The Law of Three: A New Wasteland

The Portal Arcane Series #2

by J. Thorn

The Reversion plucks Samuel from a dying world and drops him into another, a decaying desert wasteland of darkness and peril. As his memories return, Samuel finds himself in another cycle of destruction, and he leads newcomers Jack and Lindsay towards redemption in the mountain stronghold of the mysterious one known as Deva. Finally, as the locality collapses behind him, Samuel realizes his only escape from the Reversion will be putting his faith in The Law of Three.

Genres: Horror, Fantasy, Ebooks

180 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2012

About the author

Want a story that’s rooted in a fundamental aspect of being human?

I believe reading dark fiction can be healing. My overriding mission is to connect with you through my art, and I hope to inspire you to do the same. I’m a word architect and driven visionary. I’m obsessed with heavy metal, horror films and technology. And I admire strong people who are not afraid to speak their mind.

I grew up in an Irish Catholic, working class family and was the first to go to college. I didn’t have expensive toys, so I used my own imagination for entertainment. And then I abused alcohol for entertainment. I spent the first thirty years of my life convincing myself I wasn’t an addict and the last ten worrying about all the potential threats the substances hid from me.

Anxiety and depression are always hiding in the corner, waiting to jump me when I start to feel happiness.

I had to break through family programming and accept the role of the black sheep. In my 30s I started writing horror and formed a heavy metal band while my family rolled their eyes, sighed and waited for the “phase” to end.

I spent years paralyzing myself with self-loathing and criticism, keeping my creativity smothered and hidden from the rest of the world. I worked a job I hated because that’s what Irish Catholic fathers do. They don’t express themselves, they pay the damn mortgage. I may have left my guilt and faith behind long ago, but the scars remain.

My creativity is my release, my therapy and my place to work through it all. I haven’t had a drink in a long time, but the anxiety and depression are always lurking. Writing novels and songs keeps it at bay. I scream over anxiety with my microphone and I turn my guitar up loud enough to drown out the whispers of self-doubt.

I hope to leave a legacy of art that will continue to entertain and enrich lives long after I’m gone. I want others to see that you don’t have to conform to the mainstream to be fulfilled.

Don’t be afraid of the dark. Embrace it.

Experience:
By the end of 2014, J. Thorn will have published over one million words and sold over 100,000 ebooks, worldwide.

J. Thorn is a Top 100 Most Popular Author in Horror, Science Fiction, and Fantasy (Amazon Author Rank). In March of 2014 Thorn held the #5 position in Horror with his childhood idols Dean Koontz and Stephen King at #4 and #2 respectively. He is an official, active member of the Horror Writers Association and a member of the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers. J. is a contributor to disinformation.com and a staff writer for HeavyPlanet.net as well as a founding board member of the Author Marketing Institute.

Thorn earned a B.A. in American History from the University of Pittsburgh and a M.A. from Duquesne University. He has spent the last twenty years researching mysticism and the occult in colonial American history.

Reviews

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing from book one, this story is a fascinating look into strange and complicated worlds that could be real. It deals with death and about the choices we make in 'life'. But not all is what it seems.

An intriguing idea, brilliant characters and told in a compelling way.

Really enjoyable yet disturbing in many ways.

It will be interesting to see how it ends. And yes, it still reminds me of Stephen King's gunslinger series - similar but different.

Highly recommended.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

*free ebook version received from author in exchange for an honest review*

I will say that the first part of this story worried me. It sounded a bit too much like the first book in the Portal Arcane trilogy. I found it quite annoying when the author would repeat whole bits of dialogue from one character, only having that character state it towards a new character. I also found it a bit formulaic in terms of number of characters and gender. I tend to get annoyed when authors have multiple books with the same general story line. Yes, one of my favorite authors does that, but the reader can still easily recognize a new story. The way this began, I almost thought it was the same story as the original. Still, I persevered and am glad that I did.

Once the story got under way, the author seemed to branch out a bit more. The returning characters were fleshed out a bit more. The new characters felt a bit more realistic then those portrayed in the first book. The best part was I found myself developing different emotions towards different characters. Suddenly I was no longer ambivalent. Hate, anger and sympathy towards the characters appeared.

I also found this book to be more suspenseful than the first one. I could feel more of the terror of the reversion.

I would recommend The Law of Three to all fans of Stephen King's story "The Langoliers", as well as fans of suspense.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are times with this series where things are so tangled up that I don't know who to trust. In a good way, mind you. Everybody seems to have an agenda and figuring out whether they're truly there to help Samuel or hinder him is half the fun.

I'm not going to lie, I suspected every single character of being a bad guy at one point or another. INCLUDING SAMUEL. Not that he's bad, necessarily, but he definitely has his eye on the prize. Even if he's not quite sure what that prize is. The fact that he'll do anything to make it to the mountain makes him unpredictable.

All things considered, unpredictable in this world can be downright scary. Also, spidercrabs. Those are scary.

Right. So, new alliances are forged, enemies are revealed, and the Reversion is nipping at Samuel's heels. THINGS HAPPEN, PEOPLE. Big things. I expect that we have a lot more in store for our wily hero in the next installment. Stay strong, Samuel. Either that or go out with a bang. *finger guns*

-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, but not as much as the first. I had a harder time relating to the characters that were introduced in this book. The story felt a little too rushed. I wish there would have been more time to get to know the characters, beyond the major events. One of the things that define a strong book in this genre to me is how detailed and intricate the story is, and sadly this book left me wanting more.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book. As the second book in the series, it answered a lot of questions about the relationship between Deva, Samuel, and Kole, and Major. It also introduced Lindsey, a completely new character.It does not end in a cliffhanger, but I can't wait to find out what happens in the third book.

[Treasa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kept me turning the pages

J. Thorn has accomplished something impressive. He got me from the beginning. Racing with Samuel to the top of the mountain only to escape to a new world. Looking forward to the finale