Ancient Fall: Book Seven in the Legend of Rhyme Series

By Jaime Lee Mann

Vengeful Mother Earth has finally decided to fight back against the humans who, under the power of a dark curse, have been abusing her for centuries.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blue Moon Publishers
• Release date: Sep 10, 2019
• ISBN: 9781988279862

Jaime Lee Mann

When Jaime Lee Mann turned nine, she decided she would be an author when she grew up. Many years later, Jaime's children begged her to tell them stories at bedtime. The girls loved one of her magical stories so much that Jaime decided to write it down, and it become Elora of Stone, the first novel in the Legend of Rhyme series. Jaime lives in Prince Edward Island with her husband and daughters. She writes every day and will do so as long as people love to read her words.

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ANCIENT FALL

By Jaime Lee Mann

Blue Moon Publishers Logo

Praise for the Legend of Rhyme Series

"Blood and Stars will not disappoint readers with a penchant for action-packed, plot-driven novels... The short chapters in this novel allow the storyline to build at an accessible pace both for parents who wish to read aloud and for independent readers at the middle-grade level... Subtlety makes way for deep conversation between parent and child."

- Atlantic Books Today

"I read Elora of Stone without putting it down. The Legend of Rhyme depicts a wondrous world populated with fairies and ogres, good witches and bad, and delightful protagonists."

- Paulette Bourgeois, author of the Franklin the Turtle series, Order of Canada winner

[Jaime Lee Mann] captured a little bit of everything that’s been really popular and intriguing for these readers.

- Karen Mair, CBC’s Mainstreet PEI radio show

"I read Elora of Stone with a guided reading group of middle-grade aged boys. These boys are non-readers... Well, when we read Elora of Stone, they couldn’t put it down!"

-Sheryll O’Hanley, resource teacher, Morell Consolidated School

These books are perfect middle-grade fantasy.

- Karie Crawford, The Dragon’s Nook

A fun and fast paced book that can easily capture the interest of young readers and will keep them on their feet from the beginning until the end.

- Camly Nguyen, Bookbloggerz

"[Elora of Stone] is an excellent way to introduce fantasy/adventure to beginning readers and hook reluctant readers."

- Cat Michaels, author of the Sweet T Tales

Titles in the Legend of Rhyme series:

Elora of Stone

Into Coraira

Teagan of Tomorrow

Second Twin

Blood and Stars

Stir of Shadows

Ancient Fall

Contents

Acknowledgments

Chapter One: Mother Earth

Chapter Two: Lotus Vine

Chapter Three: Not Right

Chapter Four: Pixies Warn

Chapter Five: The Hourglass

Chapter Six: Caine Twins

Chapter Seven: Bitter Cinnamon

Chapter Eight: Dead Realm

Chapter Nine: Lights Out

Chapter Ten: Watcher Fairy

Chapter Eleven: Hidden Treasures

Chapter Twelve: Twins Deceived

Chapter Thirteen: Placing Blame

Chapter Fourteen: Twin Moons

Chapter Fifteen: Fallen Krystal

Chapter Sixteen: Teagan Leaves

Chapter Seventeen: Finding Hope

Chapter Eighteen: Witch’s Lair

Chapter Nineteen: True Blue

Chapter Twenty: Magical Land

Chapter Twenty-One: The Giants

Chapter Twenty-Two: Too Late

Chapter Twenty-Three: Save Everyone

Chapter Twenty-Four: Pressure Rising

Chapter Twenty-Five: Siblings Gather

Chapter Twenty-Six: Ancient Fall

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Crystal Returned

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Deep Trouble

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Candlelight

Chapter Thirty: Beyond Saving

Chapter Thirty-One: The Rescue

Chapter Thirty-Two: Alone Again

Chapter Thirty-Three: Hope Lost

Chapter Thirty-Four: Gone Girls

Chapter Thirty-Five: Family Reunion

Chapter Thirty-Six: Angry Earth

Chapter Thirty-Seven: So Close

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Border Danger

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Time Paused

Chapter Forty: The Wrath

Chapter Forty-One: One Wish

Chapter Forty-Two: New Dawn

Chapter Forty-Three: At Last

Epilogue: New Reign

Series Summary

Character Guide

Discussion Questions

About Jaime Lee Mann

Copyright Information

Write For Us

Thank you for Reading

Landmarks

Cover

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Acknowledgments

First and foremost, this book is for you. Without you, readers, what is any of this for? Thank you for reading my stories.

So many people have helped me to make this series what it is, and with all my heart, I hope that our combined effort on this labour of love will result in the Legend of Rhyme becoming a childhood classic to be enjoyed for generations.

Thank you to Heidi for taking a chance on me and trusting that I would be able to turn a bedtime story into a series of novels.

Thank you to my husband and children for putting up with the insanity that is a string of deadlines over the course of six years to publish seven books.

To my friends and family members who don’t see me for weeks at a time because of all the writing weekends, thank you for supporting me and not disowning me.

Thank you Christine and Talia for helping to strengthen these stories with your editing brilliance. These stories are ours, not mine.

Thank you to Sarah for the artwork that has truly made this series extra special. And to Chris and Jamie who have designed such magical covers. They are perfect.

To the bookstores and libraries who carry these books, thank you for supporting authors and for recommending these stories to children.

To the teachers and children who welcome me to their classrooms to share these stories, and the sales people who try to put these books into more hands... thank you.

I am sad to see this series end, but I am so proud of what

we’ve done.

I love you all. xo

Jaime Lee's signature

For Heidi

Thank you for making me a published author.

There would be none of this without you.

Once upon an ending...

Chapter One

Mother Earth

She’s the scent of a rose, the warmth of the spring,

She’s both matter and void—she is every thing.

The leaf of a pear and the swell of a wave,

The wings of a bat and the rock of its cave.

She is water and wind, flowers and bees,

She’s snowflakes and thunder, and overturned trees.

This goddess of nature, both tiny and grand,

Is the sky and the sea and each grain of sand.

And now, in our story, our Legend of Rhyme,

Our dear Mother Earth, she decides it is time.

Boiling with anger, in her rocky earth lair,

She’s seething with rage from her toes to her hair.

So long she’s been suffering—starving for breath,

How many chances do they think they have left?

Poisoned for decades by the humans above,

How have they forgotten to treat me with love?

I refuse to die here, no more can I wait,

It is time, once again, to exterminate.

The humans have heeded no warnings, no pleas,

The fires, the droughts, and the rising of seas.

All effort wasted, they have burdened me so,

Relentless they’ve been. And so now, they must go.

Her temper grows hotter, she holds in a breath,

And a deep soulful growl roars out of her chest.

It is time now to cleanse. The flood did not work,

This time will be fire, a threat they can’t shirk.

Her geysers explode, her volcanoes erupt,

The end of humanity will seem abrupt.

But I have warned them, she cries, choking on tears,

They chose to ignore me for hundreds of years.

Her hot lava spews beneath seas and on land,

They’re making me do this, they’re forcing my hand.

There will be no coming back, this much she knows,

As her great sadness deepens, her anger grows.

I’ll show them with fire that they have not won,

I don’t want to do this, but this must be done.

Louise’s Flower Shop,

Modern Rhyme

Chapter Two

Lotus Vine

The sound of rain pounding on the roof suits Freya’s sombre mood as she stares in disbelief at the black Coraira opal hanging around her neck. She pushes a lock of silver hair out of her eyes and leans on the leaf-cluttered counter for support. Louise tries to put Freya at ease, her musical voice as calming as a lullaby. We mustn’t jump to conclusions, she says. "We don’t know for sure if something is wrong with Coraira.