THE RIGHT HAND OF VELACHAZ

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Writer's Exchange
Audience: 8 and up

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Author at the moment

Re-release coming soon from Writer's Exchange

Teman crouched behind a rough stone wall, squinting against the golden rays of the setting sun. He didn’t spy any of the pack of boys who had been chasing him. Maybe he had finally lost them…he’d been dodging through the back streets for hours.

As he leaned against the wall with his eyes closed, he tried to remember a time when he wasn’t hungry and cold. He couldn’t do it—that would have worried him if he’d had the energy to spare, but at the moment, all he wanted to do was find a safe place for the night….

Teman sighed, and opened his eyes. With a gasp of shock, he tried to back through the stone wall at the sight of a robed figure looming before him. The figure smiled, a twinkling glimmer lighting its dark eyes.

“—That terribly wicked wizard, Velachaz. Yes, I know. How about some dinner?”

Teman swallowed hard at the very mention of food. He’d found a crust of bread in the marketplace yesterday evening, and it had seemed a feast. But to trust the magic-user…?

Twelve-year-old Teman finds himself drawn into a world he never dreamed he'd be a part of-a world of magic and mystery: a world of heroic quests and demonic creatures, a world of dragons. Plucked from the streets to help the wizard Velachaz hide a secret past, Teman soon discovers that he shares the gift of Magic. As he practices to master his first spells, he meets a strange young knight-to-be who is off to slay a dragon. When the knight turns out to be Velachaz's nephew Galen, the quest is on. Teman and Vela journey north with the youth in hopes of saving Galen from himself. They encounter one adventure after another along the way, learning from each other as they go. But Teman has a secret of his own. He hopes to save the dragon from Galen's sword before either one of them gets hurt. What they find when they reach the dragon's lair is the biggest secret of all. The story is peopled with interesting characters and supernatural beings, from the plucky servant Sally whose sling seldom misses to the eccentric artist Mad Elaine, the wood sprite Rowan, the wicked cat-woman in her ruined tower, and of course, the dragon. In the end, only by working together can Teman and Velachaz hope to save the day.

Rie Sheridan's The Right Hand of Velachaz is a charming fantastical tale that will be enjoyed by young readers and adults interested in reading short fiction...The action is fast-paced and the author provides a sufficient amount of details without slowing the reader...

The Right Hand of Velachaz is riddled with plot twists, coincidences, and circumstantial evidence. It takes a young boy with good integrity and strength to stand his ground against a knight, a mage, and the odds; to set matters straight. When readers come to the end of this tale, they will be saddened to say goodbye to the delightful characters and will wait anxiously for Tay's next adventure.

This...book is absolutely delightful!!! Its plot carries several intertwined stories that all become part of the quest for justice and resolution and involve every single, beloved character. Secrets become unlocked and the fantasy tale soars with ever-present challenges that can make or break the mission.

Although this book is classified as young adult fiction, the novel can be enjoyed by all ages! It's a wonderful fable...that will leave the reader believing in magic and wanting more stories from its very talented author.

This reviewer is impressed by Rie Sheridan’s use of the written word and her ability to make you care for these characters. You will find yourself drawn into the adventures of this plucky group of THE RIGHT HAND OF VELACHAZ.

Ms. Sheridan's magical use of words creates characters that are charming and bewitching.

Young readers will be filled with the magic of the message of this book. It's all about belonging and believing. Apart, all of these characters were missing an element in their lives, but together they became one in spirit and strength. Ms. Sheridan has written a book that is filled with hope and laughter and adventure.

An enchanting tale, full of adventure and suspense. With a host of interesting characters, young readers will enjoy this fantasy from beginning to end. A great story about believing in yourself and doing what is right.

Dear Mrs. Sheridan,

I promised you when I met you at ConDFW that I would write you an e-mail after I read your

book, so here it is. First, I would like to say that the book is very good, and I recommend

a sequel. I also think that there should have been some more history in the book. The
added history I am suggesting would include the history of the town and the dragon. A

sequel would probably tell what happened to Teman, Velachaz, Sally and Fieriluna. Otherwise,

the book was very good book and I would like to read more of your titles. This e-mail is

short because the book was good. Mostly, if an e-mail is long, it means that the book was

bad, and therefore there were a lot of suggestions.

Sincerely,

Drew Taylor