Books

Paladero series

Paladero: The Champions of the Blade (Book 4)

Joss, Hero and Drake are prentice paladeros, cowboy-knights that ride dinosaurs and fight to protect their Kingdom. Now, they face the ultimate battle: themselves.

The Kingdom of Ai is under siege. The Shadow God and his Court of Thralls are ready for war, and Joss and his brethren have a critical mission – to marshal the forces that will defend their land. But not everyone is willing to heed the call, least of all the former paladeros known as the Nameless. And with traitors in their midst, their mission is treacherous even before they’ve encountered the ever-growing Court of Thralls – and their fire-breathing dragons.

Faced with more enemies than ever before – including people he once trusted with his life – Joss must somehow convince the Kingdom’s potential allies that their cause is worth fighting for. But with his faith in the paladero way of life fading fast, he must first convince himself …

In the final instalment of this mesmerising fantasy series by Steven Lochran, readers are taken on a breathtaking ride through the kingdom of Thunder Realm. Perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan.

Paladero: The Champions of the Blade on Goodreads

Buy Paladero: The Champions of the Blade direct from Hardiegrant.com.au

Paladero: The Edge of the World (Book 3)

Joss, Hero and Drake are prentice paladeros, cowboy-knights that ride dinosaurs and might one day fight to protect their kingdom. But trouble is brewing in Thunder Realm, and the young friends will be called to battle even sooner than they realise …

Joss and his Bladebound brethren have worked hard to earn their paladero training, from battling bloodthirsty witches and monsters to hunting down a gang of vicious kidnapping pyrates. But when the three friends travel to Hero’s old order, Blade’s Edge Acres, to continue their training, they are faced with a new challenge: Hero’s mentor, Lord Haven, is dead. And it looks like he may have been murdered.

As the trio investigate Haven’s death, they uncover a sinister plot that threatens all of Thunder Realm. But with dark figures circling ever closer, do the three young prentices have any chance of saving the kingdom – let alone themselves?

In the third instalment of this brilliant fantasy series by Steven Lochran, readers are taken on a wild adventure through the kingdom of Thunder Realm. Perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan.

Paladero: The Edge of the World on Goodreads

Buy Paladero: The Edge of the World direct from Hardiegrant.com.au

Paladero: The City of Night Neverending (Book 2) 

“A gripping blend of action, technology and Jurassic fantasy!” – CBCA Reading Time’s praise for The Riders of Thunder Realm, the first in the PALADERO series.

Joss has always wanted to become a paladero, and now he finally has that chance. But before he can start training, the town is attacked by vicious pyrates who abduct half the villagers, including Joss’s best friend Edgar … and then vanish into thin air.

Joss has no choice but to forge alliances with merchant captains, merfolk and ancient creatures from the deep in an effort to rescue his fellow prentice – all while risking the paladero training he’s worked so hard for. But the stakes are even higher than he knows. Joss’s rescue mission will set him on a crash course with his own tragic past, and a mysterious figure he’s long-thought dead …

The thrilling second book in the hit Paladero series.

Paladero: The City of Night Neverending on Goodreads 

Buy Paladero: The City of Night Neverending direct from Hardiegrant.com.au

Paladero: The Riders of Thunder Realm (Book 1)

“Totally thrilling and impossible to put down!” – Michael Grant, New York Times bestselling author of the GONE series.

Welcome to Thunder Realm, where cowboy-knights known as paladeros herd dinosaurs during peacetime, and take up arms during war. Joss, a young orphan, has always wanted to be a paladero – but first he must prove himself by going on The Way, a treacherous journey through the kingdom to retrieve a rare Questing Egg.

With his trusty raptor Azof by his side, Joss will face off against witches, bloodthirsty monsters and even his own brethren to learn what it truly means to be a paladero – all while uncovering a dark conspiracy at the heart of the kingdom.

Paladero: The Riders of Thunder Realm on Goodreads 

Buy Paladero: The Riders of Thunder Realm direct from Hardiegrant.com.au

Read the first three chapters at Goodreads.com

Read the first three chapters via Google Docs

See Jeremy Love’s illustrations at artstation.com

Vanguard Prime series

Download Vanguard Prime: Red Alert, the free eBook featuring a whole new adventure, from the Penguin website.

Meet the Vanguard Prime team here.

Steven’s profile on Goodreads.

Listen to the Vanguard Prime theme song on Youtube.

Vanguard Prime on iTunes.

Vanguard Prime: War Zone (Book 3)

Tokyo is set to explode when cyborg soldiers declare war on Vanguard Prime.  Battle lines are drawn and old friends may actually be secret enemies.  Will the Japanese superheroes of Battle Force Zero come to the team’s rescue, or will they join the attack?

Reviews for Vanguard Prime: War Zone

– “Lochran really creates a world where these guys could exist quite convincingly…I know there will be lots of loyal readers hanging out for the next instalment!” – Worth Reading? Worth Sharing!

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Vanguard Prime: Wild Card (Book 2)

When a villainous organisation puts out a Kill Order on the Knight of Wands, Goldrush gets caught in the crossfire. What dark secrets lurk in the Knight’s past? And will the two heroes survive the night?

