Book Synopsis

The storms of Ikanos have passed, but Benji’s inner storm is only just beginning ... He, Soren, and Lyaza board a ship bound for the Tangerine Islands, seeking the elusive mask maker—their only hope to shut down the Crown, fix Soren’s mask, and uncover the truth about their missing mother. First, they must cross the Unfathomable Sea, an ocean with secrets as deep as its waters.

People hold secrets too. Adioudi is more than just a combat specialist—he’s also the ship’s captain, and his island homeland has suffered horrors he’ll never forget. His decision to train Benji and Soren is far from selfless. And his niece and nephew, Tamahri and Javao, have agendas of their own.

When Javao challenges Benji to a duel, it’s clear he’s playing a deeper game. Then Soren—desperate to belong and prove himself—joins Javao’s crew of tattooed islanders, known as “the sharks,” on a risky heist to steal masks meant for the Crown. Feeling abandoned and fearing he’s losing his brother to a new family, Benji follows. As Benji nears a point of no return, he realizes his only lifeline is his lynx mask. But putting it on may create more problems than it solves. Which is exactly what Javao wants. The Fall Gauntlet continues …

J. A. Merkel’s Shark is part of The Fall Gauntlet, a dystopian sci-fi novella collection about Benji and Soren’s misadventures to outsmart the Crown and save a family lost to them, all while learning how to be brothers again.