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 mindless bull-rush charge for Justin to dive away from. Of course there wasn't. This was a master killer. It came at Justin not with reckless abandon but with meticulous, calculated movements. Fast enough that he couldn't get away, but slow enough that an unexpected evasion wouldn't spoil the beast's aim. Justin only had time to take one step back before it got to him. Its paw came at him in a careful, grasping reach-to grab him and pin him down for the first bite.


Out of desperation, Justin swung his sword at the paw. It hit so solidly that he felt the blade bounce off the bone. The tiger didn't make a sound as it pulled away, sat down, and raised its paw. A thin, neat slice had split the pad of its foot, bringing a flow of blood to the surface. With ears pinned back, it kept a watchful eye on Justin as it licked the cut.


Testing me, thought Justin. It won't make the same mistake twice.


Chapter 139: Full Charge (Part 2)