Grim Nora and the Secret of the Skull
by A.M. Albaugh
Genre: YA Fantasy
278 pages
When Nora Youngblood’s father dies on her sixteenth birthday, it’s the end of everything she ever knew. But a new journey begins with a skull-shaped pocket watch – the last gift from her father, a professor of archaeology. Where did this mysterious trinket come from, and why would a warlock named Kabos now be hunting her for it?
Nora, now an orphan, finds protection under a wizard named Malachi, his handsome apprentice, Aidan, and a brother she never knew she had. As she learns the truth about her family’s mysterious past, Nora seeks to uncover the secret of the skull, which leads to both a powerful and dangerous weapon. With the fate of the skull in her hands, she’s lured into the hidden world of Dubhgail to combat the treacherous Kabos – who has kidnapped her brother. Can she sacrifice herself to save her brother and her friends?
In this fantasy novel, a teenage girl discovers her magical heritage and soon finds herself facing the might of an evil warlock in another world.
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Nora, now an orphan, finds protection under a wizard named Malachi, his handsome apprentice, Aidan, and a brother she never knew she had. As she learns the truth about her family’s mysterious past, Nora seeks to uncover the secret of the skull, which leads to both a powerful and dangerous weapon. With the fate of the skull in her hands, she’s lured into the hidden world of Dubhgail to combat the treacherous Kabos – who has kidnapped her brother. Can she sacrifice herself to save her brother and her friends?
In this fantasy novel, a teenage girl discovers her magical heritage and soon finds herself facing the might of an evil warlock in another world.
Add to Goodreads
Amazon * B&N
Raynor sat down on the box spring slowly. Eva had died in a car accident, but now Nora was not so sure that it was an accident.
“The car burst into flames,” he uttered. “There was nothing left but ash.”
Nora frowned and sat down next to her brother. “Isn’t it odd that Kabos found this book at Yggdrasil?” she asked. “It just seems like Dad would have taken more care in keeping it a secret.”
Raynor looked at her in astonishment, and nodded in agreement. “Kabos had the book,” he said and scowled. “Then he left it there on purpose for you or Malachi to find.”
“But why?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he answered.
That night as Nora lay sleeping, a barely audible but distinctly musical sound awoke her. It sounded like piano music, but they didn’t have a piano in the house. It was melodic and melancholic, and as she sat up, she thought she could hear it better. It was Rachmaninoff’s “Elégie in E-Flat Minor”. Feeling as though she had no control over her body, her head began to sway along with the music. She got out of bed, and headed down the stairs slowly. In the middle of the living room was a black grand piano. As she walked around it, she saw her mother in a white night gown. Confused, she wondered if she was dreaming.
Nora was about to sit next to her mother on the bench, when Raynor ran down and yelled from the middle of the steps.
“No! It’s Kabos!”
Nora watched in horror as her mother turned to look at her, and her face and body decomposed before her eyes. She jumped away from the piano, and the piano turned into a black liquid that coalesced and coagulated into a ball. The black ball oozed a man’s head with many sharp teeth, and limbs began to form and grow.
Taking a deep breath, Nora closed her eyes. She stood still and began muttering. Raising her arms, she repeated the lines louder. “Wha hai maru si hnou! Veri ni ma valu.
Aux laudam recidai!” she said.
Raynor ran to her and pulled her away as she watched the dumbfounded face on the black ball begin to melt away. The furniture in the living room caught fire, and the dark
ball tried to amalgamate again, but failed and oozed a tarlike substance all over the floor. The floor and the walls caught fire rapidly.
“We have to get out of here!” Raynor yelled.
“My backpack!” she cried and ran upstairs.
She found her backpack in her bedroom, but on her way out she noticed that the fire had spread. Running back to the stairs as quickly as she could, choking and sweating, she found that half of the stairs was gone.
“The car burst into flames,” he uttered. “There was nothing left but ash.”
Nora frowned and sat down next to her brother. “Isn’t it odd that Kabos found this book at Yggdrasil?” she asked. “It just seems like Dad would have taken more care in keeping it a secret.”
Raynor looked at her in astonishment, and nodded in agreement. “Kabos had the book,” he said and scowled. “Then he left it there on purpose for you or Malachi to find.”
“But why?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” he answered.
