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The Dimensional Alliance #1
The House on Infinity Loop
Jenny is a professional ghost-writer in Los Angeles. She inherits a house, a cat and a key from an aunt she has only met twice in her life. Neither the house, the cat or the key are what they appear to be. Science and myth are turned upside down when Jenny is thrust into a conflict that goes far beyond any boundaries or limits she could ever imagine.
- GenresScience Fiction
353 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 19, 2019
29 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie K.T. Dillabough
8 books18 followersReading has always been my passion. Starting in libraries at the age of four, I have travelled near and far via the printed page, from places of ancient history to the stars and beyond. It seemed a natural thing for me to want to write as well.
The idea of being able to go from simple day-dreaming and pretending to creating worlds of my own invention has been an ongoing passion and from my teen years I had thought that "someday" I would write books myself.
What happened to that dream? Honestly? Life happened. Out of high school I went into the military. I met my future husband, got married, had children, moved all over the place, including three years in Frankfurt, Germany, had many adventures including clowning professionally, 15 years of broadcast television as a producer/director/show-host, owned more than one business and then went through several major health challenges including breast cancer.
So what changed? What made me decide to pursue the dream of my teen years? Let's go back a bit...
At about the age of 16 I had started having a recurring dream that pestered me most of my life. Time and time again I would discuss the dream with people I thought were wiser than me and time and time again the repeated answer came, "No idea. I've never heard of such a thing."
At age 63 after having the dream once again I decided that maybe if I wrote it down it might leave me alone. I did so and filed it on my desktop, but didn't think of it again until I started hanging out with published authors.
At the end of a recorded interview I did with Mercedes S. Lackey, after I had turned off the recording, I timidly confessed I had often considered writing a book. Mercedes leaned forward in her chair, looked me in the eye and said, "Put your butt in the chair and write!" It was some of the best advice I had ever gotten.
In search of material to write about I stumbled upon that dusty text file about my dream and the rest is history. From it came the science fiction - fantasy series "The Dimensional Alliance" beginning with "The House on Infinity Loop". I am grateful for the events leading up to setting myself upon this path. The series has the word "Infinity" in all of the titles since there seem to be an infinite number of stories I have to tell and I will continue writing them until I transition to the next dimension in some distant date.
To my readers: Never give up on your dream. The first book in this series was published two weeks before my 64th birthday. It is never too late. There are many more to come.
The idea of being able to go from simple day-dreaming and pretending to creating worlds of my own invention has been an ongoing passion and from my teen years I had thought that "someday" I would write books myself.
What happened to that dream? Honestly? Life happened. Out of high school I went into the military. I met my future husband, got married, had children, moved all over the place, including three years in Frankfurt, Germany, had many adventures including clowning professionally, 15 years of broadcast television as a producer/director/show-host, owned more than one business and then went through several major health challenges including breast cancer.
So what changed? What made me decide to pursue the dream of my teen years? Let's go back a bit...
At about the age of 16 I had started having a recurring dream that pestered me most of my life. Time and time again I would discuss the dream with people I thought were wiser than me and time and time again the repeated answer came, "No idea. I've never heard of such a thing."
At age 63 after having the dream once again I decided that maybe if I wrote it down it might leave me alone. I did so and filed it on my desktop, but didn't think of it again until I started hanging out with published authors.
At the end of a recorded interview I did with Mercedes S. Lackey, after I had turned off the recording, I timidly confessed I had often considered writing a book. Mercedes leaned forward in her chair, looked me in the eye and said, "Put your butt in the chair and write!" It was some of the best advice I had ever gotten.
In search of material to write about I stumbled upon that dusty text file about my dream and the rest is history. From it came the science fiction - fantasy series "The Dimensional Alliance" beginning with "The House on Infinity Loop". I am grateful for the events leading up to setting myself upon this path. The series has the word "Infinity" in all of the titles since there seem to be an infinite number of stories I have to tell and I will continue writing them until I transition to the next dimension in some distant date.
