Chess Quest

One week. Four trials. And failure is not an option. Rich Witz is just trying to survive middle school. Homework, bullies, and the usual chaos are already enough to handle. Then his grandmother disappears and leaves him a single, mysterious gift.

With two out of his four quests to become a paladin completed, Rich Witz fears the hardest part is yet to come. His nemesis, a dark knight in training, has already shown his terrible power, and Rich barely escaped with his life. Not only does he need to figure out how to pass the final two tests, but also a way to defeat his enemy once and for all. He knows his nemesis is disguised as a regular person at his school, and his list of suspects just keeps growing. With only a few days left, Rich must find out for himself if he has what it takes to become a knight—and to save his family.

Rich may have defeated Mallory, his nemesis, but his quests are only beginning. When a trip into the labyrinth known as the Corridor of Keys almost ends in disaster, Rich realizes he needs more training to be up to the task of rescuing his father. By fulfilling a new set of quests over summer break, Rich can gain the rank of rook, which brings with it incredible new powers.

With the balance between Palad and Nemes shattered, both old friends and old enemies must work together to stand against the Gray Knight in a final struggle that will determine the fate of civilization. To have a hope of prevailing, Rich and his friends must traverse strange, new realms, each more dangerous than the last. Only then will they will be equipped for the endgame, the final moves that may result in checkmate for both the light and dark.