Author:
Corey McCullough is an independent copy editor, proofreader, ghostwriter, and author. He lives in western Pennsylvania with his amazing wife Vanessa and their two beautiful daughters. His favorite pastimes are reading, writing, playing video games, spending time with his best friend (Vanessa), and, most of all, being a dad.

A teenager’s wish to escape his stressful life just came true — with otherworldly consequences.

Nothing is going right for Justin Holmes. Like many seventeen-year-olds, he sometimes wishes he could just run away and leave everything behind. But he gets more than he bargained for when he storms out of the house after an argument with his father and accidentally steps into a parallel universe of swords, shields, magic, and monsters.

Suddenly, Justin is desperate to find a way back to his ordinary life in small-town America. His search for answers takes an unexpected turn when a strange old man and a powerful mercenary recruit him to rescue a kidnapped princess. But their rescue mission quickly takes a disastrous turn and becomes a life-or-death flight deep into the unknown wilds. Justin and his unlikely allies are on the run from dark forces wielding deadly, arcane power — demonic beings that seem to have suddenly arrived from somewhere beyond this world . . . just like Justin.

Justin may not be a fighter, but he is intelligent and strong-willed. He soon realizes that nothing in this world is what it seems. Even his allies’ mission may have all been a ruse . . . to get to him.

Ancient secrets are revealed that could shake the foundations of this alternate world . . . and might unlock Justin’s portal home.

The Fallen Odyssey is a contemporary portal fantasy novel for college and “new adult” audiences. It is the first of a trilogy but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel. If you like epic, serious fantasy about dangerous quests in magical worlds, check out The Fallen Odyssey.

The Fallen Odyssey

There was no cover. He was out in the open and entirely exposed. All Justin could do was duck low and try to make himself as small a target as possible.


"Alive, you fool!" Yordar shouted, sprinting up from behind the archer. And he snap-kicked the archer in the small of his back.


The archer stumbled forward. His arrow left his bowstring with a twang but flew harmlessly sidelong and bounced across the ground. He tried to catch himself, but it was hopeless. He didn't start screaming until he was already over the edge, tumbling down into the canyon, and then the sound seemed to continue for an ungodly length of time.


Another thunderous boom echoed over the broken city. This time, it was more than a tingle in Justin's demon arm. It felt like his marrow was being flash-boiled. He fell to his knees. His body trembled with the pain.


Definitely more than one of them, thought Justin. And getting closer.


Chapter 58: Maera