Bøger af Ryan Byrnes

Matthew's biggest regret Is the world's only hope And his greatest weakness. After barely surviving the winter against the armies of the warlord, Carsumi, Matthew and his meager group of freedom fighters are desperate to seek out a new ally, even one only spoken of in ancient legends. The journey leads them from the deepest caverns, to the highest peaks, and into a strategic nightmare. As Matthew and his soldiers scramble to counter betrayals and failures, he realizes their only hope rests in his biggest secret...and destroying his only friendship.

One Last Crystal One Last Knight One Last Hope The free kingdoms have fallen, Matthew and his friends are wounded and scattered, and their only hope rests in the person who hates Matthew the most. Bent on redeeming himself, Matthew sets out to hunt down the last Crystal of Erisedia. At best, he will win back his best friend. At worst, he will watch the Otherworld burn. Meanwhile, Carsumi's army has conquered all but one city - Haideth's home. To defend it in a losing battle, Haideth must choose to sacrifice his honor, his friends, and his sanity. There are no more plans and no more shelters. The Son of Time will meet his fate.

Eighteen year old Matthew Hawking constantly wishes he can be a hero. That's how he deals with living a boring life of pampered luxury. One summer he decides to mix it up by running away. That's the summer his life turned upside down. After discovering a long-forgotten prophecy while on the run, Matthew embarks on a quest across two worlds for the legendary crystals of Erisedia. Failure to find them will mean the return to power of the worst enemy both worlds have ever known. The prophecy reveals that many years ago the wizard Erisedia asked his children to gather the six magic crystals and use them to destroy the evil Carsumi before he takes over the world. Nobody knows the identity of the chosen ones, but as the adventures mount, Matthew begins to wonder if he and his new friends might be Erisedia's children. Pursued by a merciless warlord with an army of thousands, Matthew begins to see himself as the hero of a glamorous adventure. As the story intensifies and lives hang in the balance, Matthew must decide if he will remain the swash-buckling, cape-wearing icon of his dreams or mature into a true leader who fulfills the prophecy. He must learn to tame his selfish impulses in order to conquer the evil which is all around him. The Crystals of Kings is a magical twist on the classic, fast-paced treasure hunt story, and has been described as Harry Potter meets Indiana Jones. It is the first of four books in the Son of Time series. The adventure chronicles the change in Matthew and his two companions as they learn that being a hero involves sacrifice, friendship, trust, and bravery.

When we betray our friends...when kingdoms break...when freedom enslaves...redemption remains. Six months have passed since eighteen year old Matthew Hawking left behind his lavish home to hunt down the Crystals of Erisedia, the only weakness of the warlord Carsumi. Now, the crystals have been stolen, and the social order of the Otherworld is finally breaking under Carsumi's lawless army. Matthew and his friends lead a meager group of freedom fighters to take back the crystals and finally end Carsumi's reign. However, Matthew knows differently. Even if he can break into Carsumi's fortress to reclaim the crystals before winter ends, it will be for nothing. One secret is slowly destroying him...and the fate of the Otherworld. He has only himself to blame.

From Novelist Ryan Byrnes, Winner of the 2020 Independent Publisher Book Awards "Sweeping and deeply felt, if you love history and love, then Ryan Byrnes's My Dear Antonio is for you."--Kathleen Rooney, Bestselling Author of From Dust to Stardust "Ryan Byrnes's My Dear Antonio conveys the serpentine immigrant experience of two Italian Americans with warmth and authenticity."--Sophie Perinot, Award-Winning Author of Médici's Daughter "Pure literary alchemy...Impeccably researched as well as heartfelt and captivating, this is a must-read for fans of historical fiction and true-life love stories alike."--Erica Obey, Award-Winning Author of The Brooklyn North Murder In 1912, after barely medicating herself against a near-fatal asthma attack, Sicilian emigrant Anna DiNicola reluctantly leaves her family's Brooklyn tenement to seek a cure in the balmy climate of Tunisia. She is one of the few American immigrants to return to the Old World. In Tunisia, she detests how her asthma renders her dependent on her aunt, so she works for independence by learning to weave traditional wedding shawls for the Sephardic Jewish community. However, her apprenticeship comes with an expectation that she will marry her mentor's son while her heart lies with someone else. Antonio Orlando, a Sicilian native, dreams of working in his father's barber shop. However, mafia shootings force his father to close the shop and emigrate to America, abandoning Antonio in the Old World. To avoid slavery under the mafia, Antonio moves in with his uncle, a barber in Tunisia. Antonio swears he will one day return to Sicily and rebuild his family's barber shop, hoping it will inspire his father to return. He befriends Anna during her regular haircuts and begins to wonder if home is not a place but rather a person. When he accepts a betrothal to his cousin that would enable him to return to Sicily, Antonio must choose between his duty to family and his heart.