R.M. Tembreull’s imaginative eco-fantasy novel, Long Leg from the Blighted Earth: Book II, has received the Literary Titan Book Award, recognizing the novel’s ambitious storytelling, mythic worldbuilding, environmental themes, and unforgettable cast of unlikely heroes.

The second installment in Tembreull’s Blighted Earth series transports readers to a world where nature is not merely a setting, but a living force caught in an escalating conflict between the Natural Order and Chaos. Nilch’i, a powerful and corrupted wind sentient, has unleashed a devastating new incarnation of the 1930s Dust Bowl across the northern prairies. As drought and ecological destruction spread, the weakened earth elemental Okaraxta entrusts his Keeper animal, a Gifted burrowing owl named Long Leg, with a desperate mission.

Long Leg must deliver a vital message to North America’s Guardian Spirit, a task that may determine whether the Natural Order survives. Joined by prairie-born companions, Khúta the prairie dog and Augee the mole, Long Leg must navigate a damaged landscape where wind, water, animals, fungi, and the land itself are active participants in a struggle for restoration.

Literary Titan praised Long Leg as “an ambitious work of environmental fantasy that blends mythic adventure, eco-fiction, and climate fiction into a sweeping speculative tale.” The review also highlighted the novel’s ability to balance enormous stakes with the emotional power of small and vulnerable heroes whose courage places them at the center of a much greater conflict.

At its heart, Long Leg explores the connections among all living beings and the responsibilities that come with humanity’s place in the natural world. Tembreull reimagines existence through a spiritual and ecological framework in which Earth is sentient, immortal souls pass through many forms, and every creature contributes to the balance of life.

The novel draws inspiration from real environmental challenges, including extended drought, wildfires, habitat loss, unsustainable agricultural practices, water overconsumption, and the mismanagement of natural resources. These concerns are woven directly into the mythology of the Blighted Earth, where ecological crises become both physical catastrophes and evidence of a deeper spiritual conflict.

Tembreull developed Long Leg’s character after exploring the role of Keeper animals in his earlier collection, Stories, Legends, and Truths from the Blighted Earth. He selected a burrowing owl because the species is native to the prairies and high plains, possesses the speed and evasive abilities required of a Keeper, and is uniquely suited to the novel’s underground environments.

The result is a distinctive animal-centered adventure that combines the scale of epic fantasy with the urgency of environmental fiction. Readers who appreciate mythic quests, supernatural worldbuilding, ecological themes, and courageous animal protagonists will find a richly developed story about cooperation, sacrifice, memory, responsibility, and hope.

The Literary Titan Book Award recognizes books that demonstrate exceptional storytelling, thoughtful themes, and compelling literary craftsmanship. With this honor, Long Leg from the Blighted Earth earns recognition as a powerful continuation of a series that seeks to entertain readers while encouraging them to reconsider their relationship with the planet and all living beings.

Readers can discover the award-winning journey of Long Leg and enter the extraordinary world of the Blighted Earth by purchasing Long Leg from the Blighted Earth: Book II through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Pick up a copy today and experience an epic eco-fantasy adventure in which the smallest heroes may hold the greatest hope for restoring a wounded world.

About the Author

R.M. Tembreull is an author, artist, outdoor enthusiast, combat veteran, devoted husband, and proud father. He served for 26 years in the United States Air Force and has built an accomplished professional career in law enforcement, physical security, and antiterrorism.

Through his military service, professional work, travels, and personal experiences, Tembreull has witnessed both the best and worst of humanity. His lifelong appreciation for the natural world has been shaped by his experiences as an avid scuba diver, explorer, artist, and observer of the planet’s extraordinary landscapes and ecosystems.

Tembreull combines his passion for storytelling with his respect for nature through a literary style he describes as eco-fantasy. In the world of the Blighted Earth, all living beings are presented as children of a sentient planet, and immortal souls progress through many lives within a vast Hierarchy of Sentience.

His work is designed to deliver epic entertainment while inviting readers to examine the environmental, social, and spiritual challenges affecting life on Earth. Through his writing, Tembreull encourages humanity to recognize its responsibility as the planet’s dominant species and to embrace the possibility of creating meaningful change for all living beings.

Media Contact
Company Name: Literary Titan
Contact Person: Raymund Tembreull
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://theblightedearth.com/