Arken Freeth and the Adventure of the Neanderthals Series

A young warrior stands at the precipice of war… To succeed he must find his courage and survive a treacherous journey across the sea. Arken Freeth has always wanted to prove himself worthy of his king's appointment by becoming an officer in the Lantish Sea Service. Now the only thing standing in his way is his apprenticeship SeaJourney. But a peaceful training mission soon turns into a deadly struggle for survival as Arken's fleet must come to the aid of a princess fleeing capture by Tookan pirates.  SeaJourney kicks off an epic and fantastical adventure that is a great read for all ages.  * Start reading Alex Paul's adventure series today with Book 1, SeaJourney. You can also sign up for Alex's newsletter at his Arken Freeth website to hear the latest on forthcoming books in the series. * SeaJourney has won First Place in the 2016 YA Fiction Dante Rossetti Awards!

As war looms like an evil shadow over the world… Arken Freeth must save his crewmates' lives as they traverse a deadly jungle filled with massive wolves and sabertooth cats. In the age before the Great Flood, 13,000 years ago, a new alliance between the nations of Lanth and Tolaria is threatened by pyramid-building Amarrats out to conquer and enslave the world.  Fourteen-year-old Arken Freeth is swept up in the conflict when his Lantish Military Academy training ship is attacked by pirates and runs ashore. He and six classmates are the only survivors of the shipwreck, and they struggle to live in a jungle filled with saber-tooth cats, dire wolves, mammoths, and mastodons.  Arken has salvaged a necklace from the wreck--a necklace that bestows the gift of prophecy. If Arken can get it to the King of Lanth, he will turn the tide of war.  SeaJourney kicks off an epic and fantastical adventure that is a great read for all ages.  *Start reading Alex Paul's adventure series today with Book 1, SeaJourney. You can also sign up for Alex's newsletter at his Arken Freeth website to hear the latest on forthcoming books in the series.*

Arken learns more about the secrets of his heritage and discovers the strengths it offers will help him to earn a place of leadership among his grandmother's people. Arken Freeth and Asher, the future king of Tolaria, find themselves trapped in the Nanders' Water Cave as they await the recovery of Arken's love, Talya.  While living among the Nanders, Arken earns the respect of the tribe as he hunts the deadly jalag and massive toth with the tribe. But Arken, Asher, and Talya soon anger the wife and son of the tribe's leader, Jen. If Arken does not accept Jen's challenge to the death, all their lives will be in jeopardy.  SeaJourney kicks off an epic and fantastical adventure that is a great read for all ages.  *Start reading Alex Paul's adventure series today with Book 1, SeaJourney. You can also sign up for Alex's newsletter at his Arken Freeth website to hear the latest on forthcoming books in the series.*

A battle is looming between the Tookans and Arken Freeth's band of Lantish, Tolarian, and Nander warriors. Who will survive? The Pirate King Yolanta's fleet has fled to Situn, a barbarian settlement on the northern coast of the Circle Sea. Once provisioned, Yolanta plans a return to the River Zash and a final battle that will secure the Necklace of Tol for the Amarrat King. But before Yolanta can return to crush the Nanders, he will face betrayal and death at the hands of the hostile residents of Situn, the treacherous walled city of the North. A troubling vision has warned Arken Freeth that Yolanta and his men will soon storm the Nanders' Water Cave. In order to save the Nander tribe and protect the Necklace of Tol, Arken, Talya, and Asher must forge weapons and train the Nanders in the art of modern warfare, an impossible task when the Nanders follow The Way and are so resistant to change. Mar discovers that Arken is the Jalet-hoi, the one foretold to be the savior of the Nanders. But in order to fulfill this powerful prophecy, Arken must survive a duel with Jen, the tribal chief's son, to save his friend Ord's life. No one, not even Asher or Talya, believes Arken will win this fight with such a powerful warrior. Even if he does live, will their battle training be enough for them to build a Nander army skilled enough to survive the Tookan Attack?

An award-winning YA Fantasy series! Rescued from pirates by Neanderthals, Arken Freeth has adapted to their life in the wilderness because he is part Neanderthal himself. Arken becomes a bull of the tribe after killing a toth with his bow and uses his position as a leader of the Neanderthals to help them defend their Water Cave when pirates attack. Arken yearns for a reunion with his family and hopes that Talya's parents will allow them to pledge to marry when they reach legal age. He and his friend Asher also hope that Asher's father, the King of Tolaria, will bless the arrangement Arken and Asher have made to share the use of the Necklace of Tol with the Water Cave tribe. Arken believes that by doing this, the Amarrat invaders can ultimately be defeated. But Arken's triumphant return home to Lanth is ruined when he sees his Neanderthal blood brother Ord being sold as a slave as Arken sails into port. Arken's nemesis, Gart, buys Ord, and then plots with the King of Lanth to hold Ord hostage to force the Neanderthals to give up the Necklace of Tol—something they will never do. Arken must find a way to free his best friend from slavery and save the Lantish people from the invasion of the Amarrats. Yet Gart's family opposes him at every turn and is willing to commit murder to achieve their goals. Arken finds that the only way to save his city is for Arken and his friends to escape the city and cross the treacherous Valley of Death.