“The Door Within” by Wayne Thomas Batson :: The Door Within Trilogy

The Door Within is a perfect example of a novel that shows the reality of the truths that a Christian believes in through story. (In this way it is akin to Lewis’ Narnia, Eastman’s Sages of Darkness, and a thousand other tales.) Christianity is a reality, not a fantasy. But it can be taught through fantasy, and in the case of The Door Within, taught very, very well.

***

Aidan Thomas just moved, and his life is ruined. No friends, parents that don’t understand him, and an old, wheezing grandfather that he has to take care of. The only people who will listen to him are some medieval figurines from his youth, silent and still; unquestioning.

Soon, though, Aidan is made aware of a world beyond his own, separated by a chasm of disbelief and unsurety. By crossing this chasm, Aidan is allowed into this world; a world at war. King Eliam, the wise and just ruler of The Realm, has been murdered by a traitor- Paragor. Eliam still rules, though not in body, but the forces of Paragory are daily growing stronger, preparing for an all out attack.

Aidan has been summoned to The Realm for a reason: To thwart Paragor in his attempts to gain control, and taken on the armor of the fabeled Twelfth Knight. But will he be able to fill such massive armor, and wield the sword Syl Furyn in the defense  of his King? Find out- and enter the Door Within.

***

Simply, magnificently, fantasmagoriphically awesome. This book, I would say, is like a simplified and less wordy version of Lewis’ “Narnia” series- traveling to another land to face the evils there and reveal the truth. LOVED it. My only negative criticism would be to say that at times Aidan, the teen main character, acts more like a 10 year old than a knight. Other than this, the book was brilliant.

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4 of 5 stars

9+

“The Floating Island” by Elizabeth Haydon :: The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme

I once wrote a post about judging books by their covers. The Floating Island was my case in point. Big dragon? Mm-hm, Mm-hm. (Not actually sure how the dragon fit into the story, but it sure looks cool.) Mysterious journals? That’s always gone well. Illustrations by Brett Helquist, past illustrator of Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events? YES.

And, in the voice of radio football announcers everywhere, I proclaim, “The book is… GOOOOOD!!!”

***

Charles Magnus Ven Polypheme (Ven for short,) named after his grandfather, Magnus the Mad, has a family with a history of doing unusual things.  Magnus moved the family out from underground, where their Nain ancestors had always lived and thrived, to the land of the humans above ground. Ven’s father Pepin worked on the seaside, building boats for well-paying businessmen. Ven himself is the thirteenth child in his family. With such strange kin, something unusual was bound to happen to Ven. And so it did.

This first abnormality took the shape of an albatross, carrying a gift. Then came a fiery battle at sea. Ven is thrown into the adventure he’s always desired: pirates, arrests, life bringing water, and undead monsters waiting in the darkness. But not everything is as it seems, as Ven soon finds, and the answers to his questions will come in the form of a final puzzle; a puzzle that can only be solved with the help of friends, the advice of a king, and a 400 year old measuring tool.

***

I wasn’t expecting this book to be incredible when I picked it up, mainly because I’d never heard of it before. However, it turns out that I should have heard of it. It was amazing. The story was enthralling, the characters were fascinating, and the book, overall, was worth 50 times what I payed for it. (That isn’t an exaggeration; I got it at a thrift store.) Well-worth reading, blogging friends.

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4.5 of 5 stars

10+

“Kestrel’s Midnight Song” by Jacob R. Parker

I have a few things to say about this book. First of all, AAAUGH!!! I know the author! (Which is, by the way, just WAY TOO COOL.) I’ve been following Jacob’s blog since he was still writing KMS (Kestrel’s Midnight Song), and I’m very happy with the result of his work. Second, that has got to be the coolest dragon/bird/BIG THING I’ve ever seen. Thumbs up to the cover art. Third, I’m about ready to write the review now. Here we go.

***

In the tower of a castle, high above the sea, a prisoner waits to be freed. James Kestrel is his name, and a name that inspires terror throughout the land. Renowned for his knowledge of the Caelum Flute, an instrument with the capability of controlling any bird, he would be able to rule Gable, a land renowned for its exotic birds.

