This is an indie-published book, which I was excited to read because I want to support indie authors. In this YA fantasy, 16-year-old Marcus discovers that he can travel from earth to another world, called Lysomnus. His father Deacon is kidnapped by someone from that world before he has much of an opportunity to tell Marcus more about this new ability or Lysomnus itself. Marcus sets out with his friends Leopold and Sadie to find his father, and along the way they are thrust into some political upheaval within the world and learn more about a faction that is oppressing some of the beings of that world.
The storyline is engaging and the world-building is creative, especially the introduction of various sentient beings that inhabit Lysomnus. And by the end of the book, I really wished that earth grew some of the fruits and vegetables that Lysomnus has. All of the main characters were likeable, with believable teenage dynamics. I appreciated how the author revealed information about Deacon in both the limited on-page time he had, as well as throughout the book when he wasn’t present. It became clear early on that he has some biases that neither his son nor his own father have, which is so realistic. There was also a pronunciation guide for the names—I wish more authors did this.
There’s some excellent diversity representation in this book. Marcus has a prosthetic arm and chronic pain from an accident when he was younger, and this isn’t something that is mentioned once or twice and then forgotten about. Readers are always aware of how this disability affects Marcus on a day-to-day and moment-to-moment basis, just as Marcus is always aware of it. The character of Sadie is Asian-American, and sexual orientation diversity is eventually revealed as well, in an organic way.
Where the book didn’t work quite as well for me is a magical ability that Marcus develops. While this development was expected, it ultimately progressed too far and too fast, stretching the limits of suspension of disbelief. There was also a reveal towards the end of the novel that didn’t quite hit because it hadn’t been set up earlier in the book.
This would be a great book for fans of YA fantasy who like a good blend of character- and plot-driven elements. It was an enjoyable read, and I may look into the follow-up set in the same world. 3.5 stars rounded up.
An early copy of this book was sent to me by the author. This has not influenced my review.
Pie Chart Challenge: Inclusion – the author is trans