To my readers: Never give up on your dream. The first book in this series was published two weeks before my 64th birthday. It is never too late. There are many more to come.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 24, 2020
Bonnie Dillabough not only has an amazing imagination, she has the wonderful talent and ability to vividly convey her ideas -- from clever sci-fi technology no one has ever thought of, to intergalactic organizations carefully conceived, to alien beings with highly unusual supernatural powers, to distant worlds spanning more than one universe. In a word, the author thinks outside the box. The characters are wholly relatable and easy to identify with and root for their success (or demise as the case may be). The dialogue is always right-on. The storyline has many surprising twists and turns. Just when you think you might know what might happen next, there is a shocking new surprise, keeping the reader eagerly engaged. This book is very well-written and promises to be a rock-solid foundation for her planned Dimensional Alliance series.
July 31, 2022
Very unique story!
This book revolves around a fairly normal woman in her twenties who gets thrown into an anything-but-normal life! The story starts out with Jenny receiving an inheritance from an aunt she never really knew, but takes you where you’d never expect, exposing her to a danger unseen by pretty much the entire universe! A lot of the characters were easy to like, and I loved the loyalty and commitment of those in the story. A wild ride with loads of ups and down, lots of excitement, and a huge number of surprising twists, leaving the door open to book two!
Thanks for a great read!
This book revolves around a fairly normal woman in her twenties who gets thrown into an anything-but-normal life! The story starts out with Jenny receiving an inheritance from an aunt she never really knew, but takes you where you’d never expect, exposing her to a danger unseen by pretty much the entire universe! A lot of the characters were easy to like, and I loved the loyalty and commitment of those in the story. A wild ride with loads of ups and down, lots of excitement, and a huge number of surprising twists, leaving the door open to book two!
Thanks for a great read!
April 24, 2019
As a veteran fantasy and sci-fi reader The House on Infinity Loop was felt familiar and new all at the same time. The author gives more than a few nods to various sci-fi and fantasy hallmarks though out the story as little winks to the audience. The characters are quickly likable, and seeing through the eyes of the characters how the universe on the other side of the door opens and expands is fun and exciting. I found myself cheering them on as they fought through conflict and diversity. I look forward to the next chapter in the series with great anticipation.
December 11, 2019
Wow I loved the entire story. I fell in love with Tidbit the cat, as well as, Jenny. She had so much on her shoulders and yet she stood tall. The author does an excellent job keeping the reader engaged. There were so many twist and turns, suprises and sad moments that you couldn't put the book down. Her characters and scenes are well developed and allows the reader to feel like they are there and can see and hear the characters. I would recommend everyone read this story and hang tight for book two.
January 29, 2020
I wasn't sure what to expect from the first book in this new series, but, "Wow!" Bonnie does an amazing job at world-building and creating interesting characters that you can really connect with. Jenny is just the right mix of confident young woman and vulnerable new kid on the block as she is thrown into a world she never knew existed and is expected to perform. I love her sidekick, Tidbit. I can't wait to learn more about his background. Jenny's new world is a bit scary but extremely exciting. I look forward to the next book in the series.
August 8, 2019
I really loved this book. I don't usually like sci-fi/fantasy books, but I really enjoyed this one. It's definitely a must read!
December 8, 2019
If you don't mind a healthy dose of fantasy and want a book you can share with your family, this is the one for you. Be prepared for twists and turns, because things are not always as they seem!
December 18, 2019
The thing I most enjoyed about this book is how fantasy is woven in and presented as science fiction. This is a world where dragons and gnomes exist, but as science. Where fantasy is given an explanation. This is a book that keeps its readers engaged by giving them innumerable opportunities to speculate about the origins and workings of the incredible tech presented.
The author is able to build entire worlds so convincingly lifelike that I frankly wouldn't be too surprised if these worlds did indeed exist alongside our own. She goes into tremendous detail about the worlds and lives of the characters, making the story feel absolutely real. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the worlds that Jenny, the main character, visited.
Over the course of the book, we see a definite change in Jenny as she falls into her new duties, taking on challenges with a strength she didn't know she had. We are able to see exactly what she's feeling and thinking in certain situations. Her thoughts work well with the story to help the plot flow smoothly and her emotions are so genuine that it is quite easy to forget that it is a story and not a real life account. In fact, all the characters in this book, even minor side characters, are given personality and made to feel real.
