The Last Stand of Daronwy

Twin Hills is a dying forest in an abandoned Texas oil field, now skirted by a residential neighborhood. Its protector is an ancient oak tree called Daronwy, who has turned the forest’s pain into a dark magic that it hopes can keep the remaining trees safe from further harm.

The spell was working, too—until a young boy from the nearby neighborhood, Jeremy Trahan, is drawn to the woods in search of the magic he senses instinctively. By finding the magic, Jeremy hopes it will help him escape the boredom and bullies that plague his life—just like in all the books he’s read.

But as he gets closer to discovering the gateway to the other world that the spell hides, land developers descend on the fragile forest with bulldozers and chainsaws. Will Jeremy seize the chance to leave his mundane world behind, or will he stand and fight for his haven?

“For a debut novel, The Last Stand Of Daronwy by Clint Talbert must be considered an impressive success. A deftly woven, complex, original fantasy story that engages the reader’s total attention from beginning to end, The Last Stand Of Daronwy is highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library YA fiction collections.” — Jack Mason, The Midwest Book Review

"There have been hundreds of stories that glibly tell of young people plunged into fantastic settings, but very few of them make you really FEEL what it’s like to struggle in two worlds, to bring the experience so vividly to life that the tale swallows you. Clint Talbert manages just that in this beautifully written gem of a tale. Get this book! — Ed Greenwood, author & creator, the Forgotten Realms series

“Clint Talbert has crafted an intelligent fable about friendship, courage, and standing up for one’s beliefs. Jeremy’s quest to save the last remnants of a once proud forest pits the dogged idealism of youth against an adult world that has given up all hope for a happy ending.” — Sean Mulcahy, author, Slip Sliding Away