The Unlikely Conquerors: Protectors of the Pure and Avengers to the Wicked by Barry Mynes, Jr.
Barry Mynes, Jr.‘s debut novel, The Unlikely Conquerors, is a sweeping fantasy adventure rooted in the author’s deep affection for his wife and four daughters, whose real names and personalities breathe life into every page. The result is a tale that feels both timeless and personal, a quest story that celebrates bravery, family and the surprising courage that can live inside the most unlikely of heroes.
The story opens on a blustery winter night in a remote cottage at the edge of the Righteous Kingdom, where a retired knight known as Sir Daniel the Fearless lives quietly as a farmer with his wife Noel and their four girls — Sophia, Savannah, Scarlett and Sarah Honey. From the very first pages, Mynes demonstrates a gift for atmosphere. The howling blizzard, the flickering candlelight and the scarred sword hanging above the mantel establish a world that feels richly medieval without ever becoming inaccessible. There is a warmth to the writing, a kind of firelit intimacy, that immediately makes the reader feel at home in this small, crowded cottage.
A Sisterhood at the Heart of the Quest
Then comes the crisis: Mother and Father vanish into the night, snatched away by a terror from Daniel’s past. What follows is the remarkable journey of four young sisters as they venture through forbidden forests, confront giants, navigate treacherous kingdoms and ultimately face an evil that even their father had feared. It is a classic hero’s quest, but with four heroes at its heart, and that distinction makes all the difference.
Mynes has a talent for characterization. Each sister is distinctly drawn: Sophia is the capable eldest, resourceful and quietly fierce; Savannah is graceful and kind, possessing an elegance that belies her steel; Scarlett Bell is fiery and wonderfully comedic, prone to volcanic outbursts and hilariously timed hunger pangs; and Sarah Honey, the youngest, is the picture of wide-eyed sweetness and innocence. Together they form a family unit that feels real as they bicker, protect and love each other in equal measure. Readers will find themselves rooting not just for their survival, but for every small moment of tenderness between them.
A World of Wonder and Emotional Depth
The world-building is inventive. The Forbidden Black Ghost Forest, the Beo Creatlaches, the Kingdom of Golgrathia and the dungeons of Olcnom are brought to life with vivid, often lyrical prose. Mynes writes action sequences with energy and quieter moments — a father watching his daughters sleep, a child noticing the scar on a parent’s arm — with equal care and grace. The subtitle, Protectors of the Pure and Avengers to the Wicked, recurs throughout the story as both a motto and a moral compass, giving the narrative a thematic backbone that feels earned.
What elevates The Unlikely Conquerors above a standard fantasy adventure is its emotional honesty. The fears are real: the terror of parental absence, the weight of responsibility placed on a child’s shoulders and the scars that courage leaves behind. The final exchange between Sophia and her father, in which he passes the sword to his daughter and declares that she is the truly fearless one, is a moving conclusion.
This is a book that will delight young readers ready for adventure and move adult readers who know what it means to love something fiercely enough to write it into a story. The Unlikely Conquerors is a triumphant debut that is brave, big-hearted and full of wonder.
About Barry Mynes, Jr.:
Author, Barry Mynes Jr. hails from the historical coalfields of southern West Virginia. A husband and father of four beautiful girls, his writing has been influenced by tales of brave knights, the wild west and many other acts of courage. Upon completing his first book, he created a world of endearing characters and fabled clashes of whom many would consider the most unlikely of conquerors. As well as becoming an author, Barry has served for more than a decade as a law enforcement officer, Pastor of a church, and even spent time in the squared circle as a professional wrestler.