Overall, I would say that this is an enchanting book and that you should definitely read it!
The author is able to build entire worlds so convincingly lifelike that I frankly wouldn't be too surprised if these worlds did indeed exist alongside our own. She goes into tremendous detail about the worlds and lives of the characters, making the story feel absolutely real. I really enjoyed the descriptions of the worlds that Jenny, the main character, visited.
Over the course of the book, we see a definite change in Jenny as she falls into her new duties, taking on challenges with a strength she didn't know she had. We are able to see exactly what she's feeling and thinking in certain situations. Her thoughts work well with the story to help the plot flow smoothly and her emotions are so genuine that it is quite easy to forget that it is a story and not a real life account. In fact, all the characters in this book, even minor side characters, are given personality and made to feel real.
Overall, I would say that this is an enchanting book and that you should definitely read it!
September 9, 2021
Review originally published here, at Reedsy Discovery: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/the...
A blogger inherits a secret job guarding dimensional portals and fights in a battle to save the multiverse in this SF novel about teamwork.
LA blogger Jenny Japhet can't believe her luck: she's received a sizeable inheritance from her late Aunt Lizzie--a woman she's only ever met twice. Now Jenny has a nice house with a gardener, a group of kind neighbors, a new cat named Tidbit...and a mysterious necklace with a gold key.
Turns out, Aunt Lizzie was hiding some major secrets. The key is for a dimensional portal, and Jenny has been chosen to replace her aunt as a guardian--someone who watches over portal gates and works for an organization called the Dimensional Alliance. Soon, Jenny is pulled away from her freelance career and initiated into a fantastic world of multiverses and interplanetary relations. But when a tragic attack leaves Jenny with more responsibility than she bargained for, she'll have to decide whether she's prepared to shoulder the challenges and burdens of her new position as a leader. With a dangerous group of aliens threatening the Alliance, Jenny needs to figure out who she can trust--because not everyone who claims to be her friend is being honest.
Bonnie K.T. Dillabough's "The House on Infinity Loop" (Book One of the Dimensional Alliance Series) is a fun SF/fantasy romp through an inventive world filled with futuristic high tech, diverse alien species, and a sweet shape-changing kitty guide. It's easy to cheer on and root for Jenny, as she grows from a smart writer into a smart hero on an epic scale. In terms of criticism, this novel does have a few flaws: sometimes the use of exposition, especially in dialogue, can be a bit repetitive. There are also a ton of characters; the well-developed ones, like Bob the tinkerer and Burt the explosives expert, are great additions to the narrative, but it's easy to forget about a lot of the others. Some characters, like Aunt Lizzie herself, are relied on a little too often for dues ex machina purposes--swooping in to move the plot along and save the day, with just the right answer.
Overall, though, this book has a lot of heart, and it's a genuinely enjoyable story about the powers of teamwork, showing what a group can accomplish if everyone takes into account both their strengths and their weaknesses. Having the support and trust of those around her, despite her status as a novice, encourages Jenny to never give up. And because the battle for the Alliance certainly isn't over, she'll still have more work to do--in the sequels.
A blogger inherits a secret job guarding dimensional portals and fights in a battle to save the multiverse in this SF novel about teamwork.
LA blogger Jenny Japhet can't believe her luck: she's received a sizeable inheritance from her late Aunt Lizzie--a woman she's only ever met twice. Now Jenny has a nice house with a gardener, a group of kind neighbors, a new cat named Tidbit...and a mysterious necklace with a gold key.
Turns out, Aunt Lizzie was hiding some major secrets. The key is for a dimensional portal, and Jenny has been chosen to replace her aunt as a guardian--someone who watches over portal gates and works for an organization called the Dimensional Alliance. Soon, Jenny is pulled away from her freelance career and initiated into a fantastic world of multiverses and interplanetary relations. But when a tragic attack leaves Jenny with more responsibility than she bargained for, she'll have to decide whether she's prepared to shoulder the challenges and burdens of her new position as a leader. With a dangerous group of aliens threatening the Alliance, Jenny needs to figure out who she can trust--because not everyone who claims to be her friend is being honest.
