Jayben and the Golden Torch: Book 1

Product Information

Inspired by the author’s uniquely personal experience of memory loss comes an incredible, immersive fantasy series about a boy with no memories and a world that only he can save.

The importance of characters with epilepsy and - BookTrust

An evil villain called Null is burning down the forests, hellbent on finding the torch and becoming the most powerful being ever to live. A curious, immersive fantasy with complex world-building, engaging characters and quirky creatures. Ideal for readers who enjoy an exciting adventure with added depth and intensity.Jayben discovers that many moons ago, a giant put a dark spell on the golden torch, and the elves forgot everything that had come before. Now they hang precious memories in jars on trees, just to try to remember. If Jayben can find his own magic and ignite the torch with its fierce violet flame, his power will be unstoppable... Can Jayben save the world before the lights go out forever? Jayben's seizures and memory loss added a different dynamic to the story which was a welcome change from all the action at times - it was about halfway through the book when he started experiencing absences that I became more invested in the character and the story. The thing about waking up with no memories is that you don’t realise what you’ve lost until people start telling you who you are meant to be. That’s where my journey began, 20 years ago.

Jayben and the Golden Torch: Jayben and the Golden Torch

I loved this book – a triumphant and richly imagined fantasy as well as a compelling insight into life with seizures and memory loss. I can’t wait to see where this story goes!’– Lee Newbery, author of The Last Firefox The idea for my book Jayben and the Golden Torch came exploding into my head and I've never felt so compelled to do something. I had to write it. Libraries are places of comfort, friendly faces and opportunities. It’s an absolute privilege to do what I do” Readers who enjoy an exciting adventure with added depth and intensity are sure to be captivated by this funny, heart-warming and imaginative voyage into memory, meaning and identity. I think this story could really do with a map at the beginning, laying out the world for the reader as it would be easier to visualise what we are reading.Since I woke up after my brain injury 20 years ago, it's been really encouraging to see what progress has been made on more forms of disability being positively represented in books. The world of Jayben and the Golden Torch is rich with lore, flitting between our modern world and an elven world with magical powers, and the threat of a sinister villain who wants to make everyone forget. It is a classic children’s fantasy with fast-paced action and I cannot wait to see what comes next. Waking up in a strange land, Ben finds he has no memories at all. Not even of his own name. But someone seems to think he is a long-awaited saviour for a world being consumed by greed and evil. His aunt is busy berating him when he sees something in the room that shouldn't be there and then....stars

Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds - Coles Books Jayben and the Golden Torch by Thomas Leeds - Coles Books

As I learned to live with memory loss and epilepsy caused by my brain injury, I rediscovered the magic of reading and I fell in love with stories set in fantasy worlds, where the heroes were confronted with the unknown. It was the closest I could get to seeing myself on an exciting adventure, because when you have memory loss, the real world is a mysterious place. When Jayben wakes up one day in the Elf world with the only clue as to who he is a compass engraved with his name we are as curious as he is and we are all drawn into a thrilling adventure as Jayben tries to find his magic, magic that will allow him to light a torch and save the elf world.If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us Finding a world of clans that descend from old magic & someone who is draining their memories by taking magic away. At the same time, I got to know a boy who was also living with epilepsy, caused by cerebral palsy. Like me, he was a big fan of wild adventure stories, and he shared my hope of one day seeing a brave hero living with seizures. 'If something is not impossible, then you can do it' I went to a lot of the places I was told I had been to as a child, all the parks and shops and old schools. I went to places we’d been to on holiday and travelled the tube on the routes I had taken in my teens. We tried everything, but as time went on, the boy with my name in so many stories and grainy photographs remained another person in another world.

A moment that changed me: I lost my memories in a road

But could somebody like me, with such a terrible memory, really write a book? It seemed almost impossible, but not quite. And if something is not impossible, then you can do it.So often seizures in fiction are depicted as the end or a sign of someone worsening, we so rarely get to see people living with seizures and living through them. There are so many people, especially kids, dealing with this right now who need a hero like Jayben, to see themselves. Inspired by his own experience of memory loss after a brain injury, author Thomas Leeds introduces us to Jayben, a boy who can’t remember anything before the age of six. Leeds layers his young protagonist with his lived experience. It’s also refreshing to see a character who lives with seizures. This fantastic representation is extremely significant for kids and readers who might identify with Jayben so that they might see themselves as the hero of their story.