That night as Nora lay sleeping, a barely audible but distinctly musical sound awoke her. It sounded like piano music, but they didn’t have a piano in the house. It was melodic and melancholic, and as she sat up, she thought she could hear it better. It was Rachmaninoff’s “Elégie in E-Flat Minor”. Feeling as though she had no control over her body, her head began to sway along with the music. She got out of bed, and headed down the stairs slowly. In the middle of the living room was a black grand piano. As she walked around it, she saw her mother in a white night gown. Confused, she wondered if she was dreaming.
Nora was about to sit next to her mother on the bench, when Raynor ran down and yelled from the middle of the steps.
“No! It’s Kabos!”
Nora watched in horror as her mother turned to look at her, and her face and body decomposed before her eyes. She jumped away from the piano, and the piano turned into a black liquid that coalesced and coagulated into a ball. The black ball oozed a man’s head with many sharp teeth, and limbs began to form and grow.
Taking a deep breath, Nora closed her eyes. She stood still and began muttering. Raising her arms, she repeated the lines louder. “Wha hai maru si hnou! Veri ni ma valu.
Aux laudam recidai!” she said.
Raynor ran to her and pulled her away as she watched the dumbfounded face on the black ball begin to melt away. The furniture in the living room caught fire, and the dark
ball tried to amalgamate again, but failed and oozed a tarlike substance all over the floor. The floor and the walls caught fire rapidly.
“We have to get out of here!” Raynor yelled.
“My backpack!” she cried and ran upstairs.
She found her backpack in her bedroom, but on her way out she noticed that the fire had spread. Running back to the stairs as quickly as she could, choking and sweating, she found that half of the stairs was gone.
A. M. Albaugh is an award-winning poet and photographer. She studied anthropology and communications with an emphasis in film and television at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Favorite authors include Hermann Hesse, Dostoyevsky, J.R.R. Tolkien, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Lao Tzu, Kurt Vonnegut, Knut Hamsun, and Kahlil Gibran. She also enjoys writing code.
Website * Facebook * Amazon * Goodreads
Website * Facebook * Amazon * Goodreads
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Mar 1
Anna Del C Dye
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
Jan 29
kickoff at Silver Dagger Book Tours
Jan 30
La Libreria di Beppe
Lukten av Trykksverte
Jan 31
Jazzy Book Reviews
Spunky N Sassy
Feb 1
Cranky TBC – REVIEW
AC Squared Book Blog
Feb 2
2 Girls & A Book
A Mama's Corner of the World
Feb 3
Loves Great Reads Blog
WS Momma Readers Nook
Feb 4
Momma Says: To Read or Not to Read
XoXo Book Blog
Feb 5
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too!
Belle's Book Blog
Feb 6
Book Bangers Blog
Books a Plenty Book Reviews
Feb 7
Laurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews
Bound 2 Escape
Feb 8
Book Review Virignia Lee
Book Reviews and Giveaways
Feb 9
books are love
BookwormBridgette's World
Feb 10
Mello & June
YA Book Divas
Feb 11
Aconite Cafe
Feb 12
Brianna Remus Books
Deal Sharing Aunt
Feb 13
Character Madness and Musings
Fantasticando sui libri
Feb 14
Cali Book Reviews
Girl with Pen
Feb 15
411 on Books, Authors and Publishing News
Kimmie Sue's Book Reviews & More
Feb 16
Home for Book Lovers
Lisa-Queen of Random
Feb 17
Meghan's Mindless Mutterings: Reviews & Giveaways
Yearwood La Novela
Feb 18
Queen of All She Reads
Yah gotta read this
Feb 19
Ms. Cat's Honest World
nanasbookreviews
Feb 20
Rabid Readers Book Blog
Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom
Feb 21
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
Rambling Reviews
Feb 22
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin'
Sylv.net
Feb 23
Rachel Reads – REVIEW
T's Stuff
Feb 24
Teatime and Books
Feb 25
The Authors Blog
Feb 26
The Bookworm Chronicles
The Book Town
Feb 27
Triple A
The Attic Ghost
Feb 28
Jessica Jesinghaus, Random Thoughts of an Author & Book Junkie – REVIEW
G & T's Indie Cafe
Mar 1
Anna Del C Dye
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
