After almost twenty years as a math professor, Archie Dauphine was ready for something new-and perhaps a little strange.
Enter the Curiousium: a sprawling space that's equal parts library and magical warehouse, filled with everything from ancient scrolls to dwarven novels to magical artifacts. Long used exclusively by the Faekind, the mystical beings who live alongside the mortal world, the Curiousium is now opening its doors to everyone. As the first human employee, Archie's new role as a library associate is to help bridge the gap between the magical and the mortal.
His coworkers? An elf who always "knows a guy," a dwarf who expects a good insult every chance you get, a lederhosen-loving Sasquatch, and a relentlessly cheerful pixie. Their boss? A tiny book dragon with an insatiable need to hoard books.
When human detective Rowan Blake arrives to seek help with a cold case she's been assigned, what begins as a consultation soon pulls Archie into a mystery involving a missing person and a dangerous group long thought gone. And if his matchmaking teenage daughter has her way, Archie and Rowan might end up doing more than solving the case.
Autorentext
From a young age, Ben Cass was in love with the premises of fantasy novels and comic books: amazing creatures, fantastic heroes, and magical powers that existed right beneath our noses. He created detailed storylines to act out with his toys, often updating the stories until he was satisfied with the plots.
His love of writing began in his senior year of high school, when he had to write short stories for his English class. He wrote the first one in ten minutes, all because it was due the next class period and he'd completely forgotten about it. That story was greeted with laughter and applause by his classmates and teacher. His subsequent assignments garnered even more positive responses, and Ben began to seriously consider writing as a hobby.
A native Floridian, Ben attended Florida Southern College, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, double-majoring in Secondary Education. Ben graduated in 1998, and has been in education ever since.
Ben is a certified geek, and loves Superman, Star Trek, Doctor Who, and other sci-fi/comic book characters and stories. You can find Ben on BlueSky under the handle @bencass.bsky.social, or on Reddit at u/bencass. You can also contact him through www.bencassbooks.com.
Ben lives in beautiful South Florida, where he continues to work on his writing.