Lair of the Beast Read online

  —Michael Scott, New York Times–bestselling author of The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series

  “Pure dungeon-crawling fun. Witty and page-turning, I never knew what cheerful mayhem was waiting just around the bend. I can’t recommend it enough.”

  —Zack Loran Clark, coauthor of The Adventurers Guild

  “An imaginative blast of dungeon-crawling adventure with hilarious monsters and dastardly traps. Zany, heartfelt fun for everyone.”

  —Lou Anders, author of the Thrones & Bones series

  “Snared is chock-full of quirky characters, fantastic world-building, and wild, hilarious adventure with every turn of the page. I loved it and kids will love it too!”

  —Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times–bestselling author of Rump

  “A thrilling fantasy adventure full of humor and heart. Adam Jay Epstein has created a fun, magical world readers will want to stay lost in.”

  —Jeff Garvin, author of Symptoms of Being Human

  “A heartfelt tale filled with whimsy, wonder, and magic … truly satisfying.”

  —Publishers Weekly, starred review

  “Funny, compassionate, and entertaining … Readers will be immersed into this dark yet humorous world filled with unique characters.”

  —School Library Journal

  “Intruders in the dungeon! A lighthearted fantasy with a strong start.”

  —Kirkus

  “A fun and creative story with surprisingly deep plot twists.”

  —Booklist

  A Junior Library Guild Selection

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Adam Jay Epstein spent his childhood in Great Neck, New York, when he wasn’t aboard his father’s sailboat. He spent many days sitting in the neighborhood park, traveling to fantasy lands in his head (occasionally when he was supposed to be doing his homework). In college, he circled the world on a ship and studied film at Wesleyan University. He is the co-author of the internationally bestselling middle grade fantasy series The Familiars, the middle-grade sci-fi series Starbounders, and the middle grade fantasy series Snared. He has written film and television projects for Disney, Sony, Fox, MGM, Paramount, MTV, HULU, SYFY, and Disney Channel. He currently lives in Los Angeles with his wife, two daughters, and dog, Pixel. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  1. Maze of the Dissolved

  2. The Enchanted Compass

  3. From Between Two Rocks

  4. A Sad Walk Home

  5. Steel Walls

  6. The Legend of Palojax

  7. Strange Gusts

  8. Valor

  9. Pressure Points

  10. The Manticorn

  11. Spider Cracking

  12. The Oracle of Oak

  13. The Road to Wax and Fire

  14. Lava Crown

  15. The Grand Slouch

  16. Undertown

  17. Chamber Music

  18. Nearly Below

  19. The Lair Beast

  20. The Three-Horned Helmet

  21. Flip of the Coin

  Acknowledgments

  Praise

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Snared: Lair of the Beast. Copyright © 2019 by Adam Jay Epstein. All rights reserved.

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  175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010

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  Book design by Natalie C. Sousa

  Imprint logo designed by Amanda Spielman

  First hardcover edition, 2019

  eBook edition, June 2019

  eISBN 9781250146946