Jack hugged his mom back. “I never imagined this. I never dreamed it was possible. Not with any amount of magic. I can’t ever thank you enough.”
“We did it together,” Leanora said. “The world is a magical place, full of possibility and promise. That’s what Redondo told us. People forget that, but magicians remind them.”
“This island is going to be a reminder the world can’t ignore,” Shazad said. “I only wish Redondo were here to see it.”
“He was,” Joey said. “Don’t be surprised if you see him again, by the way. Now that you have the wand. If you do, tell him I said thanks. For everything. I never got to say thank you.”
“Don’t worry,” Shazad said. “He knows.”
Joey caught Shazad looking at the power gauge tattoo on his arm. “You’re going to be okay,” he assured him. “I can’t think of a better person to wield that wand.”
“It depends on what needs doing,” Shazad said. “I think the wand chose you first to get us to this point and me to watch over things from here.”
“Just promise me one thing,” Leanora said. “Make sure I don’t get a turn anytime soon.”
Shazad laughed. “Don’t worry. I’m the responsible one, remember?”
Below the tower, the gears of the Clockwork Castle continued to turn. The magic machine kept the Imagine Nation in motion, and it continued on its course, floating over the sea to a familiar destination. Up ahead, the New York City skyline came into view.
“Have you thought about what you’re going to say to your parents?” Leanora asked Joey. “You’re going to have to give them an explanation now.”
“I guess I’ll start by teaching them a magic trick or two,” Joey said. “My dad always did like magic.”
“Magicians revealing their secrets.” Mr. Ivory shook his head. “What’s the world coming to?”
“Good question,” Joey replied. “I can’t wait to find out.”
Acknowledgments
Writing a book is never easy. It’s a process. For me, a very long process. There was one time I managed to write a book in less than a year, but it didn’t turn out very well and never got published.
That’s the way it goes. There are lots of hurdles to overcome. Lots of things to figure out. Like how to make people care about your characters. That’s a big one. Or how to make a story set in a magical world feel real. Or how to fill up the pages with moments that matter and keep people guessing until the end. Most of the time, I’m doing a fair amount of guesswork myself.
It’s a nerve-racking experience, especially as I close in on the end of a story. I feel a lot of pressure to stick the landing and write an ending that’s worthy of everything that came before it. That pressure is amplified when the book is the finale of a series. On this book, I felt more pressure than ever because it involved two different series, Order of the Majestic and the Jack Blank Adventures.
I’m glad I got the chance to write this book. I always felt I had unfinished business with the Jack Blank Adventures, but at the same time, going back to the Imagine Nation was scary for me. I was confident the story in those books held up, but it felt like a tower of cards I had assembled long ago that was somehow still standing after all these years. Connecting Jack Blank’s world with Joey Kopecky’s world meant going back to the tower and stacking more cards on top. If I wasn’t careful, the whole thing could come crashing down.
What if the new book didn’t turn out well? What if it flat-out stunk? Even worse, what if it stunk so badly that the stink rubbed off on both series? I’m not above worrying about such things. Hopefully, I avoided that fate with this book. The final verdict is up to you, but if you’re reading these pages, I’ll take it as a good sign that you enjoyed the ride.
Thanks for coming on this journey with me. It’s a strange experience, writing a book. You live in your own weird fantasy world the whole time you’re writing it, spending an hour or two out of every day detached from reality. And 10 percent of your brain stays in that place when you head back to the real world, always trying to work things out, so you can pick things up quickly without too much of an onboarding process when you return.
At least that’s how it is for me. The writer part of my brain is always on, but this was a strange year to write a book, living through a global pandemic and staying locked down at home. We all had real concerns we would have liked to escape from. A dire reality that was hard to forget and hard to avoid. It was overwhelming at times. Like most of you reading this, I found it hard to motivate some days. It was hard to try and be creative or deal with another thing on my plate. Another thing to figure out and work on. At the same time, the creative process was a welcome escape when I needed it. Like most things we love, this book simultaneously drove me crazy and kept me sane.
It’s been a privilege sharing these stories with you. For the first time in a long time, I don’t know what I’m going to do next, but I do know I have some talented people to thank for helping me get this far.
