Bernard Dukas

The Spanish Gatekeeper Book I - Empire of the Ulfair Bernard Dukas

The first of three books in The Spanish Gatekeeper series, Empire of the Ulfair introduces Peter de Soto, an English schoolboy, and his cousin, Bonifacia Espasande. The summer of 1900, Peter vacations at his aunt's home in northern Spain. A family heirloom steeped in Galician folklore provides the key to unlocking a backyard mystery. In an apparent case of mistaken identity Peter and his cousin are lured to a far-off world inhabited by fairytale creatures and wolf-like Ulfair. Caught in a shattering civil war, the pair are driven apart and forced to travel starkly different roads that may never again intersect. What ensues are entwined tales of adventure, romance, ignominy, and courage, flush with creatures both familiar and unfamiliar. A captivating and inventive story that plays on history and is written in the best traditions of Wells, Verne and Rider Haggard. This is old-school science fiction fantasy crafted with all the advantages of 21st century perspective.