Book excerpt: Jaret Janes has been scorned and rejected by his peers since childhood, but when a violent storm ravages the village of Bristol, it sets events in motion that thrust him into the middle of a sinister conspiracy. Armed with the knowledge gained from the Chronicle of Ages and growing magical powers that have begun to manifest an unpredictable, potentially dangerous aspect, Jaret and his friends set out on a quest to recover the Ravenquick, an ancient talisman that may hold the key to unraveling the centuries-old conspiracy. But things are not always what they seem