This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Tru Ly never set out to be a writer. But he has stories he wants to tell.
What began as bedtime stories for his children turned into his debut novel, Journey to Forge Mountain: The Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Boy. It became the first of the Forge Mountain Trilogy about a boy who overcame his circumstances to become the hero his world desperately needed.
Tru Ly is a firm believer that books should fill us with wonder and longing, with hope and inspiration. In his stories, we find examples of moral dilemmas, high adventures, and an unflinching hope for a better world.
Born in Viet Nam, he lives in California with his wife, their son and daughter.
When not working on his next book, he is a practicing physician.
He could be reached via Twitter @OneTruThing.
Reviewed by C.R. Hurst for Readers' Favorite
The hero’s journey is a staple of adventure storytelling and for good reason. Nothing is more satisfying than following the trials and tribulations of an imperfect but likable hero or heroine as he or she gains maturity and knowledge of the world. In this opening novel to the Forge Mountain trilogy, The Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Boy, author Tru Ly creates such an adventure and such a hero. In it, we are introduced to twelve-year-old Kien who is forced to leave his loving family as he embarks upon a journey to the legendary Forge Mountain where he hopes to become an apprentice warrior. He is joined by a family friend with a mysterious past called Fisherman who is his guide and teacher. Along the way, Kien and Fisherman meet many colorful characters, both good and evil, who help or hinder the two on their remarkable journey.
What sets this novel apart from other teen adventure stories for me is its engaging style. Tru Ly writes simply but beautifully, similar to the way a story might be told to a child as a bedtime tale. In truth, the author’s inspiration for Forge Mountain was the stories he told to his children, stories that “should fill us with wonder and longing, with hope and inspiration.” I also loved the way the author pays homage to his cultural roots with a lovely book cover and his subtle references to Asian culture and food throughout the story. The Extraordinary Adventures of an Ordinary Boy remains a universal tale that should appeal to young or old, male or female, Asian or not, for in a true hero’s journey we can always find ourselves.
