Cardslinger

Description

An epic quest full of action and mystery. A big adventure with a big heart, Cardslinger is aces! --Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of the TombQuest series It's 1881, and a newfangled card game called Mythic is sweeping the nation. Twelve-year-old Jason Shuffle Jones doesn't like it. He and his father created the game for themselves, before his father went missing. Mythic should have disappeared with him. But when Shuffle discovers a clue in a pack of Mythic cards, he sets out on a quest to find his dad. Along the way he clashes with a devious card swindler, an epic twister, and the ruthless bounty hunter Six-Plum Skylla and her gang. As he gets closer to the truth, will he turn tail or push all-in to become a real hero?

M. G. Velasco's middle grade adventure stories feature clever kids facing perilous situations in unique settings, sometimes against llamas. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and worked at a pathology lab, which was not gross. Not gross at all. As a retired stay-at-home dad, he lives in North Texas with his wife and two kids and hoards strategy games. Cardslinger is his debut novel.

Euless Jones disappeared four years ago while hot on the trail of an ancient treasure. His 12-year-old son, Jason 'Shuffle' Jones, has always believed that his father is alive, but he doesn't have proof until a salesman rolls into town, flogging a card game called Mythic that is supposedly sweeping the West. Mythic is identical to a game invented by Euless--just for the two of them. And so, in search of his father, Shuffle embarks on a madcap journey through the Old West, during which he is both helped and hindered by a colorful cast of fictional and historical figures. Velasco's debut deftly blends intriguing characters and an intricate plot into a good old-fashioned western adventure. The story occasionally gets bogged down in detailed descriptions of actual Mythic gameplay, but the game also provides excellent introductions to mythical heroes and legends from a variety of cultures. The focus on a card game is also a wonderful reminder that intelligence is more important than mere physical brawn, even in the Wild West.--Booklist -- "Website" (7/26/2019 12:00:00 AM) Reader, I'm warning you now: this book is bursting at the seams with so much action-packed fun, you better saddle up, grab the reins, and hold on tight. A pair of savvy heroes, a whole heaping of unscrupulous villains, and a story chock-full of action, adventure, and lore make Cardslinger a must-read for anyone!--Brooks Benjamin, author of My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights -- "Other Print" (1/7/2019 12:00:00 AM) Rowdy, rollicking, and riveting, Cardslinger is a fresh and original hold-on-to-your-hat adventure!--Dan Gemeinhart, author of Scar Island and Some Kind of Courage -- "Other Print" (2/22/2019 12:00:00 AM) The world's great myths and legendary tales of the American West collide as Shuffle Jones embarks on an epic quest full of action and mystery. A big adventure with a big heart, Cardslinger is aces!--Michael Northrop, New York Times bestselling author of the TombQuest series -- "Other Print" (2/22/2019 12:00:00 AM)