The Fractured Path to Emerald Vale

By Jackie L. Smith

Cade Thompson is fourteen years old, and he has learned three things from his father: how to flinch, how to hide, and how to survive.

When Cade chases his dog Sammy through a gap between two boulders in the woods behind his house, he stumbles into a world that shouldn't exist - an ancient valley where dinosaurs roam, a civilization lives in partnership with creatures that went extinct sixty-five million years ago, and the portal home has sealed shut behind him.

Taken in by the village of Verdant Haven, Cade begins to heal. A quiet farmer gives him work. A fierce girl with a bow teaches him to fight. An old tracker sees the damage in him and decides to fix it. For the first time in his life, Cade learns what it means to be seen, to be valued, and to belong.

But the village harbors a traitor - a trusted advisor whose charm hides a ruthless plan to seize power. Cade has seen this pattern before. He lived with it for fourteen years. And this time, he's not going to keep his head down.

The Fractured Path to Emerald Vale is a story about a boy, his dog, and the world that put him back together. It is about courage, healing, and the truth that the hardest journey is the one that takes you home.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0GYP2BLK1
• ISBN13: 9798995928003
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Jackie L. Smith
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.03 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"
• Age Range: 13 to 18 years
• Grade Range: Grade 8 to Postsecondary