A Kingdom Divided — Mark McKinney; Josie McKinney

Alimar's Quest Continues in book two of the series:

A Kingdom Divided

Book one has set the stage...

The Kingdom of Asteria is filled with fantastical creatures and races of all types. Alimar, a human boy of fourteen, has led a sheltered life and hasn't seen any of the kingdom he lives in. Living with his adoptive aunt and uncle, he longs for adventure. The only excitement he has ever had is in his recurring dream of an epic battle. He wakes one morning and finds that the dream was real and he must set out on the quest of a lifetime. His guide that sets out with him is almost immediately gravely wounded and Alimar must take charge of a dire situation. The adventure he wished for is now a reality and he wonders why he ever thought he wanted to leave the safety of his home.

Alimar meets companions that help him along his journey that are diverse and have many interesting and funny ways of expressing themselves. Kilian and Alana are siblings leaving home to get training in the city. Dorn is a retired fighter, turned lumberjack that is sick of cutting down trees. Griff is a shady businessman who finds himself in trouble and must leave the city he loves. They all become trusted friends, facing many dangers and mysteries together. They learn about Alimar's past and the future his long dead father had planned for him. Sadly, the group is torn apart when Alana is taken and her brother, Kilian, must go after her alone. Alimar wonders how he can go on without them. With the help of Dorn and Griff, and a new dream that shows his future, he finds the will to continue.

He comes to realize that he is:

Asteria's Last Hope

Five companions are now only three, can they complete the quest?

Alimar is now fifteen and has survived his quest with the help of the friends he has met along the way. Two of his companions, Alana and Kilian, are missing and he must continue on without them. Alimar, Griff, and Dorn must solve new mysteries and face more fantastical creatures. They discover a hidden race of people that make the ocean their home, a secret mountain city, more danger than ever before. They must travel through a desert and fight off Scorpiles. A long trek through a swamp also takes its toll. As Alimar turns sixteen, he finally understands that he must be the man his father wanted him to become. The man he never even knew he was destined to be.

The small group meets many new people. Some turn out to be friends. One, a priestess in training named Cheresa, joins them. Others they meet have hidden motives that put them on the wrong side. Alimar and his friends end up in more trouble than they can survive on their own. In the meantime, Kilian searches for his sister and wonders if he will ever see her or his friends again. He doesn't realize how much they all need his help.

In book two, the kingdom of Asteria is truly:

A Kingdom Divided

Look for book three and the conclusion of Alimar's Quest, A Troubled Throne, in May of 2011.