The Blackgaard Chronicles is a new book series from Adventures in Odyssey. It retells the saga of Dr. Regis Blackgaard and his cronies with new scenes and never-before-revealed drama. First came the book Opening Moves, which covers the beginning of Blackgaard's escapades in the town of Odyssey, while the sequel Pawn's Play covers the events of the episodes Connie Goes to Camp and Eugene's Dilemma. And just next month the third book in the series, Cross-Check, will be released. It is based on the two-part episode The Nemesis. And now we have more information about the next addition, titled Rook's Ruse. The cover art has been unveiled, thanks to the AIOWiki. It features the character Richard Maxwell trapped at Blackgaard's Castle. The book will be released later this fall and covers the two-part episode The Battle, the epic conclusion to Album 5. Phil Lollar, the writer of the series, promises plenty of surprises along the way.
If you haven't had a chance to pick up your own copy of the first two books in the new Blackgaard Chronicles series, there's no better time than now. The books take another look at the schemes of Dr. Regis Blackgaard from a new angle, filling in the gaps that the audio series skipped over. Book one is called Opening Moves and book two is Pawn's Play. And book three, Cross-check, will be released on March 5th, less than a month away. Want to find out more about the book series? The Adventures in Odyssey team is probably the best qualified to discuss this subject. Go ahead and check out the video below to hear from writer Phil Lollar and others about these new and exciting books from Focus on the Family.
There's been a lot of excitement in the world of Odyssey books lately. More books are being added to the Imagination Station series, and the brand-new Young Whit series just released its first book this month. But there's another series that also deserves our attention. The Blackgaard Chronicles, featuring one of Adventures in Odyssey's most well-known villains, is being written by AIO co-creator Phil Lollar. The books follow the schemes of Dr. Regis Blackgaard and his evil quest to take over Whit's End and the entire town of Odyssey. And although the stories include much of what we've already heard before in the audio drama itself, readers of the series will be quick notice that the books contain plenty of extra scenes which were left out of the episodes. Book 1, titled Opening Moves, and book 2, Pawn's Play, are already available for purchase in stores and online. But further installments are on the way. The upcoming third book is entitled Cross-Check and will be released in March of next year. It will be based on the episodes The Nemesis, Parts 1-2 from Album 5. It will be followed later by the fourth book, Rook's Ruse, which will explore the climactic events of The Battle, Parts 1-2. Are you excited to learn more about how Dr. Blackgaard worked behind the scenes to go up against John Avery Whittaker and bring about his underhanded plans? Let us know what you think about these new books. On this week's edition of the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast, hosts Bob and Jesse interview Earl Boen, the voice of popular AIO villain Dr. Regis Blackgaard, and writer/director Phil Lollar. They talk about the creation of Whit's nemesis, what inspired the character, casting Earl Boen, and the Blackgaard story arc. They also discuss being flexible in the recording studio, developing the Blackgaard Chronicles book series, the research that went into writing the books, how they fit together with the audio drama, how many titles will be in the series, the battle of good versus evil, and much more. Plus, we hear a preview from Album 63: Up in the Air. Check out the podcast interview. The first book in the Blackgaard Chronicles book series, called Opening Moves, is now available for purchase. And that means the next title in the series is just around the corner. Book 2 will be called Pawn's Play and be released soon. And now thanks to Focus on the Family we can reveal the high resolution cover art, as well as the book's summary. This next book written by Phil Lollar follows the dealings of Richard Maxwell, which you can listen to in the episode Eugene's Dilemma. But of course the Blackgaard Chronicles book series includes so much more behind-the-scenes information that was left out of the audio drama. Check out the summary: Striking From the Shadows, Blackgaaard Makes His Move! The Blackgaard Chronicles is a brand-new book series based on the escapades of Dr. Regis Blackgaard, an infamous Adventures in Odyssey villain and longtime nemesis of Mr. Whittaker. The books will of course feature scenes that happened in the radio drama, but they will also explore never-before-revealed events which went on behind the scenes. If you thought you knew the whole Blackgaard story, be prepared to find out a whole lot more. The first novel, titled Opening Moves, is written by AIO co-creator Phil Lollar and will be released in stores in September. Are you planning on picking up a copy? Let us know in the comments section. The Focus on the Family team is working on a brand new book series for Adventures in Odyssey fans called The Blackgaard Chronicles. Thanks to Austin Peachey of the AIO Blog for bringing this news to our attention. Although Dr. Regis Blackgaard has long been dead, his appearances on AIO are still some of people's most memorable episodes to this day. And now with this book series readers will get the chance to experience those same adventures in a new medium. According to Clubhouse Magazine, with these books we will be able to finally "relive those classic battles between good and evil in book form—with fresh insights and special scenes that didn't appear in the audio dramas." The series is being written by the creators of Adventures in Odyssey and will be available first to Odyssey Adventure Club members starting in November, before the books begin releasing to the general public at a later date. |