'The Southern Lands' saga

Genre: Young Adult Epic Fantasy

The Southern Lands is a series of books that is centered on the 'Xannu', a prophet who has been sent to re-unite the people of his lands. Although the Xannu is the central character in these books, the stories weave around several other major characters.

 The Southern Lands is a fantasy series written for adults 10 years and up. The books appeal to people on many levels and contain rich character definitions, battle scenes, intrigue and many thought provoking ideas.

Xannu - The Prophecy (Book 1)

“Listen to the teachings of a wise man. You may not understand all he says but you will surely have nourishment for the future. Be positive and plan for success. Failure to plan is to plan for failure. Worry not at what came before but only prepare yourselves for that which is ahead.”
(Pika’Al 10:1-5, The Scriptures of Al’Zaneed)

Would you wake up in a hot sweat if you lived your night’s dreams as a soldier battling un-earthly creatures, witnessing powerful magic and fighting to save your own life on a daily basis?

English schoolboy Terry West does. Frequently. After digging up some rune coins near a roman road, he has been living in another world inhabited by warlocks, seductresses, priests and prophecy. There Terry is a soldier, Teern Truthbringer, who has been tasked with finding the Xannu - 'he who will lead the people into deliverance.'

If only it wasn’t real; but it is. Very real. When it all began it was even enjoyable, but now Terry’s life is getting very complicated. Somehow he involved his best friend Joe and although it had seemed a good idea at the time, the consequences had been dire. Then there is Susan, the leggy sister of klutzy school-friend Brian. Why does she keep sending him messages?

Terry is struggling to balance the two lives he leads and every day he is losing his grip on reality just a little bit more. He’s been forced to kill enemies; his companion, the magical woman Maria, is scaring him half to death with her abilities; and his parents are on his back about his school work.

How will he balance the two lives he leads, solve two sets of problems, and understand the lessons he receives from both? Only time will tell. But time is something Terry doesn't have too much of, as everything is unfolding in ways he could never have imagined!


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Xannu - The Healing (Book 2)

“Listen to what the animals have to say. Listen to their advice. Do not rely on the word of mankind, for theirs is already a path leading towards disaster.”
(Foretellings of Taesso 6:12-13)



The Healing continues the story of Terry West, a twelve-year-old English boy, who travels to an alternate world using rune coins he discovered while digging for old bottles. In his other parallel life he is an eighteen-year-old soldier, Teern Truthbringer, who was tasked with finding the Xannu.

Unfortunately, Terry’s best friend Joe is now trapped in these strange lands and his parents back in England believe he is dead. What is more, another more important character is slowly dying. Can a cure be found for him before it is too late and the fate of The Southern lands is doomed forever? The book is really two stories in one, as Terry switches between his two existences searching for solutions that always seem just beyond reach.

Xannu - The Portal (Book 3)

Currently awaiting publication... (Due early 2012)