Dan Scanlon

The legendary manticore embarks on a quest to the Cave of a Thousand Heroes, from whence no other warrior has ever returned.

When Ian Lightfoot comes of age, his mother gives him the magical staff of his late father, which will let him cast a spell to spend one more day with his dad. But the spell goes awry and he has only 24 hours to set it right, so he and his older brother embark on an epic quest, with their mother trailing after, trying to protect them from a dangerous curse.