User:Jhansche/sandbox/The Shadow of the Gauntlet

The Shadow of the Gauntlet

File:TheShadowOfTheGauntletCover.jpg 1st Paperback ed.
Author	Casey Caracciolo
Illustrator	Casey Caracciolo
Cover artist	Casey Caracciolo
Language	English
Series	Scargen
Genre	Science fiction, fantasy
Publisher	Roundstone Publishing, LLC
Publication date	28 May 2013
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Paperback)
Pages	473 (Paperback edition)
ISBN	978-0615779201

The Shadow of the Gauntlet is a science-fiction/fantasy novel by American author Casey Caracciolo. According to Geekadelphia, the novel "covers well worn, well loved territory, but puts a fresh spin on the magic, tech, and fantasy that we’ve all grown up loving."

Synopsis

On the eve of his graduation from New Salem High, Thomas Scargen awakens from an all-too-real nightmare depicting his father’s mysterious disappearance. Before the boy can regain his composure and slack back into his familiar world of artifs and hologames, Thomas is torn away from his home and hastily ushered into a secret world of magic. He quickly begins to discover his magical potential and grasp his manifesting abilities, but he lacks perhaps the most important component: control.

Yareli Chula, Spirit Summoner and member of The Council of Mages, has been dispatched to recover the boy and bring him to The Council. There he can find the discipline he needs and the answers he seeks, but getting him there alive will be anything but easy. Yareli is not the only one searching for the Scargen boy.

Along his journey, Thomas will ride atop a teleport dragon, duel a High Demon of the Depths, run with the Lions of Sirati, outfox a spirit ghost, race a vampire, and quote Shakespeare with a whiskey-swilling werewolf—all in the hope of discovering the truth about his father.

This quest will be fraught with darkness and a malevolence far more unyielding than anything Thomas has come across in his fantasy books. Armed with his newly realized powers and his unlikely companions, Thomas Scargen will have to face this pervasive evil without being entirely consumed by The Shadow of the Gauntlet.

Plot

Set in an unspecified futuristic universe, The Shadow of the Gauntlet begins with Thomas waking from a dream in which his father, Dr. Carl Scargen, has mysteriously disappeared. Before he has a chance to question the dream, Thomas and his robotic sidekick LINC are drawn outside where he meets Yareli Chula—a beautiful Native American mage—and her spirit-fox Wiyaloo. Together the four battle the mysterious Eerah, ultimately leading to Thomas discovering that he has magical abilities. The friends finally escape the scene riding on Bartleby, a dragon with teleportation capabilities.

Bartleby and LINC have both sustained damaging injuries from the battle, so the group has to divert to Bartleby's home, Draige Manor, where Bartleby's roommates with technical know-how—including Bartleby's gremlin friend Fargus and curator of the manor Hawthorne—will attempt to repair the dragon and the crashed artif. Thomas and Yareli are sent to London to retrieve parts necessary for the repairs from a couple of underground tech dealers. The exchange turns into an ambush, however, when it is revealed that one of the dealers in the meet has sold the pair out to a group of Global Alliance Hunters. The pair narrowly escapes the trap, safely returning to Draige Manor with the parts needed to repair Bartleby and LINC.

After the repairs, Thomas and LINC, together with Bartleby, Fargus, Yareli and Wiyaloo, continue on their journey to their final destination: Sirati, a shifting city resembling an African rainforest protected by magic. Here Thomas meets an entire community of humans and talking bipedal animals living in harmony, including the werewolf and vampire brothers Anson and Malcolm Warwick, his Elephant roommate Onjamba, the militant Lion Emfalmay, and the man who created the city and summoned Thomas in the first place, Ziza. During his stay in Sirati, Thomas undergoes a rigorous training regimen designed to teach him how to hone his magical abilities, and more importantly, how to control them.

...

Major Characters

Thomas Scargen

Thomas Scargen
Scargen character
First appearance	The Shadow of the Gauntlet
Created by	Casey Caracciolo
In-universe information
Nickname	Tom, Tommy
Gender	Male
Title	Warrior Mage
Occupation	Student, Council of Mages
Family	Dr. Carl Scargen (father), Mary Scargen (mother)
Nationality	American
Age	17
Height	191 cm
Weight	96 kg
Abilities	Energy manipulation, telekinesis, super speed
Affiliation	Council of Mages

Yareli Chula

Yareli Chula
Scargen character
First appearance	The Shadow of the Gauntlet
Created by	Casey Caracciolo
In-universe information
Nickname	Yar
Gender	Female
Title	Warrior Mage
Occupation	Council of Mages
Nationality	Native American
Age	18
Height	173 cm
Weight	54.5 kg
Abilities	Spirit summoner, energy manipulation
Affiliation	Council of Mages

Wiyaloo

Wiyaloo
Scargen character
First appearance	The Shadow of the Gauntlet
Created by	Casey Caracciolo
In-universe information
Species	Spirit (Fox)
Gender	Male
Title	Spirit Ghost Warrior
Occupation	Council of Mages
Height	210 cm
Weight	165.4 kg
Abilities	Spirit realm phasing, limited teleportation, healing, energy manipulation
Affiliation	Council of Mages

Bartleby Draige

Bartleby Draige
Scargen character
First appearance	The Shadow of the Gauntlet
Created by	Casey Caracciolo
In-universe information
Nickname	Bart
Species	Silvas (Forest Dragon)
Gender	Male
Occupation	Teleport Dragon for Hire
Abilities	Flight, teleportation, blood has healing qualities
Affiliation	Draige Manor (hired by Council of Mages)

Fargus Hexelby

Fargus Hexelby
Scargen character
First appearance	The Shadow of the Gauntlet
Created by	Casey Caracciolo
In-universe information
Species	Gremling
Gender	Male
Title	Head Mechanic
Occupation	Mechanic at Draige Manor
Abilities	Technic (?), Invisibility
Affiliation	Draige Manor

Marcus

Marcus Slade
Scargen character
First appearance	The Shadow of the Gauntlet
Created by	Casey Caracciolo
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Title	Captain
Occupation	Captain of the Aringi Riders
Abilities	Sparks (??)
Affiliation	Grimm Legions (Aringi Riders)

Arkmalis

Grayden Arkmalis
Scargen character
First appearance	The Shadow of the Gauntlet
Created by	Casey Caracciolo
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Title	General, First Necromancer
Occupation	General of Grimm Legions
Weapon of choice	Scythe
Abilities	Telekinesis, Energy manipulation
Affiliation	Grimm Legions

Major themes

~thematic description, using the work of literary critics (i.e. scholars)~

Development history

Caracciolo describes the novel as "Sci-Fi + Fantasy + a dash of Comics and Anime = The Shadow of the Gauntlet." ~history of the novel's development, if available (e.g., Things Fall Apart)~

Publication history

• 2013, USA, Roundstone Publishing, LLC ISBN 0615779204, Pub date 28 May 2013, Paperback

Explanation of the novel's title

~Explain the novel's title if it's not immediately obvious (e.g., Things Fall Apart)~

Reception

~description of the work's initial reception and legacy based on the work of literary critics and commentators over the years, give citations; if no literary significant should just be called reception~

Awards and nominations

~lists awards the work received, and significant nominations, if applicable; include in reception if brief~

• The Shadow of the Gauntlet project was named "Kickstarter Project of the Week" in December 2012 by Geekadelphia.

References

~include quotes or links to Wikiquote here~

External links

• Amazon reviews
• Paperback edition
• Kindle edition
• The Official Scargen Website

Category:2013 novels Category:American novels Category:Science fiction novels Category:Fantasy novels Category:Alchemy in fiction