Read an extract from Vanguard Prime: Wild Card here

Reviews for Vanguard Prime: Wild Card

– “Wild Card is a good read. Fast paced and entertaining, but with some depth to what could easily have been cardboard cut-out characters. And as a bit of a pop culture junkie, I loved all the references that Lochran has peppered this story with — from Comic-Con to Star Wars…Vanguard Prime is a great series to hook in reluctant readers.” – Author George Ivanoff.

– “Vanguard Prime are well written, modern sci-fi, adventure books with a quirky sense of humour and plenty of action.” – The Little Bookroom.

– “[Wild Card is] a book that, like the Percy Jackson books, combines quick-draw pacing with intelligent, self-aware humour and a wonderful sense of the humanity that is underscored by its super-human characters…Brimming with imagination and wit and with pacing so fast that you’ll be in pain from the G forces, Wild Card is a overall thoroughly enjoyable addition to the superhero genre.” – Read In a Single Sitting.

– “[5 out of 5 stars]Another action-packed, full-on, wild ride of a storyline, with surprises and unexpected turns of events all popping up all over the place. Highly recommended for action fans – or those who love superheroes.” – Catherine, Goodreads.

– “The Vanguard Prime series is a classic heroes and villains tale for readers aged 10+…While this is marketed as a boys’ book series, the girl heroes – with their own twisted personal journeys to power – are every bit as important as the boys.  Very much in the comic book superhero tradition, this is a dark series, though no more graphic than PG films and games enjoyed by the same age group, and gives every reader the chance to imagine what it might be like if they woke up one morning with unimaginable powers!” – This Charming Mum blog review.

– ‘I loved Wild Card even more than Goldrush…. The book hooked me in straight away. I read it in two days and it had a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter.’ – Marcus from Eltham.

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Vanguard Prime: Goldrush (Book 1)

Elite superhero team Vanguard Prime has a new recruit.
Sam Lee was just a normal teenager . . . until the disastrous emergence of his superpowers. Now he has the chance to join his childhood heroes and become the youngest-ever member of Vanguard Prime. But when the time comes, will Sam have what it takes to save the world?

Read an extract from Vanguard Prime: Goldrush here.

Reviews for Vanguard Prime: Goldrush

– “Steven Lochran’s first novel is a fast-paced action text…the plot remains tense and the sense of drama and excitement are maintained until the closing pages. Lochran has created interesting and complex characters with plenty of scope to develop them further and will appeal to readers in the 10 to 14 plus age range.” – Children’s Book Council of Australia

– “Superheroes, pop culture references and a fast-paced story combine to make an exciting and easy reading experience…All up, Goldrush is a fun and exciting read. I’ll certainly be ordering the next instalment, Wild Card.” – Author George Ivanoff.

– “Goldrush is an interesting meld of traditional comic book archetypes in a traditional novel format…All wrapped up with a great sense of humour.” – Centre for Youth Literature.

– “There is never a dull moment in this first book of Steven Lochran’s Vanguard Prime series…A terrific Sci-Fi/Fantasy series from an Aussie author who clearly has many more stories to bring us.” – Worth Reading? Worth Sharing!

– “Lochran…has hit the mark with a fast-paced but well-written book for kids who like a superhero story.” – The Australia Times

– “[Recommended]  for all superhero comic book readers as well as young readers 10 and up.” – BenLangdon.net.

– “An action-packed adventure for those who enjoy superhero stories like The Avengers and X-Men…A great read and highly recommended – particularly for boys aged 10+.” – Catherine, Goodreads.com

– “I LOVED this book!…fast paced and exciting and I stayed up until 11.30pm to find out what happened in the end.” – Mummy Ate Me.

– “Non-stop, unrelenting action sequences…Will prove to be a popular addition to the fiction shelves, particularly with young male readers.” – Russ Merrin, Magpies magazine.

– “Pacy…plenty of teenage humour…Lochran’s thorough approach to constructing his superhero world pays off.” – Fiona Purdon, The Courier Mail.

– “Think CHERUB, Alex Rider and Artemis Fowl all rolled into one…then you’ve got Vanguard Prime!” – DMAG.

– “Vanguard Prime: Goldrush is a funny, stylish and action-packed read.” – Jack Heath, author of Money Run, Hit List and the Agent Six of Hearts series.

– “…strong male and female main characters, with an action packed storyline that both boys and girls will enjoy.” – Michelle, Lamont Book Reviews.

– “4 out 5 stars…Recommended for everyone who enjoys comics, superheroes and action, and is clearly destined to be a perfect present for reluctant readers and middle grade boys.” – Miss Possum’s Book Reviews.

– “Sam is a character we can all get behind – the plot is fast-paced and, along with the fact that the elite squad contains some strong and capable female superheroes, I’m more than happy to recommend this to readers of 10 and up.” – Emily Gale, Readings website.

– “This series promises to be fun. Looking forward to book 2.” – Lowly’s Book Blog.

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Vanguard Prime: War Zone (Book 3) to be released in September 2013.

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You can buy Vanguard Prime: Goldrush at the following locations;

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