Bonnie K.T. Dillabough's "The House on Infinity Loop" (Book One of the Dimensional Alliance Series) is a fun SF/fantasy romp through an inventive world filled with futuristic high tech, diverse alien species, and a sweet shape-changing kitty guide. It's easy to cheer on and root for Jenny, as she grows from a smart writer into a smart hero on an epic scale. In terms of criticism, this novel does have a few flaws: sometimes the use of exposition, especially in dialogue, can be a bit repetitive. There are also a ton of characters; the well-developed ones, like Bob the tinkerer and Burt the explosives expert, are great additions to the narrative, but it's easy to forget about a lot of the others. Some characters, like Aunt Lizzie herself, are relied on a little too often for dues ex machina purposes--swooping in to move the plot along and save the day, with just the right answer.
Overall, though, this book has a lot of heart, and it's a genuinely enjoyable story about the powers of teamwork, showing what a group can accomplish if everyone takes into account both their strengths and their weaknesses. Having the support and trust of those around her, despite her status as a novice, encourages Jenny to never give up. And because the battle for the Alliance certainly isn't over, she'll still have more work to do--in the sequels.
March 7, 2023
The House on Infinity Loop is the first book in the Dimensional Alliance series of books by Bonnie K.T. Dillabough. It is a thrilling science fantasy novel of adventure and discovery. In this book we follow the view of Jenny as she begins a journey of discovery and Epicness once she because a Guardian of the Dimensional Alliance.
I found the book engaging and engrossing. The story was exciting and the book well written. I felt sort of a kinship with the story, as it very much feels like something I would write. The themes, ideas, and concepts throughout it felt familiar to me on a level I just can’t describe. It was almost a spiritual connection in some ways. Essentially I felt as though this book could have easily fit in the wider multiverse of my own books because so many themes just seemed to mesh with ideas I have for my own books.
The book leads the reader on a journey unlike many other, with things like mind-speech, alternate dimension, and training to become better. So much training. But through it all, connection between characters. Friendships formed. Allies made. Fighting together in battle and training together during times of peace. This book has it all.
I’d have to give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. It was an adventure unlike any other, and I am excited for what comes next.
I found the book engaging and engrossing. The story was exciting and the book well written. I felt sort of a kinship with the story, as it very much feels like something I would write. The themes, ideas, and concepts throughout it felt familiar to me on a level I just can’t describe. It was almost a spiritual connection in some ways. Essentially I felt as though this book could have easily fit in the wider multiverse of my own books because so many themes just seemed to mesh with ideas I have for my own books.
The book leads the reader on a journey unlike many other, with things like mind-speech, alternate dimension, and training to become better. So much training. But through it all, connection between characters. Friendships formed. Allies made. Fighting together in battle and training together during times of peace. This book has it all.
I’d have to give this book a 5 out of 5 stars. It was an adventure unlike any other, and I am excited for what comes next.
March 7, 2023
I have read the first five books of the series, so the review is over the series, not just this first book. This is where you begin, and once you read this book, you are going to want to read the next one to find out what comes next. I'd have to reread the series in order to review a single book, so this is a general review of the series. The Themes continue, although the story goes through loops, twists & turns.
I'm reading the series, but I'm also buying them for my 12 year old granddaughter. Both of us are enjoying the series.
I'm glad to share this series with her. For a young lady about to become a teen ager, dealing with issues of how to view the world, and concerned about how the world views her, I'm glad to be able to share a strong female character with her, a character upon whom the fate of the multi-verse depends. I appreciate the diversity and the continually developing theme that what you see, may not be all there is. First impressions are often wrong, and without knowing what has come before in someone's story you only know a small part of why someone is the person, or race, that they have come to be.
Teamwork and appreciation for the role each participant plays in the larger picture are strengths of these books. I look forward to continuing the adventure Jenny has started in this first book.
I'm reading the series, but I'm also buying them for my 12 year old granddaughter. Both of us are enjoying the series.