First, I have to thank my agent, Danielle Chiotti, who was the first person outside my family to ever hear me talk about Joey Kopecky or Redondo the Magnificent. A little over six years ago, we met for coffee in New York, and I pitched her the outline of this series based on my notes and sketches. She was instantly on board, and here we are, a full trilogy later. Danielle, you have been in my corner since day one. I am so grateful to have you and everyone at Upstart Crow on my team.
My editor, Liesa Abrams, acquired the Jack Blank and Majestic books for Simon & Schuster/Aladdin, and she didn’t blink when I said I wanted to connect the two series in a shared universe. She just trusted that I would figure out a way to do it and make it work. I’ll always be grateful for the faith she had in me and her guidance on all the books we worked on together. Liesa, I couldn’t have done it without you. I hope you enjoyed the Batman references!
Kara Sargent also edited this book, and her insights helped me carry it across the finish line. Together we solved story problems, fixed scenes, and tightened things up to produce the book you’re holding right now. Kara, it was a pleasure working with you, and I’m excited about the future!
Samira Iravani was an essential partner for the entire Majestic series. I cringe at the thought of these books without her input. Samira, I learned so much working with you and will push myself to keep learning. Thanks for leading the way.
I also want to thank art director Karin Paprocki and artist Owen Richardson for another fantastic book cover. I have to say I absolutely LOVE all the covers for the Jack Blank and Majestic books. It makes me so happy that the same artist and creative team produced all six of them.
I’ve been lucky to have great people at Simon & Schuster/Aladdin behind me every step of the way: production editor Rebecca Vitkus, copyeditor Penina Lopez, proofreader Kathleen Smith, and publishers Mara Anastas and Valerie Garfield. Thank you all for everything you have done and continue to do on my behalf.
Of course, I have to thank my family. My mom and dad instilled a strong work ethic in me and filled our house with books, comic books, and art supplies that filled my head with ideas. They gave me the gift of imagination, and I love them for it.
My amazing wife, Rebecca, is a creative wonder in her own right and my partner in passing that same gift of imagination on to our two boys. Rebecca, I couldn’t do these books (or much of anything else) without your love and support. Let’s never stop making magic together.
Finally, to my readers, where would I be without you? You’re the heroes of my story, and I can’t ever thank you enough.
Now it’s time for the next adventure. Until then…
More from this Series
Order of the Majestic
Book 1
Lost Kingdom
Book 2
More from the Author
The End of Infinity
The Secret War
Accidental Hero
About the Author
Author photograph by Andrew Yoo
MATT MYKLUSCH is the author of the Jack Blank Adventure series and other books for children (including grown-up children like himself). He lives in New Jersey with his wife, Rebecca; his boys, Jack and Dean; assorted pets; and other forms of magic. Find him online at MattMyklusch.com.
Aladdin
Simon & Schuster, New York
Visit us at simonandschuster.com/kids
www.SimonandSchuster.com/Authors/Matt-Myklusch
ALSO BY MATT MYKLUSCH
The Jack Blank Adventures
The Accidental Hero
The Secret War
The End of Infinity
Order of the Majestic
Order of the Majestic
Lost Kingdom
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin hardcover edition August 2021
Text copyright © 2021 by Matt Myklusch
Jacket illustration copyright © 2021 by Owen Richardson
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
ALADDIN is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and related logo is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or [email protected].
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Jacket designed by Karin Paprocki
Interior designed by Mike Rosamilia
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Myklusch, Matt, author.
Title: The new world / by Matt Myklusch.
Description: First Aladdin hardcover edition. | New York : Aladdin, 2021. | Series: Order of the Majestic ; book 3 | Audience: Ages 8 to 12 | Summary: Joey Kopecky and his friends Shazad and Leanora have one last chance to defeat the Invisible Hand.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021007341 (print) | LCCN 2021007342 (ebook) | ISBN 9781534479401 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781534479425 (ebook)
Subjects: CYAC: Fantasy. | Magic—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction.
Classification: LCC PZ7.M994 Ne 2021 (print) | LCC PZ7.M994 (ebook) | DDC [Fic]—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021007341
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2021007342
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