LUCKY PARK: THE QUEST FOR THE MYTHICAL GLYPH
Seattle native Lucky Park has always been a connoisseur of adventure, mostly from the safety of his couch. He dreams in the language of lost maps and jungle heroes, a stark contrast to his actual life of lukewarm coffee and police procedural reruns. That all changes when his ambitious Filipina investigative journalist roommate, Nina Domingo, lands the biggest story of her career: tracking a legendary Southeast Asian relic—the Mythical Glyph.
Against his better judgment (and Nina's strenuous objections), Lucky is pulled from his urban comfort zone and thrust into the steamy, dangerous heart of the jungle. He's hilariously out of his depth, constantly looking at his map collection for advice, which only serves to annoy the focused Nina. While he manages a few spectacular, comedic vine-swings, their journey is a series of escalating disasters, including a frantic speed boat chase.
They are pursued by the brilliant and ruthless antiquity trafficker, Imani, an African American collector who aims to claim the Glyph for herself.
As they brave ancient ruins and face off against terrifying, stone-like creatures guarding the prize, Lucky makes a shocking discovery: the local villagers believe he is somehow connected to the Glyph's destiny, a prophesied return they have been awaiting. Lucky's literary daydreams have collided with a reality far more dangerous, and perhaps, more meaningful, than he ever imagined.
He thought adventuring was just something you read about. Now, Lucky Park must navigate a jungle full of mercenaries, monsters, and a destiny he never asked for, if he wants to make it back to Seattle in one piece.
Does this revised blurb capture all the elements you were hoping for, including Imani and Lucky's connection to the Glyph?
In the 17th century, the infamous pirate Verbeck terrorized the Spanish colonies, amassing an incalculable fortune. But his greatest secret does not lie in the Caribbean... rather, it is hidden on an island in another world, where he stashed his treasure alongside an artifact of unimaginable power: the Helm of Guzob, a war relic of the elves.
A Century later, a failed writer steals an ancient diary that describes a sailor's journey in search of an island that appears on no map. Inspired, he writes a novel based on these tales, never imagining that its publication would awaken the fury of the Spanish Empire and the Holy Inquisition, who see more than fiction in those pages... and accuse him of heresy. The writer is arrested and taken to prison.
When his granddaughter discovers what has happened, she decides to investigate on her own and soon finds herself drawn into the same dangerous conspiracy. Her search leads her to cross paths with a young Jesuit, a descendant of Verbeck, who is also following the trail of the legendary island.
Both end up joining the crew of Captain Skippy, a bold elf in service to the elven colony of Synderin, on the edge of the forests of the British colony of Georgia. With his people on the brink of economic collapse, Skippy sees the hunt for the treasure as the last chance to save his home.
But they are not alone in the race for Verbeck's fortune. A greedy viceroy, a ruthless pirate, and fanatical inquisitors, guided by dark forces, are willing to spill blood to claim the helm and the pirate's cursed gold.
For Skippy, his crew, and their new allies, this journey will be more than a simple treasure hunt: it will be an odyssey that defies the laws of their world and forces them to confront secrets that were never meant to be uncovered.