Have you ever read a book that just sucks you in? You actually feel like you're a part of the plot and every scene has an interesting reaction from you. Turning the pages of the book brings everlasting joy and peace into your current state of mood. “Beyonders,” a fantasy novel trilogy by Brandon Mull, captured my attention. “Never judge a book by its cover,” is a well-known saying. However, I know my life was sold to the first book, “Beyonders: A World Without Heroes,” when I noticed the front cover in Barnes & Noble. It was a three-dimensional picture of a man with black eyes wearing a red cape, and his hand was reaching out towards me. The man’s hand would move backwards and forwards as I moved the book. A few minutes later, I was spending the very little cash in my pockets and walking from the store with a new book. Judging a book by its cover may surprisingly lead you in the right direction. Reading the trilogy reminded me of the morals that we are supposed to live out in today’s world.

A World Without Heroes

“A World Without Heroes,” is about a young boy, Jason Walker being teleported into the parallel universe of Lyrian. For centuries, Lyrian has been dominated and ruled by wizards, and Maldor, the last standing wizard, is on a quest of building an empire and gaining complete control over Lyrian. Lyrians find out there is a Word that can defeat Maldor if it is spoken in his presence. There have been Lyrians stepping up to attempt to stop Maldor, but they would either get tortured for life or choose to become an ally to avoid torturing. Jason befriends a few Lyrians and takes on the task of finding all the syllables of the Word in order to defeat Maldor.

Seeds of Rebellion

Jason and his allies find out more about the Word and the history of Lyrian. They learn about Edomic, which is a magical language that gives the user supernatural powers. They learn about the various Lyrian nations. There are other nations at war with Maldor. There are nations trying to remain neutral but will go to war with Maldor, if necessary. Jason and his allies travel around Lyrian to gain more allies. The main goal is unite all the nations and rebel against Maldor.

Chasing the Prophecy

Still hoping to return home, Jason realizes that it is his destiny to come to Lyrian and bring hope to the people. Jason has gained the needed knowledge and allies to defeat Maldor, but can they do it? You would have to read the book to see.

1. Be the Hero

America has been afflicted with many rough events. For example, there was killing of Native Americans, slavery, segregation, multiple world wars, and the Civil War. America desperately needed heroes. We love to look up to and pay homage to the following heroes: Rosa Parks, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., George Washington, Harriet Tubman, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paul Revere, etc. They set the bar high and did what they did extremely well. Who are heroes of today? Who are our little boys and girls looking up to? We have Hugh Jackman, Captain Jack Sparrow, Batman, Barack Obama, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, John Cena, Derek Jeter, Beyoncé, Donald Trump, Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Chuck Norris, etc. Yes, I know you scratched your head a couple of times as you read my list of heroes of today. Society loves to call on celebrities to be the hero. Although celebrities have a more influential impact than regular humans, we don’t need celebrities to do the heroic work for us. We don’t need Beyoncé to create a song that will motivate us to become better people. Everyone has the opportunity and ability to be a hero or to at least inspire and influence others to be better people.

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world,” said Mahatma Gandhi.

2. Having a Purpose

In the "Beyonders" trilogy, Jason’s purpose was to give hope to the Lyrians and save them from the evil wizard, Maldor. Everyone on Earth is called to do something. We have a purpose for living. Rosa Park’s purpose was to help end segregation in public places. Harriet Tubman’s purpose was to help free the slaves. Abraham Lincoln’s purpose was to abolish slavery. Jackie Robinson’s purpose was to break the color barrier in the Major League Baseball. Stephen Hawking’s purpose is to show there is hope and chance for people with disabilities to live a successful life. A trainer’s purpose is to help the athletes develop better skills. A reading teacher’s purpose is to help students gain the ability to read well. You are called to do something in life. Have you figured out your purpose? What is your purpose? If you do not know your purpose, then it is okay. There is not a need to worry because your time to make an everlasting impact will come.

3. Personal Sacrifices

Jason had a decision: to stay in Lyrian and help rebel against Maldor or go back home and avoid the wrath of Maldor. Some of the Jason’s Lyrian allies had a decision: to stay neutral in order to maintain peace in their nation or to rebel against Maldor in hope of bringing peace to all nations. When making a tough decision, you may be forced to choose between your needs or the needs of others. Parenting is the perfect example of making personal sacrifices. For newborn babies, parents would lose many hours of sleep in order to provide care for the babies. As the baby gets older, parents tend to spend more money buying diapers, clothes, shoes, and school supplies You have a choice to either meet your needs first or meet the needs of others first. The needs of the many outweigh the needs or desires of the few or the one.

4. Standing Up Against Injustice

Maldor made it his goal to oppress and conquer the nations. If anyone stood in his way, Maldor would torture them and come up a way to handicap your ability to work with others. For example, Maldor took away the eyesight of a king. During World War II, Hilter’s goal was to exterminate the Jews, but Oskar Schnidler, who did not approve of Hitler’s actions, employed thousands of Jews to work in factories in order to save them from deportation to killing centers. Today, standing up against injustice is becoming more and more prevalent. Colin Kaepernick, Carmelo Anthony and other athletes have been taking a stand against the social injustice and police brutality issues in America. Taking a knee during the National Anthem, wearing an “I Can’t Breathe” t-shirt, blackening out your social media profile picture, and using hashtags are a few of intriguing ways that people are standing up and speaking out. Listen, you do not have to battle against injustice the same way others are because everyone has their own unique fighting style. Martin Luther King Jr. said “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” Are you standing up against injustice? How are standing up and encouraging others to stand up?

5. You Are Not Alone

Jason, a foreigner to Lyrian, could not have become the hero without the Lyrians’ assistance. Jason would not have escaped Felrock, Maldor’s fortess, if he did not have any allies. Rachel, Drake, Tark, Ferrin, Jasher, and more along the way stood by Jason’s side through thick and thin. Many great leaders and heroes have a group of friends behind them. Martin Luther King Jr. did not march on Washington by himself. Tony Stark did not defeat Ultron by himself. Jesus had 12 disciples by his side. The "Beyonders" trilogy teaches its readers that a hero will be more effective at fulfilling the purpose when there is a team standing next to him or her. Without allies, you may be stuck on the losing side. For example, the Patriots struggled during the majority of the Revolutionary War, but they secured the victory when both Spain and France aided their cause. Who is standing in the gap with you? Who are you helping win battles?