Duncan James MacDonald, known to his family and friends as
DJ, is fourteen years old. He and his thirteen-year-old sister, Hanna, attend
St. James High School in Guelph, Ontario, Canada. For almost a year, DJ has
been tormented by vivid visions of strange creatures and places, distracting
him from his studies. Both of his parents are struggling to understand him.
An incident happens during a Friday night Halloween Party at
their school that changes his life. DJ is disturbed when his best friend Nick
is nowhere to be seen. A boy in a vampire costume informs him that Nick left in
the direction of the church; so DJ decides to look for him. As he approaches
the stone church, he meets and helps an elderly blind gentleman to the entrance
of the old gothic building. Strange things begin to happen in the eerie autumn
mist and DJ is anxious to leave until the blind man reveals that he is a good
spirit who knows of DJ's troubling visions and is willing to help him. The
spirit is an instrument for DJ to acquire a Book of Ancient Knowledge that he
calls a Librita. The Librita contains ancient and present knowledge and, among
other things, has the capability to fly. It communicates solely with DJ and
pledges to help him in times of trouble. DJ's first opportunity to use the
book's magic comes almost immediately when he uses its power to rescue his
friend Nick from a gang of bullies. He is mortified by the outcome and
concludes that the magic business is not for him.
DJ is the right winger of a local hockey team called the Ice
Storm. His friend, Nick, is the left winger. During a heated and intense game
against the number one team in the league, DJ is suddenly overcome by another
disturbing vision. Three minutes before the end of the game, Nick is thrown into
the boards by the other team's defenseman but DJ only sees an enormous ugly
creature attacking his friend, Nick. Without hesitation, he summons all his
strength and assaults the monster, unaware that he is beating a local opponent
player. A nightmare turns into reality and DJ faces assault charges. With the
mercy of the court, he is required to complete community service every Saturday
but he is granted permission to attend a family reunion in the Philippines.
Family members from all over the world have gathered at the
Philippines reunion. Each of the eleven brothers and sisters of DJ's mom has
married someone from another country and they have children who are DJ's
cousins. On the eve of his fifteenth birthday, as DJ and his German cousin,
Hans, are goofing around on the dock, both of them fall into the water. DJ finds
an unusual shell that looks like a crown. In a mock crowning ceremony, Hans holds
the shell above DJ's head and, with a zap, the two disappear right in front of
two other cousins, Joshua and Aboud.
DJ and Hans are transported to the bottom of the ocean in an
air bubble where, in a surreal scene, they come face to face with monstrous sea
ogres and a giant octopus guarding a dying prisoner. Through mental telepathy,
the prisoner asks for their help.
Upon their return to the dock, they tell the family what
they have seen; whereupon, their grandparents reveal a family secret: they are all
Shaman warriors belonging to a clan called The Malipayon. Since DJ seems to be
the focus of the prisoner's plea for help, it is determined that he should lead
the Malipayon warriors on their mission to rescue him.
The rescue mission includes the revelation of secrets of the
Crystal Cave, rituals of the Shaman Warriors and a quest for the healing pearl
in the undersea Reefdom of the Coral Palace. With the aid of the Librita's
magic, DJ leads the clan on a trek to the summit of an island volcano where they
must overcome the deadly perils of Jolo to find the Keeper of the Keys. DJ must
acquire a special crystal key in the throat of the volcano which unlocks the
gates to the Reefdom of Kamut Hari who guards the sacred candles of Sulu Sea.
These sacred candles are required to illuminate their way through the deepest
darkest depths of the ocean chasm called The Beyond where the prisoner is being
held captive.
The gripping tension and exciting interaction between
characters from our world and creatures from the Reefdoms of the Undersea world
are lightened by romance and comic relief. The story intensifies and becomes very
serious as DJ leads the clan on a very somber life-threatening journey to the chasm
of The Beyond in the Underworld. Faith, honor, and magic are put to the test as
they overcome many challenging obstacles and battle many fierce predators in a
race against time to complete their mission. Ultimately, the triumphant Malipayon
warriors crown DJ the Shaman Prince, and their new leader.
There is mention of mysterious Hunters, who are feared by
the inhabitants of Jolo and appear to be tracking the Malipayon Warriors. We
will hear more about these Hunters in Book Two. It is revealed at the end of
the story that the prisoner, an enchanted bull-eagle creature from the
Otherworld, is called Magnon. How he was imprisoned in the Underworld, why and
by whom, will be revealed in Book Two: the next tale of the DJ MacDONALD series
— coming soon!
Characters:
DJ
MacDonald — hero of this tale, is a good hockey player in a local league who leads a rescue
mission to free a mysterious prisoner being held captive in the Underworld.
Hans
— DJ's cousin, same age as DJ who lives in Cologne, Germany, is chosen as a
Knight to help the Shaman Prince.
Hanna
— DJ's younger sister. She goes to the same school, St. James High School. She
is chosen as a warrior.
Nick
— DJ's best friend. They are on the same hockey team and attend the same
school.
Lola
— DJ's maternal grandmother, a witty enchantress who comes from a line of Shaman.
Grandpa
— DJ's grandfather, who also comes from Shaman lineage, is an elder in the
clan.
Laura
— DJ's mother, a doctor
Alex
— DJ's father, an engineer
Magnon
— enchanted bull-eagle creature from the Otherworld,
prisoner in the Underworld who is sending telepathic pleas for help to DJ.
Malipayon
Warriors — a clan/group of shaman warriors in the south-western part of the
Philippines.
lloween Party at
their school that changes his life. DJ is disturbed when his best friend Nick
is nowhere to be seen. A boy in a vampire costume informs him that Nick left in
the direction of the church; so DJ decides to look for him. As he approaches
the stone church, he meets and helps an elderly blind gentleman to the entrance
of the old gothic building. Strange things begin to happen in the eerie autumn
mist and DJ is anxious to leave until the blind man reveals that he is a good
spirit who knows of DJ's troubling visions and is willing to help him. The
spirit is an instrument for DJ to acquire a Book of Ancient Knowledge that he
calls a Librita. The Librita contains ancient and present knowledge and, among
other things, has the capability to fly. It communicates solely with DJ and
pledges to help him in times of trouble. DJ's first opportunity to use the
book's magic comes almost immediately when he uses its power to rescue his
friend Nick from a gang of bullies. He is mortified by the outcome and
concludes that the magic business is not for him.
the eleven brothers and sisters of DJ's mom has
married someone from another country and they have children who are DJ's
cousins. On the eve of his fifteenth birthday, as DJ and his German cousin,
Hans, are goofing around on the dock, both of them fall into the water. DJ finds
an unusual shell that looks like a crown. In a mock crowning ceremony, Hans holds
the shell above DJ's head and, with a zap, the two disappear right in front of
two other cousins, Joshua and Aboud.
Shaman Warriors and a quest for the healing pearl
in the undersea Reefdom of the Coral Palace. With the aid of the Librita's
magic, DJ leads the clan on a trek to the summit of an island volcano where they
must overcome the deadly perils of Jolo to find the Keeper of the Keys. DJ must
acquire a special crystal key in the throat of the volcano which unlocks the
gates to the Reefdom of Kamut Hari who guards the sacred candles of Sulu Sea.
These sacred candles are required to illuminate their way through the deepest
darkest depths of the ocean chasm called The Beyond where the prisoner is being
held captive.
league who leads a rescue
mission to free a mysterious prisoner being held captive in the Underworld. 
