dandelionking's review against another edition
3.0
One Realm Beyond is the coming of age story about a young man who lives in a universe that is riddled with portals into other plains or worlds. Each realm is distinct and has many nations in each and entire planets to boot.
These worlds of fantasy are filled with human portal jumpers and their dragon counterparts.
And this young man is one of them. He's been taught to be honorable and to do the right thing. He was taught to be a knight to the worlds in a sense.
But little does he know, that the moment he jumps into his first portal, he'll come to face universes full of corruption and intrigue.
What can he do against worlds of corruption?
I enjoyed this book. It's very unique and fun with similarities to Marvel's Thor series with multiple worlds to explore (we only see two in this book). I loved the idea of the shape-shifting dragons. I loved the idea of portal jumpers.
I loved the intrigue.
But that being said, it becomes quite slow around the middle of the book and I stopped reading it for several months before finishing the book. The last half proved to be VERY fun and I'm almost ashamed I didn't finish it before.
This book is full of 3D characters, some heroic, others cooky, while others are somewhere beyond. It has some Christian symbols through out which made it have a certain depth that most stories lack.
But I found it not as vivid in description as I'd expect with such a large fantastic story.
That being said, I liked it, and I WANT to read the second one . . . and perhaps the third.
I love the characters and they make this journey worth it.
These worlds of fantasy are filled with human portal jumpers and their dragon counterparts.
And this young man is one of them. He's been taught to be honorable and to do the right thing. He was taught to be a knight to the worlds in a sense.
But little does he know, that the moment he jumps into his first portal, he'll come to face universes full of corruption and intrigue.
What can he do against worlds of corruption?
I enjoyed this book. It's very unique and fun with similarities to Marvel's Thor series with multiple worlds to explore (we only see two in this book). I loved the idea of the shape-shifting dragons. I loved the idea of portal jumpers.
I loved the intrigue.
But that being said, it becomes quite slow around the middle of the book and I stopped reading it for several months before finishing the book. The last half proved to be VERY fun and I'm almost ashamed I didn't finish it before.
This book is full of 3D characters, some heroic, others cooky, while others are somewhere beyond. It has some Christian symbols through out which made it have a certain depth that most stories lack.
But I found it not as vivid in description as I'd expect with such a large fantastic story.
That being said, I liked it, and I WANT to read the second one . . . and perhaps the third.
I love the characters and they make this journey worth it.
kaylamichelledean1234's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book! I would definitely recommend this book, the only drawback is that it is a major cliff hanger. I cannot wait until the next one comes out. I could tell you more, but I don't want to give anything away. Just know that it is a very well written book, and that you should read it.
ahinds's review against another edition
2.0
It was okay story wise but the book itself was very slow.
angelwolf45's review against another edition
5.0
I was excited to read this because Donita K Paul is one of my favorite authors.
This book is about a guy named Cantor who has been training to be a realm walker. He has been waiting to be able to do this his whole life. He had been trained by a previous realm walker and is now ready to be one. The first thing he has to do is find a dragon companion, in which he meets Bridger. They end up being companions even though Cantor does not really want to have him. As they work together they learn things about being a realm walker and that the guild for realm walkers is not what they were expecting.
I really enjoyed the book. I got annoyed with Cantor because he could not see that Bridger was very helpful in the many situations that they were in together. They meet a host of unique characters along the way which make the story more interesting.
The character that I like the most was definitely Bridger. He was just so willing to be with Cantor and did his best to show him that he was a good and helpful dragon. He was quite a funny dragon in the story. throughout the story I was like I will have Bridger if you wont Cantor. He was just an awesome dragon.
I enjoyed the story but by the end I was like I need the second because I need to know what happens to the characters. It was a cliffhanger ending that left me wanting more and cannot wait till the next book comes out.
This book is about a guy named Cantor who has been training to be a realm walker. He has been waiting to be able to do this his whole life. He had been trained by a previous realm walker and is now ready to be one. The first thing he has to do is find a dragon companion, in which he meets Bridger. They end up being companions even though Cantor does not really want to have him. As they work together they learn things about being a realm walker and that the guild for realm walkers is not what they were expecting.
I really enjoyed the book. I got annoyed with Cantor because he could not see that Bridger was very helpful in the many situations that they were in together. They meet a host of unique characters along the way which make the story more interesting.
The character that I like the most was definitely Bridger. He was just so willing to be with Cantor and did his best to show him that he was a good and helpful dragon. He was quite a funny dragon in the story. throughout the story I was like I will have Bridger if you wont Cantor. He was just an awesome dragon.
