Every hero needs a secret identity.

"After touching the warped post, Aisling tried to wipe her skin clean of the black smudges. Little streaks of white shone through the charred-black wood that had once comprised the walls, the floor, the ceiling. In hair, white streaks indicate age, but in this burned-out one-story building, they were a reminder of a time before fire and ruin."

While a scarred world rebuilds, Aisling gave up globetrotting to embrace the destiny she long rejected. But in a forgotten corner of Ireland, rain squenching Aisling's red curls into corkscrews, this hero in training also has to figure out her secret identity.

Banter. Travel. A short jaunt into the heart of meaning and purpose. If you like decisive women and yearn for a new type of hero, then get ready for a trip to "The Eighth Wonder of the World."

The Rucksack Universe series combines alternate history, speculative fiction, myth, adventure, globetrotting, and intrigue—all with well-poured pints of beer. Library Journal says Anthony St. Clair's storytelling has "universe building reminiscent of Terry Pratchett," and readers say they love the Rucksack Universe's unique combination of "quirk, wit, travel, and magic."