The Land Beyond the Portal Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

As Laura placed her left foot on the floor, something clicked and a low, humming vibration filled the room. Suddenly she was surrounded by an intense, blinding white light, and she was gone...

It's a dark, snowy night when Laura awakens at the bottom of a staircase with a horrible headache and no idea how she got there. To make matters worse, she is alone in the house, snowed in by a blizzard, with no way to call for help. While exploring the house in a desperate attempt to trigger the return of her memory, she discovers a small room beneath the basement. She steps inside, and an unknown force instantly transports her to a mysterious, pastoral land. She finds a quaint village that at first glance seems like a peaceful place; but Laura soon learns that peace is merely an illusion. Why are terrible rumors circulating about the village's leader? Why do the villagers worship a sinister deity who bears no resemblance to her own powerful and loving God? Most importantly, will she ever remember who she is and find her way home? In her quest for answers, she uncovers a myriad of forbidden secrets that might keep her trapped in The Land Beyond the Portal.

Right off the story reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia series and then I thought it was kind of funny when the Narnia series was mentioned in the book lol. This isn't my normal type of book to read, but it was a lot better than a lot of stuff I've read. The story is so different and it sucks you in right away. There's so much mystery, so many things that happen and leave you wondering! It's definitely one of those books you just cannot figure out what's gonna happen next and keeps you guessing, never knowing what's gonna be around the corner. All the many loose ends come together very nicely at the end and a lot of answers explained. J.S. Bailey did an amazing job with this novel, the writing, the telling of the story is so well written, you can clearly see things in your mind without having to go back and re-read anything, because it didn't make sense the first time. I was never bored reading it, I enjoyed this book sssoo much! It doesn't jam the religious aspect down your throat like some books do. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for something different and really enjoyable to read!