Portals of the Lost: The Tales of Abhaile, Book 1

by Aleyna Hines, Maria Lowe (Narrator)

Eva has spent her life as an outsider.

Now, she is trapped in a world that sees her as something much worse—a monster.

When Eva is dragged into the world of a book, she is met not with the fantasy she always dreamed of, but with chains. Imprisoned on accusations of unleashing terrifying creatures upon the people of Abhaile, she is forced to strike a deal to untangle the truth behind the portals letting them in.

As she journeys through its mystical lands, the injustices of this world come to light. A tyrannical King who is hellbent on enslaving those beneath him mirrors the cruelty she experienced within the foster system, and the line between enemy and ally blurs. Eva’s search becomes about so much more than her innocence as the secrets of ancient magic unravel before her, pushing her toward a fate she isn’t ready for.

Will her feelings of unworthiness be enough for her to walk away, or will her rage demand she fight back?

Content

This story contains content that may not be suitable for all listeners, including, but not limited to, depictions of death, blood, gore, slavery, genocide, language, foster care, adoption, sexual/physical/emotional abuse, childhood trauma, anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and PTSD. Acts of abuse are not heavily detailed but are mentioned throughout. Listener discretion is advised.

Audible Audio

Published March 18, 2026

About the author

Aleyna Hines is a single mother and self-published author from Oklahoma. After years of working in healthcare, she decided to pursue her dream of writing a novel. As a lover of all things magic and mystical, fantasy is the genre she feels most at home in. Mental health has played a vital role in her life, and is a central theme throughout her writing. She hopes that readers will find comfort in her character’s healing journeys while feeling a little less lonely in their own.

Reviews

[Lish (BookSirens reviewer) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just realized that I have now read this book 2.5 times and listened to it 1.5(the 0.5 is because as I type this, I am listening to it AND buddy reading it) before I wrote and posted my review.

I am so wildly enamored with this book words cannot DESCRIBE the feelings it illicits within me. I’ve giggled, I’ve cried, I’ve screamed this title at anyone who even mentions books to me, and I desperately need the final two works in this trilogy.

Portals of the Lost sucked me in a swirling cloud of emotional electricity and tossed ne D E E P into Abhaile but I’m not sure I even want to portal back home; I rather like it here.
The world Aleyna has built feels expansive and lived-in, but also deeply personal. You can feel how much heart she put into this universe with every word. It didn’t take long before I stopped feeling like I was reading and started feeling like I was truly inside Eva’s head. This kind of immersion is rare for me, and it’s even rarer for it to hold up against multiple re-reads, but it absolutely happened.

I started with an ARC, then immediately read my physical copy when it arrived, and somehow that still wasn’t enough. When the audiobook came out, I jumped into that too, and now I’m listening again while following along on Kindle, highlighting every line that stands out. I had to start being selective because I realized I was trying to highlight half the book. There’s something about the world that just pulls you in like a sentient vine and makes you want to live in it a little longer.

This was a very emotional reading experience, honestly. I don’t know what struck me the most, but I lost count of how many times I had to stop because I was tearing up and I had to collect myself before going on. The shared experience of her traumas and fears just. . . I dunno, y’all. I have chills typing this. You just have to read it to get it, ya know? I sure hope you do. It’s so worth it!

Eva drove me a little crazy at times, and I mean that in the most positive way. I caught myself actually hollering out loud at some of her choices/thoughts, fully talking to her like she could hear me. That kind of reaction only happens when I’m completely invested, and I was. She feels real, flawed in ways that make sense, and easy to care about even when she’s making it difficult. I really thought I knew where this was going and then I was proved to be TERRIBLY terribly W R O N G. Hines: 1
Me: -thousands of $’s in therapy :)

What really stays with me is how the ending still makes me feel big feelings in spite of knowing what’s coming; the heart hurt never softens. If anything, the devastation has compiled and has gotten harder each time because I KNOW what’s going to happen but there is nothing I can do about it- AND I can’t even be upset at Aleyna because I KEEP DOING THIS TO MYSELF. There’s 0️⃣ emotional distance to be found here, even on a re-ead.

I can’t wait to see where this all goes from here! This series already has a lifelong fan in me 🫶🏻