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A Simple Idea
Deadworld follows an ordinary boy whose life takes a turn when a mysterious globe and mirror connect him to a dying realm. Where did the idea behind this series come from?
My ideas for all my books and writing come from various places. Sometimes dreams, watching television, or a simple idea where I start to write, and the characters I create take me on their journey. Deadworld started with a ‘What if’ idea. What if a boy believes he belongs on Earth but truly belongs elsewhere? I also wanted strange things to happen to him early in the story. Events he wasn’t sure were only happening to him, but because three or four happenings occurred then, it was something he couldn’t ignore.
Did you always imagine this as a portal fantasy, or did the “other world” element develop later as the story grew?
I never used the word portal for this story, even though that’s what it is. I tend to use the word journey and a journey of discovery. The other world element was always there from the beginning. It was just a question of how many other worlds there would be. I originally thought of five worlds, but then reduced it to three. I’m not sure I could maintain the excitement and originality for writing five books.
The Deadworld has a haunting, decaying atmosphere. What inspired its visual and emotional design?
I wanted to convey a world that was dying, and has been for over a century, though, because of the slow decaying process, the people of that world never realised it until forty years into its demise. The world had to be beautiful once and needs to be restored to its original state, but by someone special who has exceptional powers. The Deadworld needs to be saved because it is the lifeblood of the other worlds, too (explained in the book). If Deadworld dies, then all other worlds will, eventually, die too.
Can you give us a glimpse inside the next installment in The Child Guardian Series? Where will it take readers?
The second book is about the Oceanworld and the enemy, Zander, from the first book has resurfaced to threaten that world. Again, George and Arianwen play big parts in helping to save that world. I’m now 75% through the first draft of my second book and will be undertaking a big self-edit before it’s finished.
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George Shilling longs to have a normal life. Struggling to adjust to his father’s new marriage, the clever middle schooler tries to focus on keeping his grades up and forget his strange dreams that feel like a warning. But when he passes the Old Curiosity Shop, he discovers an oddly familiar globe and mirror that suddenly transport him to another world.
Shocked to learn he has special powers George must now control them if he is to succeed in saving his home world from dying. But first the brave eleven-year-old must defeat a tyrant ruler determined to end the world for his own gains.
With new found abilities, can George survive a final confrontation and restore peace?
Deadworld is the gripping first book in The Child Guardian middle-grade fantasy series. If you like unassuming heroes who never give up, detailed world-building, and good vs evil, then you’ll love Jerzy Jones’ action-packed children’s novel.
Buy Deadworld to defeat evil today!
Deadworld
The Child Guardian: Deadworld follows George, an ordinary boy whose life tilts into the impossible when a mysterious globe and mirror connect him to a dying realm called the Deadworld. With his brave best friend Arianwen beside him, George discovers hidden family ties, strange powers, and a conflict much larger than himself, all while trying to hold on to the simple comforts of home, school, cricket, and his father.
I really liked how the book lets George be frightened, uncertain, and still courageous. As a parent, that mattered to me. He isn’t some glossy chosen-one hero who instantly knows what to do. He worries. He hesitates. He wants to be normal. That made his bravery feel more tender and believable. I also found Arianwen a wonderful counterbalance: sharp, loyal, stubborn in the best way, and never treated as just the sidekick. Their friendship has a lived-in warmth to it, the kind of bond children recognize because it’s built on teasing, trust, and showing up when things get scary.
The writing has an old-fashioned adventure feel, with lots of sensory detail: smells, cold air, glowing objects, strange creatures, and those eerie shifts between the familiar world and the Deadworld. The pace is quick, and there are moments where the mythology is thick, but I appreciated the ambition behind it. The ideas are heartfelt: courage isn’t the absence of fear, power needs kindness behind it, and children often understand loyalty more purely than adults do. I was especially moved by the family thread running underneath the fantasy. George’s longing for connection gives the story its emotional weight.
Deadworld is a rich and imaginative fantasy with a good heart and a darker edge than I expected from the opening chapters. It has danger, loss, wonder, humor, and a sincere belief in friendship as a saving force. I’d recommend it for confident middle-grade readers who enjoy portal fantasies, mysterious objects, hidden worlds, and stories where a sensitive child has to grow into courage without losing his softness.
Pages: 209 | ASIN : B0GGYR97RX
