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Daniel was born and raised in Hertfordshire, England. He still lives at home with his mother, her partner, his two brothers and their scatterbrained cat. He should probably move out at some point, but then he likes it there. He was home-educated, benefiting from the freedom to indulge in his passion of writing poetry and short stories during his formative years.
Since being labelled a grown-up Daniel has chased worldly pursuits with reckless abandon; spending time as a student at college and university, working in retail, call-centres and warehouses, as a freelance copyrighter, labourer, abseiler, brain-surgeon and operations manager, as well as travelling, volunteering and blogging. One of these isn't true. Don't ask to see his medical licence.
Inevitably, blogging rekindled Daniel's passion for writing and he delved into his old sketchings and scrawlings for inspiration and something worthy of novelisation. Dusting off a ketchup-stained napkin revealed the solution, as it so often does, and the Butchery And Books saga was born.
Courage Comes, the first tale in the saga, was released in November 2014, to be followed by Courage Consumes and Courage Conquers later this year.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Courage Comes is a children’s adventure novel by Daniel Thomas McDonald, and forms book one in the Butchery & Books Saga. It follows the quest of a classic trio of young heroes – Mort, Nihlus and Tesa – who trade their childish games of heroism and villainy for the real thing when a freak attack results in half their village vanishing. In the desperate search to recover the village’s many loved ones, the trio explores their growing friendship as their loyalties and bravery are tested beyond limits they would never have expected. A cavalcade of strange creatures, swordplay, and dangerous, breath-taking locations awaits them as they explore the world beyond their simple lives, and leave their childhood behind.
One of the most enjoyable things about reading Courage Comes was that all three central characters were given plenty of attention. No one felt like a sidekick, and each was a hero in his/her own right with different skills, morals and beliefs that they brought to the table. Daniel Thomas McDonald has created a simple, effective method of storytelling that will suit his target age group well, but the story has great pace, length and many twists and turns that older readers will also enjoy. The world-building of the expanse beyond the trio’s village was vivid and well explained, with a cast of supporting characters who are entertaining and easily imagined by readers of any age. Whilst Courage Comes is generic in its narrative, with few unexpected moments, it has the moral message of a true quest adventure, one of warmth, solidarity and heart. A pleasing read, overall.
