Beyond Realms

by Brian Bigelow

Valaria is on the verge of war, instigated by the powerful witch Galadril. She only wants to become more powerful and control all. Through time and space, Princess Esmeralda was hidden away for her safety for years, but has been brought back to assume her rightful place. Galadril will do anything to keep that from happening, and her cousin Galadrar is a wizard who has vowed to make sure it does.

Step into another world, a place beyond the present, as you journey through Valaria in "Beyond Realms."

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 24, 2013

About the author

Author Brian Bigelow is originally from Minnesota and currently lives in Colorado.

Reviews

[Joyce Wetherbee · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the middle of another rousing row with her boyfriend, Carla leaves to calm down and get some space to do some thinking. Realizing she's out walking in Los Angeles at two in the morning, she becomes nervous upon hearing footsteps behind her. Desperately searching for safety and someplace to hide from her pursuer, she walks rapidly into a fog. Once through the fog, nothing is what she expected. Instead of a dirty city street, Carla on a beautiful hillside in an unknown location.

Blocked from her memory, Carla is the missing Princess Esmeralda of Valaria. She was hidden away on Earth years ago to protect her. Now war is about to break out again and Valaria needs its princess. This story follows in the footsteps of fairy tales of my youth where good and evil are clearly defined. The evil witch, Galadril, conjures an army of goblins and wants to rule all of Valaria. The wizard Galadrar, her cousin and opposite, fights to support the princess in reclaiming her heritage and throne.

An enchanting fable which I hope will be continued in future books. There were problems in the editing that occasionally caused hiccups in reading. In spite of that, I would still recommend this story for parents of children old enough to understand the story and young enough to enjoy dragons and other mythical creatures. I would also recommend this story for those who are still young at heart.

I was gifted a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Christoph Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Beyond Realms” by Brian Bigelow is a classic fantasy tale set in the kingdom of Valaria, subject to a power struggle involving the witch Galadril, the king of Valaria and the wizard Galadrar. The princess has been hidden and even had her memory partially erased to keep her safe but it is time for her to come back.
Bigelow has created a magical new realm with this story, written with an astonishing love for detail and the genre it seems. Bravery, virtue and character strength prevail in the battle of good versus evil. This is as good as fantasy stories get, if you love wizards and ancient kingdoms this is definitely one for you.