I enjoyed the story but by the end I was like I need the second because I need to know what happens to the characters. It was a cliffhanger ending that left me wanting more and cannot wait till the next book comes out.
kaylamdean1's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great book! I would definitely recommend this book, the only drawback is that it is a major cliff hanger. I cannot wait until the next one comes out. I could tell you more, but I don't want to give anything away. Just know that it is a very well written book, and that you should read it.
ctozlowski's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely worth the read, especially if you enjoyed her first series, the Dragonkeeper Chronicles.
nicole_dust's review against another edition
4.0
I have honestly wanted to read this book for SO LONG, ever since I saw it in my local bookstore. So when I saw that our library network offered it, I requested it right away.
First off, I will say that I think I would have enjoyed it more a couple years ago. This would have definitely been one of my favorite books back in junior high. It was still a good read for me now, though.
LIKES:
- The plot. It was intriguing (especially at the end) and kept me reading. I won’t say any more because of spoilers.
- Bixby. Need I say more?
- The dragons. These were some of the most unique dragons I, personally, have ever read about, and I really enjoyed them. Especially Bridger.
- Primen. I don’t know why; I loved those parts.
DISLIKES:
- I thought the beginning was just a little too slow for me. Yes, it was all necessary, and I understand why it was so, but . . . I was looking for a little more action in the beginning.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series!
First off, I will say that I think I would have enjoyed it more a couple years ago. This would have definitely been one of my favorite books back in junior high. It was still a good read for me now, though.
LIKES:
- The plot. It was intriguing (especially at the end) and kept me reading. I won’t say any more because of spoilers.
- Bixby. Need I say more?
- The dragons. These were some of the most unique dragons I, personally, have ever read about, and I really enjoyed them. Especially Bridger.
- Primen. I don’t know why; I loved those parts.
DISLIKES:
- I thought the beginning was just a little too slow for me. Yes, it was all necessary, and I understand why it was so, but . . . I was looking for a little more action in the beginning.
Overall, I really liked this book, and I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series!
jupanuma's review against another edition
1.0
This book made no sense to me. I was lost most of the time. The pacing was all over the place. Things I thought weren't important were explained in great detail while the things I thought were important weren't.
Characters had weird names. And I lost track of who was who after a certain point. It didn't seem like either of the main characters, Cantor and Bixby, had any real flaws. If they did have a flaw, they overcame it pretty quickly. Also, how characters meet each other is strange. Like Cantor meets Bixby in a tree. Why? Out of everything you could do for characters to meet, it's in a tree.
The world building wasn't well made. It didn't seem like a fantasy book right away. And how Donita delivered it, wasn't much better. I thought Cantor lived on a very normal farm, like here in the real world, and then all of a sudden a portal just shows up and a dragon is flying overhead to keep him away from the portal. And the author made up new creations, which is fine in some cases, but there is one, in particular, that didn't make sense.
I didn't understand the rules to being a Realms Walker. The dragons didn't make much sense to me. How can there be some dragons meant to be partners for Real Walkers, but most of the population is not?
They was nothing I personally enjoyed about this book, and I don't plan on reading the rest of the series either.
Characters had weird names. And I lost track of who was who after a certain point. It didn't seem like either of the main characters, Cantor and Bixby, had any real flaws. If they did have a flaw, they overcame it pretty quickly. Also, how characters meet each other is strange. Like Cantor meets Bixby in a tree. Why? Out of everything you could do for characters to meet, it's in a tree.
The world building wasn't well made. It didn't seem like a fantasy book right away. And how Donita delivered it, wasn't much better. I thought Cantor lived on a very normal farm, like here in the real world, and then all of a sudden a portal just shows up and a dragon is flying overhead to keep him away from the portal. And the author made up new creations, which is fine in some cases, but there is one, in particular, that didn't make sense.
Spoiler
They talk about needing to find the explosive before it goes off, and they talk about how dynamite might be something the bad guys would use. Instead of sticking with something readers would know, the author makes up a new type of bomb that's shaped like a gourd, something you can eat, and they only way it exploded is if you shake it hard and fast enough. Why did you have to come up with something stupid like that? Just stick with dynamite or TnT.I didn't understand the rules to being a Realms Walker. The dragons didn't make much sense to me. How can there be some dragons meant to be partners for Real Walkers, but most of the population is not?
They was nothing I personally enjoyed about this book, and I don't plan on reading the rest of the series either.
readtolive's review against another edition
4.0
I received this through the BookLook Bloggers Program in exchange for a fair and honest review.
First, let me say that for a book published by a Christian Imprint, I was thoroughly impressed with the fact that the religious aspects in this book were so subtle that, if you did not know to look for them, you would have believed it to be mainstream young adult fantasy fiction. For a lot of people, that is really a good thing.
