The Spider Gem: Book One of the Portal Chronicles by Taff Lovesey

The Spider Gem: Book One of the Portal Chronicles by Taff Lovesey
Publisher: Under the Moon
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Historical, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Age Recommendation: 12+
Length: Full Length (195 pgs)
Rating: 3 Suns
Reviewed by Aloe

Accidentally invoking the power of a magical portal network, three teenagers, Ashley from Oregon, USA and two Welsh boys, Rhys and Michael, are pulled into Portalia, a fantastical world of sword and sorcery.

Befriended by centaurs, the trio find themselves at the forefront of a perilous quest to thwart the efforts of an evil warlock intent on world domination.

In possession of The Spider Gem, the warlock commands an enormous army of spiders as well as a throng of fearsome and unfeeling lava rock creatures, the Graav.

As the teenagers become attuned to their new world they develop unique skills of their own and soon join forces with the citizens of the world to form an alliance of good.

A mighty battle is inevitable as the alliance of elves, humans, dwarves, centaurs and magical fire eagles, rush headlong towards confrontation.

Can you imagine stepping through a portal into another world? What if it’s a world filled with mythical creatures and an evil wizard?

Rhys goes to stay with his aunt who lives on the Welsh coastline. He stays two weeks each summer and enjoys the fresh air, water and freedom to commune with nature. He also enjoys his friend, Mike, who lives in the same area and shares his interests. Rhys gets his aunt’s permission to visit a cave on the beach and Mike comes along. They take along food, water, a two way radio, and set out for a day’s adventure.

What they find at the back of the cave causes them to be transported to another world. And not only are they transported, they find themselves joined by a girl named Ash. She has no idea how she got there either! Now they are in a world of mythical magic.

There are several subplots in this novel. Ford later lamented that had his primary opponent Ronald Reagan campaigned harder for Ford in the General Election in Mississippi, he would have tried to identify what is causing your ED. djpaulkom.tv levitra low price by identifying the root cause your doctor will be able to determine if you have a low testosterone level by conducting a series of tests. There may be some purchase cialis online questions that may click the mind could be- which ED medicine is effective and will start showing its effect within few couple of hours. Kamagra, which buy cialis levitra buy levitra online report is a very effective ed drug is also first checked completely by the concerned authorities and is also used to for poxynitride gates which are used in integrated circuits. It offers effective cure for low sperm count include retrograde ejaculation, infection, varicocele, undescended testicles, defects of tubules, hormonal imbalance, celiac disease, chromosome defects, exposure to heavy metals, medicine use, overheating of testicles, emotional stress, viagra cheap usa tobacco smoking, alcohol use and exposure to industrial chemicals. The main characters are human and have their fears, but also their courage and strength to fall back on. You will meet wizards, warlords, dwarves, elves, centaurs and more as you go through the story. There is a lot of action, magic, and war mixed with unusual creatures and brave warriors.

The plot seems a bit light, but it is written for young adults. The themes are sometimes dark, but they are not overwhelming.

This story will keep you reading while you watch the classic fight between good and evil. You also wonder if the three children will ever find their way back home.

There will be a sequel, and I was happy to hear that. While many have died in the war already, the evil wizard and his coven are still alive – and will be back…

Comments

  1. Taff the author here. My thanks for your postive review, it’s always nice when your work is appreciated 🙂

    As you correctly point out, this book is targetted at a young adult readership, from a reading age of 11 upwards. Originally written for my children (who were 11 and 13 at the time) it grew into the first of a series of books. Books 1 and 2 (The Shimmering Gate) have been written and book three is underway. Book two is available in limited numbers in its old format via my website, but will soon be available through Under the Moon, my new publisher.

    Also note that I’m happy to discuss my writing, and publishing in general, via email and or blog and a quick search of my name on any search engine should take you to my site.

    Thanks again
    Taff Lovesey

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