Defenders of the Overworld

Rob is on his way home from vacation when his plane goes down over the ocean biome. He eventually reaches shore, but where is he? And what new dangers lie ahead? His attempts at survival barely keep him alive until he allies with Frida, the sole inhabitant of a lonely stretch of beach. Rob learns enough from Frida to survive, but he misses life on his family's horse ranch. Determined to find his way home, he sets off to cross the Extreme Hills-and steps into the middle of an ongoing war. The evil Dr. Dirt has enchanted battalions of skeletons to invade every biome and hold every boundary in an attempt to rule the Overworld. Now peace-loving Rob and stealthy Frida must put together their own army and save humanity if Rob is ever to see his home and family again. Using his skills in taming and training horses, Rob forms a cavalry and recruits the friends he makes along the way. Turner and Stormie are naturally brave and quick-witted. Jools and Kim need encouragement but have a way with animals and can unravel even the toughest problems. Unfortunately, Dr. Dirt has a surprise for the ragtag unit; he's mounted his skeleton soldiers on zombie horses, and the combination spells terror for Rob and company. Will they survive an all-out war for the Overworld? And what lies in store for them after the final zombie cavalry charge? This new young adult series is perfect for Minecrafters who want a real adventure story filled with great characters and intense battle scenes. Follow Rob, his trusty horse Saber, and the members of Battalion Zero over massive and deadly terrain in this first book in the Defenders of the Overworld series.

Rob and Frida's Battalion Zero has vanquished Dr. Dirt, but Dirt's accomplice, Lady Craven, has risen to power to finish what Dirt started: control of every biome boundary to rule the Overworld. The balance of day and night has shifted, and the mobs keep the villagers at bay, making them work ever harder during the day to replace what monsters destroy at night. Battalion Zero has suffered some losses and must regroup and recoup their resources and power. Rob, Frida, Jools, and Stormie are now outcasts who must search the most desolate spaces for plunder as they attempt to gather new recruits who share their cause. Once a legitimate rancher, Rob reluctantly turns to rustling to provide horses to trade and to mount his company of defenders. The four friends become ever bolder and more desperate in their nightly raids against the mobs, and soon they bolster their ranks with outlaws De Vries and Crash, two shape-shifters who might get close enough to Lady Craven's inner circle to bring them down. But artifice and deception can go too far. As Battalion Zero adopts the enemy's tactics, their very humanity hangs in the balance. Now the only soul that Captain Rob can trust is his honest steed, Saber. Can the two lead their cavalry cohorts back to the side of justice in time to retake the Overworld? Will Rob be able to resume his journey home? Or will they all remain in Overworld orbit forever, banished to the Far Lands to live or die? Saddle up for the next daring advance by Rob and company, Defenders of the Overworld!

After repeated boundary attacks by Dr. Dirt and Lady Craven, the United Biomes of the Overworld alliance hangs by a thread and must be rebuilt. Captain Rob, Corporal Frida, and the members of Battalion Zero have made it their lives' work to do it-but they'll have to bring the fight home. With the riches gained from their last encounter with the griefer army, they set out to build and defend a UBO capital. As every player knows, though, life in Survival mode isn't all sunflowers and roses. Bat Zero has bought some time for the Overworld by throwing Lady Craven into Creative Mode. Free from the need to battle for every biome border, the indie cavalry turns its efforts toward guarding one stronghold. They must form a standing army, create federal buildings, and gain the support of other villages. Meanwhile, hostile mobs threaten, and the Griefer Imperial Army promises a comeback-with a vengeance. For security, Captain Rob asks his troops to make the ultimate sacrifice: changing their spawn points to the capital city. Will they? Survivalists Frida and Turner have always kept their spawn points secret. Strategist Jools doesn't want to die-ever again. Adventurer Stormie has changed her spawn point so many times that she can't remember how she began playing the game. Even the intrepid captain doesn't want to risk rebirth far from the ocean that brought him into this world . . . or how will he ever get back home? If the troopers won't agree to transplant, they'll never be able to respawn at their battle stations with any certainty. Letting go of their origins might be the only way they can continue their quest in this hard-hitting third episode of the Defenders of the Overworld series.

Someone is draining the Overworld oceans of resources . . . but to what end? It could be a ploy by the griefer army to draw Captain Rob and his cavalry members away from the United Biomes of the Overworld capital, which they risked their very identities to defend. Or it could be theft on a scale so grand that only the deepest of oceans can contain it. At the same time, it seems no coincidence that priceless relics and one-of-a-kind gemstones go missing from the new Overworld museum. The spectacular monument to the history of the free world is a worth a fortune. Housing the valuables of the Overworld makes Capital City Museum a target for every rogue player-and for the Griefer Imperial Army, now led by a gang of villains spawned by Lady Craven. When key pieces of UBO heritage are stolen, the troopers of Battalion Zero must pool brains, brawn, and every bit of luck they have to recover them. The six friends must pull off the perfect heist: Captain Rob, leader and delegator ... Corporal Frida, master of stealth and disguise . . . Quartermaster Jools, strategist and techie extraordinaire . . . Sergeant at Arms Turner, muscle personified ... Artilleryman Stormie, terrain expert . . . and Master of Horses Kim, the "bronc whisperer" all work together to recover the UBO's secret treasures in this tempestuous fourth book in the Defenders of the Overworld series. Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers-picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.