It takes more than magic to make a hero, in the next installment of this hilarious and epic illustrated series. One not-so-chosen champion and his mystical friends must cross the multiverse and harness a dangerous power to defeat a mysterious new enemy. "My favorite new fantasy series.” —Max Brallier, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Last Kids on Earth series After leveling up from basement roleplaying games to saving an entire magical realm, 12-year-old Ben isn’t happy returning to his ordinary life of homework and chores. So when his very un- magical LARP session is crashed by monstrous frog-men from another dimension, he can't wait to get back into hero mode. Someone is after all the Spellbinder’s books, which grant the users — including Ben — epic reality-shifting powers. Ben, Niara, Merv, Drake, and their new friend Agnes must embark on an epic quest to save the books and their owners. But while hopping across different realms may be Ben’s idea of a totally awesome spring break, it’s tough to be an ordinary kid among extraordinary heroes. Especially when fighting for the fate of the universe seems to consist mostly of finding fun new ways to get them all killed, from zombie rats to pool noodle squids, to a mysterious Big Bad controlling everything from behind the scenes. How do you win the game when someone else is rolling the dice? "The metafictive story structure counters predictability with a self-awareness that caters to imaginative readers.... Ideal for fantasy nerds, gamers, and writers ." — Kirkus Reviews Andrew Auseon is the author of several books for children and young adults, and he is the writer of numerous bestselling and award-winning video games. A transplant from the Midwest, he lives in Washington, D.C. with his family and two very naughty cats. He loves breakfast cereal, the sound of the ocean, and the feeling of a brand-new book in his hands. 1 Playdate “Butternut squash!” Behind a rotted old tree stump, Ben Whitlock, Spellbinder Level 2 and tenor in the middle school glee club, prepared to meet his doom. His death would be fast, and it would most certainly be messy, but that didn’t mean he’d go down without a fight. “I’m too cute to die!” Ben’s friend Merv squealed, hunching against the trunk of a tree as two blasts of magic whipped overhead. “Where’s Agnes? She said she’d cover our attack.” “Agnes had to go put on more sunblock,” Ben said. “Why does she need sunblock? It’s raining.” “She has very sensitive skin.” “Couldn’t she have waited for, like, two minutes? What did she say?” “Something about SPF.” “What’s SPF?” “I DON’T KNOW! I’VE NEVER KNOWN!” More spells flashed by overhead, crashing into the nearby trees and bushes. It sounded like the whole forest was falling down around them. Hidden in the safety of the drizzling mist, their enemies, a band of ruthless mercenaries called the Circle of Souls, smacked the blades of their swords together, filling the air with the terrifying drumbeat of war. Taking a deep breath, Ben summoned his bravery. He’d faced bigger threats before and survived with all his bits and pieces intact. What was one more band of raiders? In one hand he held a small, curved war hammer, and in the other he held his phone, which for all its cool apps and great screen resolution turned out to be pretty useless in battle. “We need a new plan,” he said. “I like our current plan,” Merv said. “Hiding behind a stump is not a plan.” “What if we hide behind a rock? Or a ridge? Or a log?” “Stop listing things to hide behind!” “Can’t we just give up and go home?” Merv asked, ducking behind cover as arrows whistled past. Ben shook his head. “Never. We’ll fight to the very end.” “I liked you better when you ran away from a fight,” Merv grumbled. Gradually, the volley of arrows ended with a few final shots that plonked off what was left of the wet stump. Then, silence. A cool breeze swept through the trees and shook the branches. Ben lifted a finger. “Wait! Listen! They’re planning something.” “Are they planning to hide behind a stump, like us?” Ben growled. “I should just use you as a human shield.” “Too bad I’m not human,” Merv said with a wink. BEN WHITLOCK Always eager to rush into battle, even when he probably shouldn’t, this courageous Earthling has a head for lore and a loyal heart. Formerly the Chosen One of Lux, he is now known as “Mr. Whitlock” by teachers and “Hey, You!” by other kids at school. • CLASS: Spellbinder • FACTION: The Four Squires (placeholder) • ALIGNMENT: Merciful Neutral • ABILITIES: Spellcasting, Allowance +2, Game Mastery • SPECIAL MOVES: Double Thumbs-Up, Advanced Uncomfortable Silence It was true; Merv wasn’t human. They were a creature called a mimir from another world, and they could change their physical appearance at will . . . and they could also get on Ben’s nerves like nobody else. They snored, sang all the wrong lyrics to pop songs (“for s