A J Stembridge

Max and the Outkasts A J Stembridge

After being discovered unconscious in the branches of a depression-era sharecropping community's celebrated oak tree, two boys (Max and Malcolm Little) wake up in a hospital with no memories of their pasts and are left only with strange images tattooed on their bodies as clues to their true identities. With no place else to go, they are locked behind the walls of Saint Magnus's Home for Lost and Forgotten Souls where they discover that they are the prophesied kings of a broken race of magical beings known as the Magicians, and are destined to wage war against one another for the sake of humanity. Torn between cultivating a family bond or gaining the upper hand in a war that will soon come between them, they must choose to fight one another or stand together to defend Saint Magnus's from a horde of opportunistic magicians intent on attacking the orphanage to steal their powers. Full of colorful characters such as Max Little (the unfortunate boy who must rise to the occasion to save the world), Domino (a ferocious magician forever clad in clown makeup), Nero the Vagabond King (a scheming magical hobo who commands an army of homeless humans), along with Henry, Sophie, and Ursula (the Outkasts), this book was written in a simple fashion that will appeal to Middle Grade and Young Adult readers alike. Step into the mind of A. J. Stembridge and meet Max and the Outkasts, and share in their magical journey to save the world.