Score!

Hero.com: Rise of the Heroes, by Andy Briggs. (This is a galley proof. I hope the only things that change are the 4 typos I found.) This is the best book I have read in ages! It's absolutely wonderful! It's a very action-packed story, and the action is very well described and not difficult to follow. The author is very clear and descriptive. His writing is amazing-- if you want kids to learn how to write well, give them good examples. While the action moves the story along, there are also little interpersonal moments where the relationships among the characters are examined. There are two (main) boy characters and two (slightly less main) girl characters, so there's someone for everyone. This is probably the best boy book I've ever read, and I totally recommend it for every middle school. *The book's actually in print, published in June. Go, Amazon! Villain.net: Council of Evil, by Andy Briggs. (galley.) I'm not sure if this is a short story, or the beginning of a second book tacked on as a teaser. It does feel unfinished, but the same awesomeness applies.