I'm glad to share this series with her. For a young lady about to become a teen ager, dealing with issues of how to view the world, and concerned about how the world views her, I'm glad to be able to share a strong female character with her, a character upon whom the fate of the multi-verse depends. I appreciate the diversity and the continually developing theme that what you see, may not be all there is. First impressions are often wrong, and without knowing what has come before in someone's story you only know a small part of why someone is the person, or race, that they have come to be.
Teamwork and appreciation for the role each participant plays in the larger picture are strengths of these books. I look forward to continuing the adventure Jenny has started in this first book.
June 14, 2024
Completely out of the blue, Jenny inherits a house, a cat and a key from a mysterious old aunt she barely knew. Jenny’s life will never be the same again.
What follows is an eye opening, fantastical initiation into a whole new world that plunges Jenny into a fight for her life.
Interesting characters combine with a great story-telling style to give a plot that speeds along and features plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
The book brings to mind fond memories of Narnia and Enid Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ but brought right up-to-date with a modern contemporary feel and a kick-ass heroine.
Once the story sucks you in you’ll have a battle on your hands if you try putting it down.
What follows is an eye opening, fantastical initiation into a whole new world that plunges Jenny into a fight for her life.
Interesting characters combine with a great story-telling style to give a plot that speeds along and features plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
The book brings to mind fond memories of Narnia and Enid Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ but brought right up-to-date with a modern contemporary feel and a kick-ass heroine.
Once the story sucks you in you’ll have a battle on your hands if you try putting it down.
November 30, 2019
I must admit, I've gotten very (unhealthily) attached to the characters. In my defense, it's quite difficult not to become attached to them, when the author's descriptions of their endeavours are so realistic that you might as well be right there with them. This book contains many twists and turns and is clearly well researched. Personally, my favourite character is Tidbit, the sweet kitty cat who you should definitely not make mad and who also happens to be
Nah I'm not gonna spoil it for you. Read the book yourself, you won't regret it!
Nah I'm not gonna spoil it for you. Read the book yourself, you won't regret it!
April 3, 2020
I received a free review copy of this audio book, at my request, and am voluntarily leaving this unbiased review.
This book is a solid 2.5 stars, but I have it 3 because it has a very interesting concept, a house that has portals to other places, a system alliance, aliens, futuristic tech and shape shifters. Unfortunately, it doesn't really develop these concepts fully and has flat characters with awkward dialog.
The story starts as the main character takes possession of a house willed to her by an unknown relative. I was hoping for there to be build up and mystery about the new house, the aunt she didn't know, and secrets in the house. However, the story pushes ahead like it's got someone shoving it forward from behind. There is almost a rush to get the story started, leaving no time for character development or world building. This turns out to be a theme through out the book.
At every turn, we are introduced to new characters, new planets and new races. However, none of these are developed. All the characters are 1 dimensional and wear their personalities on their sleeve. The races are almost all human looking and have almost no description, with the exception of a few which are just labeled as "dragon" or "unicorn" or something. The bad guys apparently can pass as human and never get much description, for example, nor are some of the allied races. The bad guys are bad the good guys are good and that's as complex as anyone in this book are.
The characters also speak in a completely unrealistic and awkward way. It's like they are in some 80's after school special, talking about how they support each other, and how everyone means so much to each of them, and how much enjoyment the bad guy will have doing bad things, etc. I admit I am not a world traveler. I've been around a bit of North America, meet people from the UK and Europe and Australia, but never been immersed in other earth cultures. However, I've still never meet anyone, ever, who talks like these characters. It is just so completely unnatural
This also feeds back into the 1 dimensional part of the characters, they are good and they only say and do good things. +++minor spoilers+++ early in the book the main character goes from being a rookie in training, to the boss of everyone. Not 1 of her fellow agents, her trainers or the council who she answers too, is upset, jealous, thinks she should be removed or not listened to. Instead they all give her pats on the back and tell her how much they love her, and how great she is and how wondrous they think she will be. And not once, but every character, all the way through the book. It becomes distracting, frankly, how sickenly sweet, and unnatural it is.
