Fireguard is a fantasy and science-fiction novel, with a heavy dose of war. It is about two-inch tall plastic toys that consist of cowboys, Indians, spacemen, knights, ninjas, and many other factions that live within an abandoned junkyard. After decades of living here, a force of Army Men known as the Legion approach the Junkyard's doorstep ready to attack. Brad, a prehistoric mammal and humanoid known as an Amonaut created in the late 1980s, must desperately unite the Junkyard amidst their differences in order to secure their survival. The main villain, Torvus, has declared himself emperor of the Legion. His ultimate goal is to conquer the Junkyard and wipe out all who inhabit it. His brutal tactics and his prowess for victory make him a dangerous foe. Robots, tanks, machine guns, and thousands of war-hardened Army Men follow him. Brad thinks himself as inadequate with no experience in warfare, but this war and Torvus will test him to limits that he didn't know existed.
About the Author
James N. Ito wrote this novel while riding on the train to and from work every day because it was the one place where he could have complete focus. No work, no politics, and no kids banging on his keyboard. His idea for this story came when he was cleaning out his garage at the end of graduate school and found a box with hundreds of his army men inside armed with rifles, grenades, and flamethrowers. What would a novel about these guys be like? What would it be about? How can the reader forget these characters are toys? James got to work.