Epic fantasy adventure. Complete 4-book series in one volume.
The Tetralogy: Part 1: Tales of the Rasha La Part 2: Beyond the Moonwalk Part 3: Byways of the Butterfly Part 4: The Lure of the Dragon Range
...and since it was their turn, the monarchs told their own story: A tale of lost children who return to earth as butterflies on the wings of the Fyrstellia, the falling stars.
For when the Lord of Light granted men a mortal lifespan He founded a halfway house in the nearby heavens as well, the Halls of Waiting, where angels could bring the fallen and tend their spirits until they were ready to go further into the Light. For most it was only a short stay, but not for the children.
"They don't want to go on", reported the Keeper of the Halls. "They want to go back".
Here are two that did—Rasha La, such monarchs call themselves—together with an account of their journey into Mexico, caught up along the way in the fortunes of the fairy people on earth.
"It gets worse before it gets better!"
So goes the joke amongst migrators, cheering each other on, laughing at harsh reality.
The jest speaks to an unspoken truth. Some of them will never see the part where it gets better. Those are the odds. But odds are for losers, not migrators!
So journey with them fearlessly! Yes, there are horrible dangers just ahead, but against that you will have a guide - a hummingbird with skill in the arts of light - and for lighter company a pair of brash young monarch butterflies beginning to learn the ways of the wild.
What could go wrong?
Synopsis:
Here you will meet monarch butterflies of the little-known subspecies Rasha La, recently arrived in the wildwood: Yero and Boca, a girl and a boy.
You'll find them sheltering overnight in a thorn bush and awaken early with them to an awareness of predators in the trees above - a roost of hungry crows - some wary of the monarch toxicity, some not. Debate ensues about the butterflies' edibility and the Top Crow calls for a review of the old 'Warnings' about food.
They'll escape this time, but a greater danger is about to overtake them. They are the last monarchs of Northern Autumn. They have delayed their migration to enjoy a warm Indian Summer, but this will be the last idyllic day. By evening snow will fly unexpectedly in a fierce onset of winter. This, with a two thousand mile journey still ahead of them.
Very soon they will need all the willpower of their wild side.
They will need the unquenchable humor of their human side, too. Luckily, that is in surplus.
And they will find themselves desperately in need of a guide to get through the bad weather. But pressing issues must wait, even as the blizzard approaches.
First, they must deal with tribbits!
Synopsis: Wherein the monarchs with their guide enter the Night Sky to renew the stardust on their wings. There, in a kingdom behind the Aurora, they are drawn into a long-awaited uprising of the lesser fairy lasses against their slave masters. The cause celebre is Boca, nicknamed Ombomba -'The boy who lit the fuse' - by his pixie admirers. He is the first boy ever to turn up in Nyo, an event that upsets the status quo. The 'burning fuse' inevitably leads to an explosion. War and cataclysm engulf the Night Sky, hidden from earthly eyes by the great curtain of the Aurora.
Synopsis: Wherein the travelers return to the green earth below only to find it much as they had left it: Snow-covered and icy. Rogues and rascals lie in ambush ahead of them everywhere along the migratory route: A pitiable hitchhiker, a Mugwump and his Toady Court, a den of virtuous sidewinders, a bleached cattle skull seeking rehabilitation, a packrat with a Ferris Wheel, and others - each with their own style of robbery or murder. Excellent liars, all of them. But migrators aren't easily caught. Always their journey calls to them. While they still live, they will heed the call. "Turn left at the setting sun", so they had been told. Prophetic words, for the Rio Grande River and a turning point in their journey await in that direction. But the Great American Desert lies between
Synopsis: Wherein the monarchs lose their guide and fall into the company of the fairies Peco, Pio and Obobo - uncouth, unkempt fellows who strongly disapprove of girls that speak their minds, but willingly lead the butterflies deep into Mexico knowing that their own enemies - ghost warriors of the 14th and 15th centuries - gladly await them. Yes, tomorrow is nothing if not perilous. But in the meantime, there is a new social order to get used to. Yero, as the only girl, finds herself an outcast within the company while Boca is heartily welcomed by the macho band. This is unfair, but the fellows don't listen to complaints. She will have to earn their respect. No worries there; Yero will shatter the barriers. But Manino, winter home of the monarchs, will present greater problems if the butterflies ever get that far. Bad weather has gripped the mountains and jealousy has divided the Roost. "Just don't expect paradise", they are warned. "It's cold up there right now. That's one thing, but not the only thing".
I have really been impressed with reading this e-book. First of all, who doesn’t love a good fantasy story especially about butterflies. The butterflies are not like the typical butterfly that is outside someone’s house. No. These butterflies are real special especially with them being children being brought back to Earth as butterflies. The children return as butterflies do to the Frystellia or simply known as “Falling Stars.” The main characters, Yero(female butterfly) and Boca(male butterfly), are two butterflies that are on a journey to get to Manino, which is what they refer to as, “Land of our kind.” They have to travel great distances in order to make it to Manino. They end up meeting lots of different characters including the Tribbits: Yesac, Itsirk, and Noiro. The only difference between the three of them is that Itsirk is a female Tribbit with pink, sharp leaves while the other two, Yesac and Noiro, are male Tribbits with rounded leaves. The Tribbits are trees that are not ordinary trees especially with them having human like features such as being able to having the ability to walk and have feet. They got their powers from a sweet, but wise hummingbird, Atel, who is also referred to as “Nanny” in the book. The butterflies eventually have to say their goodbyes to the Tribbits and Atel in order to get to Manino so they can be with their kind. This is a great fantasy story and very easy to read as well. There is close to 700 pages in this e-book, but it’s really worth it to take the time out especially during free time in order to read this. I really do recommend it. The author, Allen “Pud” Deters, really does a great job with being very descriptive and bring each character to live. I got this e-book for free or at a heavy discount in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. - AMPLette2015
This is a pretty good fantasy novel, even if it is about butterflies. Which I'm absolutely terrified of, just so we're clear. But these butterflies kind of have a sad back story if you think about it, they're children who were brought back to earth. They're on their way to Manino and like you could imagine meet all sorts of characters along their way. Including trees that aren't your average trees. This is a bit of a long read certainly not something you can knock out in an afternoon. Overall, I felt good about the plot development not lacking in any certain area of having any huge holes. Same goes for the characters they were well developed. The descriptive narrating was on point so you never felt lost while readying. Job well done. Product provided for evaluation. - Aubree