I was impressed with how well thought out and well written this novel was. I had never heard of the author before but the cover art sucked me in and the description was enough to catch my attention. I mean, really, look at that cover. Isn't that just an awesome cover that makes you want to know what is in the pages?
Cantor's Journey was one that if you think about it enough, can be mirrored in each of our own hearts. The journey to find our way, to learn who we are as we grow up and become the people we are supposed to be. It is a journey that each and every one of us makes, young and old alike, to becoming the people we are intended to be and live the life that the universe has in store for us. I don't think we ever finish that journey until the day we stop breathing.
If you want to know more, pick up the book and give it a read. I really cannot pinpoint much negative about it, except that it was a little slow starting and took me 3 days to finish completely because the beginning just didn't seem to catch on fast enough. Overall, though it was enjoyable and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for our friends.
First, let me say that for a book published by a Christian Imprint, I was thoroughly impressed with the fact that the religious aspects in this book were so subtle that, if you did not know to look for them, you would have believed it to be mainstream young adult fantasy fiction. For a lot of people, that is really a good thing.
I was impressed with how well thought out and well written this novel was. I had never heard of the author before but the cover art sucked me in and the description was enough to catch my attention. I mean, really, look at that cover. Isn't that just an awesome cover that makes you want to know what is in the pages?
Cantor's Journey was one that if you think about it enough, can be mirrored in each of our own hearts. The journey to find our way, to learn who we are as we grow up and become the people we are supposed to be. It is a journey that each and every one of us makes, young and old alike, to becoming the people we are intended to be and live the life that the universe has in store for us. I don't think we ever finish that journey until the day we stop breathing.
If you want to know more, pick up the book and give it a read. I really cannot pinpoint much negative about it, except that it was a little slow starting and took me 3 days to finish completely because the beginning just didn't seem to catch on fast enough. Overall, though it was enjoyable and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for our friends.
r_j_setser's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from the author/publisher for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
When you’re born with a gift, it’s your responsibility to protect it.
Cantor D’Ahma is a character who has a tendency to take things too seriously. He has a rebellious nature about him and isn’t fond of following orders. However once his world begins to fall apart, all he wants is his old life back to normal.
I adored the characters of One Realm Beyond! Cantor, Bixby, Bridger, and Dukmee are an entertaining group to say the least, but they also work together and help each other in ways that really makes them dynamic.
As for the story, I considered it to be very slow. It took almost the entire first half of the book before anything “bad” even happened. Yes, there were some challenging dilemmas in the beginning, but nothing of consequence happened, making everything look really easy. Everything also happened really fast -I know I just said it was too slow, so I’ll explain! The action scenes began and ended too quickly. It took a lot of time to lead up to those action scenes and then they were over almost as soon as they had started.
I also didn’t like that I would be reading one chapter and then the next chapter was taking place over a month later without any warning. This left a lot of confusion.
However, as I mentioned before, the characters more than made up for the loss of conflict. Their personalities are just so complex and well captured, especially for Fantasy. It’s a clean book, no cursing, sexual comments or scenes, and as I mentioned before, the action is almost non-existent. So in the end, I was actually very pleased with the book.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to younger teens and readers who appreciate character development.
This is a LiteratureApproved.com review.
When you’re born with a gift, it’s your responsibility to protect it.
Cantor D’Ahma is a character who has a tendency to take things too seriously. He has a rebellious nature about him and isn’t fond of following orders. However once his world begins to fall apart, all he wants is his old life back to normal.
I adored the characters of One Realm Beyond! Cantor, Bixby, Bridger, and Dukmee are an entertaining group to say the least, but they also work together and help each other in ways that really makes them dynamic.
As for the story, I considered it to be very slow. It took almost the entire first half of the book before anything “bad” even happened. Yes, there were some challenging dilemmas in the beginning, but nothing of consequence happened, making everything look really easy. Everything also happened really fast -I know I just said it was too slow, so I’ll explain! The action scenes began and ended too quickly. It took a lot of time to lead up to those action scenes and then they were over almost as soon as they had started.
I also didn’t like that I would be reading one chapter and then the next chapter was taking place over a month later without any warning. This left a lot of confusion.
However, as I mentioned before, the characters more than made up for the loss of conflict. Their personalities are just so complex and well captured, especially for Fantasy. It’s a clean book, no cursing, sexual comments or scenes, and as I mentioned before, the action is almost non-existent. So in the end, I was actually very pleased with the book.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to younger teens and readers who appreciate character development.
This is a LiteratureApproved.com review.