Review: Portal Arcane I - Reversion

Portal Arcane I - Reversion by J. Thorn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Dark Fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of Stephen King, especially his more esoteric stuff

Disclosure: I received a free advance copy of this ebook from the author. He specifically absolved me of any responsibility, but I am happy to provide an honest review. In February 2013 I edited the book for re-release. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis (from the flap): With a noose around his neck, Samuel arrives in a forest littered with caution tape and artifacts of the deceased. He struggles to regain his memory while fending off a pack of wolves and the mysterious visitors who seem to know more about this dying world than he does. Major, Kole, and Mara, his new companions also trapped in the strange locality, accompany Samuel and attempt to outrace its destruction, to outrun the Reversion.

My Thoughts: Imagine an infinite number of realities, all vibrating at different speeds. Some are steady. Some are picking up speed. Some are slowing down. Some... are about to stop. Samuel has apparently stepped from one reality into another – this movement between realities seems to happen just prior to the point of death.

In some ways this story reminds me of Stephen King’s short story “The Langoliers”; mainly the creeping cloud o’ doom that leaves... nothingness in its wake. There is also a sense of recursiveness, especially toward the end, that reminded me of the Dark Tower series. So, basically what I’m saying is that this book reminded me a lot of Stephen King. It’s all about the journey, about the creeping horror of individual moments, the long wait, the brief moments of terror, and then more waiting. It was... a fascinating read, and I will definitely be interested in following this series. If this sounds like something that would appeal to you, don’t wait – go and pick it up.



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