The Book
Rascal has read about a thousand adventures. He's never had one — until a flash of violet light leads him to a locket bearing his family's crest. Meet Rascal, Peri, Renny, and Clovis.
Read about the book →Forthcoming from Watchful Wizard Publishing:
The Adventures of Rascal Blaze
A middle-grade fantasy adventure about a book-loving rat, a mysterious locket, an ancient prophecy, and the dangerous legacy of his missing father.
National Treasure × Redwall
The debut novel
The Adventures of Rascal Blaze
National Treasure × Redwall
About the Book
Rascal Blaze has read about a thousand adventures. He's never had one. A timid young rat in the underground world of Whiskerburrow, Rascal would rather spend the evening with dandelion tea and a good book than face any real danger — until a flash of violet light in the alley leads him to a mysterious locket bearing his family's crest...
What the locket opens, who is hunting for it, and what it has to do with the father who vanished years ago — that's where the adventure begins.
Cover Reveal Coming Soon
The official cover for The Adventures of Rascal Blaze is being crafted deep in the burrow. Join The Guardians below to see it first.
Meet the Crew
Rascal Rascal Blaze
Our bookish protagonist. He loves dandelion tea and a comfy chair. An underground adventure may be the LAST thing he wants.
Peri Periwinkle LaRue
A loyal friend to Rascal who will stay by his side no matter what...unless there's a fresh cheese wheel nearby.
Renny Renard
A rogue adventurer who's seen it all. He carries a grappling hook at his side, a knife in his belt, and a secret in his past.
Clovis Clovis Robineau
A paranoid researcher running from his past. He's been in all the wrong places at all the wrong times. But luck has to change eventually, right?
Down, down, down…
The World Beneath
Far below the earth lies an underground world of burrows, hidden seas, and forgotten cities.
Tap a marker on the map to read about each location.
The underground world of Rascal Blaze. Some doors on this map are not meant to be opened.
The author
About Jon
Jon Reynolds is a youth pastor and fantasy author who writes stories about unlikely heroes, forgotten worlds, and the light that shines in the darkness.
By day, Jon works with students and families; by night (and early morning, and whenever a scene won't leave him alone), he descends into the underground world of Whiskerburrow. The Adventures of Rascal Blaze, his debut novel, is forthcoming from Watchful Wizard Publishing.
The Origin Story
Like a lot of good adventures, this one began with a dream. The first spark of Rascal's world came to Jon in a dream back in college — a hidden world below the earth, waiting to be explored. Raised on the deep places of the Tunnels series, and the epic journeys of The Lord of the Rings, Jon spent years following that spark downward, until a timid, book-loving rat with a mysterious locket finally climbed out of the dark and onto the page.
Dispatches from the burrow
The Archives
Notes on writing, world-building, and the road to publication — posted whenever something interesting crawls out of the tunnels.
Send a message down the tunnel
Contact
Questions about the book, school visits, events, or just want to talk about rats in underground societies? Send a message below, or email Jon directly at jon@jon-reynolds.com.
Press Kit
Everything a bookseller, librarian, teacher, or journalist needs in one place. Download the one-sheet PDF — ready to email, post, or print for events.
Download Press Kit (PDF)Watchful Wizard Publishing
The Adventures of Rascal Blaze
National Treasure × Redwall — a middle-grade fantasy adventure
About the Book
Rascal Blaze has read about a thousand adventures. He's never had one. A timid young rat in the underground world of Whiskerburrow, Rascal would rather spend the evening with dandelion tea and a good book than face any real danger — until a flash of violet light in the alley leads him to a mysterious locket bearing his family's crest. With his loyal best friend Peri, a paranoid researcher, and a rogue adventurer with a secret, Rascal follows the locket's trail toward the lost city of Durendal — and the truth about his missing father.
About the Author
Jon Reynolds is a youth pastor and fantasy author who writes stories about unlikely heroes, forgotten worlds, and the light that shines in the darkness. The Adventures of Rascal Blaze is his debut novel. He can be reached at jon@jon-reynolds.com and on X at @_jreynolds11.
Book Facts
- Title
- The Adventures of Rascal Blaze
- Author
- Jon Reynolds
- Publisher
- Watchful Wizard Publishing
- Genre
- Middle-Grade Fantasy (ages 8–12)
- Length
- ~38,500 words
- Distribution
- Ingram (print-on-demand + wholesale)
Cover art
coming soon
coming soon
Interview & Event Requests
For interviews, school visits, bookstore events, and review copies, contact Jon at jon@jon-reynolds.com or via the contact page. Readers can sign up for the "Join The Guardians" newsletter with the form on the home page.
This tunnel isn't on any map…
You've Wandered Off the Map
Even Rascal gets turned around down here — and he's read a thousand adventures. This page doesn't exist, but the way back is well lit.
Or try: The Book · The World · The Archives