortal struggle. The outcome will affect the lives of countless people, all over the world. A spell-binding, colourful and exciting adventure packed with interesting facts, fearsome creatures and beautiful illustrations.

Leonel Anglian was born of greatness he never wanted. So he threw it away for his freedom. Leo's father and grandfather, Daleon and Leoric Anglian, were paragons of their era, great warrior-generals of Ellaria who helped free the southern kingdom of Rolanse from the unstoppable orc invasion during the Rolanse Liberation War. Leo's path was set for him to follow in their footsteps to become the next great warrior of Ellaria. Until his grandfather died, and his father was cast out in exile for trying to free the very orcs he fought against. Leo's mother, left alone to raise him, died of illness not long after. Across the sea, Kaejic Bloodwolf, orc Chieftain of the Bloodwolf tribe, fights with every breath for greatness. Kaejic seeks to restore honor to his people, to face the Anglian family in combat and pave the way for his people's return to their homeland they had fled from, cast out by the human kingdoms after the Rolanse Liberation war. On the day Leo's mother died, Leo decided he didn't give a damn about legacy or greatness. He threw away his place in Ellarian court, his fear, and all his worries, only seeking to enjoy his life. Even if life was a ruthless bastard. Leo became an excavator, someone who digs up relics of the Ancients to sell to the Cantry church, in order to explore the world and try to uncover the vast buried secrets of the Ancients that all cultures of Demarest sought after, the forgotten histories of their ancestors. And it hasn't been going very well. He and his companions in the Stonewright Excavation company spend most of their time flat broke, traveling from place to place trying to dig up something of value in long-picked over digsites. But Leo has been loving every carefree minute of it all the same. Until the day Leo stumbles onto a buried Chapel of the Ancients that hadn't been seen for thousands of years. And within it, an ancient tome that would shake the very foundations of civilization, rewriting the history that had been known to all the kinsmen of the world. And with that tome, Leo is awakened to the true history of the Ancients, and to the darkness lurking in the shadows of his world. Kaejic Bloodwolf, seeing visions of standing face to face with Leonel Anglian and his people's return to their homeland, is coming to find him. The hunt for these ancient tomes, and for Leo himself, begins.