Book excerpt: They've been kicked out of their world. Now they want ours. In 1895 . . . a policeman follows a trail of murders that leads to a discovery too incredible to believe. In 1910 . . . fourteen-year-old James Kinghorn finds an entrance to Eldaterra, the Old World, where magic forces -- good and evil -- struggle for domination. With the help of some unexpected friends, including two dwarf brothers, a beguiling elf, parlanimals, and a wizard with many secrets, James uncovers a deadly conspiracy that began fifteen years before. If the enemy's plans are not stopped, both worlds will plunge into unthinkable chaos. . . . The first book of the World of Eldaterra series weaves mystery and fantasy into an extraordinary, heart-stopping adventure.