Jeffrey N. Snyder

Demeter's Child (The Chronicles of Patrick Brighton) Jeffrey N. Snyder

When twelve year old Patrick Brighton is kidnapped by a strange and sinister man, Aster Tye, the world is forever changed. The boy, along with five of his rescuers, begin their pursuit of the Witch Queen, a woman guarded in secrecy who has unleashed a plague upon mankind in order to bring about his downfall. The boy's rescuers, a penguin, a Bengal tiger, and others, must outwit and out maneuver the murderous Tye in his attempts to once again ensnare the boy as they make their way across North America.

From the reclusive backwoods areas of northern West Virginia to the far southeastern mountains of Alaska the tenuous group will encounter a host of adversaries that will try and hinder the group from their goal. From unnatural beings who are unwilling to pass into the land of the dead - beings that wish to take Patrick's life for their very own - to chilling religious fanatics who embrace the apocalyptic state that the world has slipped into, to lethal mice who are machine-like in their purpose in trying to stop Patrick and his friends, the story races forward with Tye and his wicked ways lashing out at Patrick at just about every turn.

Demeter's Child tells how the world has now been divided into two camps: The animals, who wish for man to survive and remain in control of the planet - and the insect and serpent worlds that have been promised greater domain over the lands by the witch once man is gone.

At the center of it all is Patrick Brighton. Lost, alone, and unable to come to grips with what the animals are telling him about himself, he must face challenge after challenge as he learns what power it is that is growing within him - and where his final place awaits amongst all the chaos as he takes the final steps to meet with the witch.