Born to defend a far-off kingdom, can one teen outcast claim his heritage and face down an unspeakable evil? Everything is going wrong for Kayden Bramley. Uprooted from his familiar surroundings so his family can care for his sickly grandmother, the fifteen-year-old is scared, lonely, and desperate for a change.

But an even darker fate beckons when a mysterious man appears with a dramatic message: The troubled teenager is the last hope for an endangered magical land.

Bewildered when his beloved grandparent confirms his destiny, Kayden bravely seizes her Runestaff and agrees to take on the treacherous mission. Barely comprehending his role as heir to the throne as he gathers allies to his side, the tenacious young man plunges into a battle against sinister forces bent on conquest and destruction.

Will his quick-thinking courage be enough to protect the realm against a surging darkness?

The Awakening is the spellbinding first book in the Runestaff Chronicles YA fantasy series. If you like heroes coming into their own, perilous quests, and colorful supporting casts, then you’ll love Helen Row Toews’s vivid adventures.