The latest release from M. J. Konevich, 2004 EPPIE finalist for The Woods Around Carter's Lake (Best Horror)... Thomas Barclay was just an average student in an average town--or so he thought. When he begins asking questions about an ancient text, some of the townsfolk start to notice. One person in particular doesn't want him to know about this book, and he will go to any lengths to make sure that Thomas doesn't live. As events unfold, Thomas finds himself on the run from the strange, but powerful, Dr. Lawrence Washburne. Thomas flees into an old, abandoned building and suddenly finds himself falling through time and space and into another world--one where his last name carries significant weight. He's in the Mare Outlands, an ancient world slowly dying at the hands of Dr. Washburne. The inhabitants are in need of a leader, and Thomas is the only one they will follow. Can he learn to survive in a different land where the very daylight can kill him? Can he actually find his true heritage and take up the only weapon that can destroy Washburne? It's up to Thomas and his small band of friends to find out. But the clock is ticking, because Washburne has plans that, if successful, will open a gateway between Thomas' world and the Outlands. [Genres: Horror / Dark Fantasy]