mariahaskins's review against another edition
5.0
This books takes the reader on a rollicking and exciting journey into the magical world “beyond the veil” – the world of magic that has been separated (for humanity’s protection) from our everyday world. The story follows what happens to Keegan, a more or less regular office-drone (who is in possession of a rather strange ring…), when he is quite unexpectedly summoned by his wizardly grandfather to join the world of magic. Keegan leaves his mundane existence behind, and goes through a portal to a realm of dragons, spells, curses, oracles, goblins, witches, and wizards.
He is thrown into some pretty serious trouble right off the bat (dealing with dragons and giants and poisons and whatnot!), and has to adjust to not just a different world, but the fact that he himself is different than he previously believed: he certainly never realized that he had magical powers before, and getting used to wielding them turns out to be quite a challenge.
I won’t give away too much of the plot, but this is a terrific fantasy tale, full of great characters that are both evil, good, and somewhere in between, and it also has a sense of humour mixed in with the darkness and the shadows. It appeals to me that Keegan is not a one-dimensional goodie-goodie as a protagonist, but a troubled man who is both thrilled and frightened by the new world he finds and the new powers within him. He is also beset by fears and doubts, and has a temper that turns out to be both a blessing and a curse.
Radcliffe’s dragons also stand out as characters: this tale features several of them, and each one has quite a distinct personality and agenda. As the quote goes: “it’s simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons”.
He is thrown into some pretty serious trouble right off the bat (dealing with dragons and giants and poisons and whatnot!), and has to adjust to not just a different world, but the fact that he himself is different than he previously believed: he certainly never realized that he had magical powers before, and getting used to wielding them turns out to be quite a challenge.
I won’t give away too much of the plot, but this is a terrific fantasy tale, full of great characters that are both evil, good, and somewhere in between, and it also has a sense of humour mixed in with the darkness and the shadows. It appeals to me that Keegan is not a one-dimensional goodie-goodie as a protagonist, but a troubled man who is both thrilled and frightened by the new world he finds and the new powers within him. He is also beset by fears and doubts, and has a temper that turns out to be both a blessing and a curse.
Radcliffe’s dragons also stand out as characters: this tale features several of them, and each one has quite a distinct personality and agenda. As the quote goes: “it’s simply not an adventure worth telling if there aren’t any dragons”.
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