At an Inn near the Kepled Sea, a slave girl hides without any protection save secrecy. If she were to be discovered as a run away, anyone could claim her. With this horrible secret, she tries to live a normal life at the inn, catering to guest as if nothing were different. She has no knowledge of the fire, or the journey with the giant, which is so soon to come.

Farther still, deep in the mountains lives a shepherd boy, who likewise knows nothing of his impending fate. He spends his days tending to his sheep, which he loves like siblings. Soon, though, he’ll have much more on his mind than just sheep. A trek is coming that will last many days, and will cause him to meet with many new friends- a giant, a slave, a former guard to the King, and many more.

***

All the right characters + all the necessary writing skill + flaming sheep = A pretty cool book. Some of the characters lacked developement, but there had to be a weakness somewhere, right? 🙂 Mr. Parker, I am satisfied in every way. (And ready for a sequel!)

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4 of 5 stars

10+

“Gatekeepers” by Robert Liparulo :: Dreamhouse Kings

I thought that the Autumn leaves fit the season quite nicely.

“Gatekeepers” by Robert Liparulo succeeds to carry on the “Dreamhouse Kings” legacy; rife with suspense, beautiful mental imagery, and creepy old guys. (Seriously, there have been strange old guys in every book so far.) In my opinion, the book reads more than it should like an episode of the series than a whole in itself, but the picture that the series is painting over all is thoroughly enjoyable. (Read my reviews of book one, “House of Dark Shadows,” and book two, “Watcher in the Woods,” before you read this one.)

***

Xander found his mom. He left a message for her in the War portal, and she actually responded! Xander and David are ecstatic, but before they can do anything to help her, two cops are at their house and arresting their father, all while the vile Taksidian stands watching smugly.

Soon enough they are left alone in their house, with no protection but the lock on their door. (Which honestly hasn’t done them much good anyways.) With several portals into the King’s home, no room is safe. They try several methods- video surveillance, brute force (whatever force a wood club can offer), even bring in some people from the outside.

But nothing seems to work, and time is, ironically, running out. Can the Kings defend themselves from the city council, bent to the will of Taksidian? Why haven’t they found any rooms that lead to the future? Will the kids really find their mother, alive and well? All these questions are answered in “Gatekeepers.”

***

Once more: It was suspenseful, carried the story on well, and ultimately, it gave me the willies. 🙂 (If you want to read more about the series, head to the website. > http://dreamhousekings.com/) It was a little unrealistic as to the creation of the house, (“Me and my brothers built it” was the best definition given so far,) but I’m willing to forgive little details such as this.

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 4 of 5 stars

13+

“So You Want to be a Wizard” by Diane Duane :: Young Wizards

If books were food- stop right there. Let me say now, I’m glad they aren’t. If books were food, a. I’d be incredibly overweight, and b. you could only consume them once. But, if books were food, “So You Want to Be a Wizard” would be a crème brûlée, lightly toasted, and topped with berries. A comment, to clarify my somewhat abnormal metaphor: “It was SOOO GOOOOD!!!”

***

13 year old Nita was hiding in a library, bullies hot on her tail, when she came across a book that would literally change her life- “So You Want to Be a Wizard.” At first, she thought it was some sort of joke. But after she started reading, everything began to change. Nita saw and heard everything with new clarity.The rustles of the leaves were angry accusations. The revving of an engine was a question to be answered. And the spatter of raindrops was the laughter of the sky.

But when doing a spell with another wizard, something goes wrong, and they must draw on the power of another being. They escape from their initial predicament, but find themselves with a new problem: The being who’s power they drew on came back with them. He carries news: “The Book of Night with Moon” (a book that, when read, can change the Universe,) has gone missing.

And so begins the initiation of the young wizards Nita and Kit. Together they will open a portal to another world, fight with an angry taxi cab, and ultimately save the world.

***

I think that the top comments make it pretty clear that I liked the book. But there were a couple drawbacks. Every once in a while, the author would just toss in a swear word. Completely Unnecessary. There were also a few Evolutionist themes. They usually started out sounding like God, but they would quickly slide into a sort of “I am Everything” mindset. (I am the burning of a flame, I am the pounding of a stone, etc.)

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4 of 5 stars

11+