The Series
Book 1 of the Dreadful Series
Fourteen-year-old James Dreadful has always felt like an outsider. He doesn’t quite fit in with the other kids in his small Colorado town, and he has strange dreams that he can’t explain.
But when dark forces come for him and his grandfather, James realizes that his past is not what he thought it was. He is the son of the notorious Dark Lord, and he must return to the magical realm of Nobrocoso to claim his birthright.
His homecoming, however, is cut short when he is kidnapped by his own opportunistic uncle and a band of ogres. Their goal? To use James as a pawn to access the coveted Tomb of Forgotten Secrets and claim its riches for themselves.
Now, James must navigate his way through the unfamiliar and treacherous world of witches, goblins, wizards, and dark magic. He must learn to trust his instincts and use his newfound powers to protect himself and his family’s legacy. But will he be able to outsmart his captors and uncover the truth behind his father's legacy? Or will he succumb to the temptations of dark magic, like his father?
Book 2 of the Dreadful Series
After narrowly escaping a contract with his father's evil servant Rekenhowler, James reluctantly decides to return home to the Cades Isles to live out the rest of his youth training to become a sorcerer. The only problem: James and his companions are adrift on the boat Persephone in the Realm of Shadows without a crew.
When a stowaway aboard the Persephone informs James that his father--the Dark Lord--might have been mind-slaved by the mysterious, evil Cowl, James is shocked. The only proof that he will accept is the soul of his father, which he learns is lodged deep in the Tomb of Forgotten Secrets. In confronting his father's soul, James can learn the truth about the Dark Lord--and if he is destined to become one himself.
But before he can reach the Tomb, James must travel to Sarvelok, an island protected by raiders, to retrieve the key his uncle Oskar stole from him. Attacking the island would be suicide--but possible with the help of Rekenhowler. The price James will have to pay, however, is too high, but without it, will he ever learn the truth of his father--and his own fate?
Book 3 of the Dreadful Series
The third book in Alan Creed's The Dreadful Series sees the themes of loyalty and betrayal take center stage. James Dreadful sets off from the Island of Mysteries to Logres, the land of ogres, with a valuable and mysterious painting in his possession. The painting is revealed to be an enchanted prison containing the Pirate-Wizard, a notorious rogue sorcerer who manipulates the sea.
Drool, an eight-foot ogre chief who rules over the tribes of Jengwa, seizes the painting as his prize. However, he is part of a conspiracy to drive the Empire out of his homeland and seeks James's help in learning how to read, hoping to gain insight from history's greatest minds to defeat the magocracy.
As James teaches Drool during the day, he collaborates at night with Qadira, a teenage Vatari spy hired by the Empire to steal the enchanted relic. Loyalty and betrayal are in constant conflict as James tries to navigate this dangerous game of espionage and deception. The question arises: can James and Qadira retrieve the painting before Drool uncovers their true intentions, or will they pay the price for their deception?