Nate Fludd, Beastologist, is back in the camel saddle in hot pursuit of a missing, deadly Basilisk--the King of Serpents. As if saving an entire Dhughani village from the Basilisk's poisonous gaze isn't difficult enough, Nate and Aunt Phil must begin to piece together the mystery of his parents' disappearance and protect the lone copy of the Fludd Book of Beasts from a sinister man who always seem to be one step ahead of them. Pack your goggles, rue, and an extra pair of gloves and join Nate on another unbelievable adventure--there's no rest for the world's youngest beastologist-in-training!
Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from R.L. LaFevers, Author of The Basilisk's Lair
Dear Amazon Reader, When I was a child growing up in Los Angeles, my mother had a weakness for exotic creatures. Consequently, I grew up surrounded by a true menagerie of birds, pets, and brothers. We had an aviary in our back yard, a flock of chickens (one of which was a house chicken!) rabbits, a goat, pet chipmunks, half a dozen cats, three dogs, and, for a short while, a baby anteater. However, probably the most unusual pets we acquired during that time were two baby bear cubs. Much to our surprise, they were not nearly as soft and cuddly as teddy bears would lead one to believe. The bears were caged in my room, giving it the faint aroma of a zoo. One day, when I was at school, the bears escaped their cage, completely destroyed my room, leaped out of the window, and ran down the block where they climbed a very tall tree, then could not figure out how to get back down. That was the day my mother decided we'd probably had had enough exotic pets. Needless to say, the exposure to all of these creatures greatly shaped my young life. I've always held a special place for animals in my heart and they have figured prominently in my books. While researching another project, I stumbled across a medieval bestiary, the ultimate zoological authority of its time, and I was fascinated by all the mythical creatures listed in there as factual. Right around that same time, I also read about the modern day discovery of new animal species. It drove home for me just how vast and mysterious our planet was, and who knew what could be living in its hidden valleys, unexplored deserts, and remote mountaintops. Thus the world of Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist was born.-R.L. LaFevers(Photo © Rick Carter)