The Hero’s Journey is the oldest trope in the book of books. There’s a beginning with high stakes. There’s a middle with obstacles to overcome. Lastly, there’s an ending—definitive and, if not happy, at least satisfying. The hero, having learned her lesson, is transformed.
I already feel transformed, though my epic journey to save Solera has just begun. I was suffocating on Earth. Like a frog being boiled in water, I couldn’t feel the heat until all my positive emotions had evaporated.
“You’re smiling too much,” Valen mutters. “Take this seriously, or our cover is blown.”
“I am taking this seriously,” I retort from my perch on Cendrion’s back as he leads the army column. We’re marching to the northern kingdom of Galvia, zigzagging through verdant valleys and forests carpeting mountain f