The plot is also very simple. A very a long story at almost 15 hours, but there are no twists and turns, it a mostly straight road with just a few gentle curves. It doesn't over complicate itself, it pads its length with mundane details of everyday life and conversations that either repeat themselves or drip with sentiment.
The plot, while simple, also has several holes, which I will cover in the spoilers section.
The voice narration by Krista Nicely is, like the book, OK. It doesn't stand out as great, but is not bad either. Her voice range is decent, but not super huge. Her male voices are not quite male but don't obviously sound like a woman doing male voices. I will say her voice of Lizzy sounds a lot like Angela Lansbury.
Overall, it's an OK book with a simple plot, simple characters, little world building, OK voice acting but a GREAT concept. I wish it was executed in a different way, not quality wise, but in structure.
I may continue with this series, but only time will tell.
*** spoilers ***
I think this book would have been better if it was written in a different form. I would have liked to see Jenny move into the house and spend time establishing her character, exploring her life and really showing she was a real person. Then over time, have the cat act more and more strange, have odd things happen in the house that she can't explain and generally develop a mystery about her aunt and the house. Of course, instead it was a chapter of her moving in and getting all the back story on the house and her aunt.
The plot itself has sever issues though, like the main enemy being her best friend. The best friend who apparently had 6 years to hang about on earth doing nothing, who had the guardian key in her hand, and put it on Jenny instead of pocketing it. A best friend who desperately wanted into a shed, but not only didn't try and convince Jenny to go in but also didn't try and dig under it, or bust a wall or anything.
Then there are the dimwitted enemy soldiers, who are specifically bred to be soldiers and nothing else. However, they freak out when bugs are around, and at the thought of alligators they panic and run like a herd of zebras at a watering hole. Even the slightly brighter officers send out commands to flee from the beasts.
Very much like the excuse in Dune, for why swords and knifes had to be used, this book goes out of its way to say no weapons can go through the portals, so they have to use hand to hand and staffs to fight. However, the main conflict is on earth, which has a lot of weapons on it. It makes little sense that they would not be training with firearms and using them. Of course when it comes to it, the soldiers use some sort of laser style weapons, which can go through the gates apparently, after all.
This is not a full list of plot holes, but the ones that bothered me the most.
This book is a solid 2.5 stars, but I have it 3 because it has a very interesting concept, a house that has portals to other places, a system alliance, aliens, futuristic tech and shape shifters. Unfortunately, it doesn't really develop these concepts fully and has flat characters with awkward dialog.
The story starts as the main character takes possession of a house willed to her by an unknown relative. I was hoping for there to be build up and mystery about the new house, the aunt she didn't know, and secrets in the house. However, the story pushes ahead like it's got someone shoving it forward from behind. There is almost a rush to get the story started, leaving no time for character development or world building. This turns out to be a theme through out the book.
At every turn, we are introduced to new characters, new planets and new races. However, none of these are developed. All the characters are 1 dimensional and wear their personalities on their sleeve. The races are almost all human looking and have almost no description, with the exception of a few which are just labeled as "dragon" or "unicorn" or something. The bad guys apparently can pass as human and never get much description, for example, nor are some of the allied races. The bad guys are bad the good guys are good and that's as complex as anyone in this book are.
The characters also speak in a completely unrealistic and awkward way. It's like they are in some 80's after school special, talking about how they support each other, and how everyone means so much to each of them, and how much enjoyment the bad guy will have doing bad things, etc. I admit I am not a world traveler. I've been around a bit of North America, meet people from the UK and Europe and Australia, but never been immersed in other earth cultures. However, I've still never meet anyone, ever, who talks like these characters. It is just so completely unnatural
This also feeds back into the 1 dimensional part of the characters, they are good and they only say and do good things. +++minor spoilers+++ early in the book the main character goes from being a rookie in training, to the boss of everyone. Not 1 of her fellow agents, her trainers or the council who she answers too, is upset, jealous, thinks she should be removed or not listened to. Instead they all give her pats on the back and tell her how much they love her, and how great she is and how wondrous they think she will be. And not once, but every character, all the way through the book. It becomes distracting, frankly, how sickenly sweet, and unnatural it is.
The plot is also very simple. A very a long story at almost 15 hours, but there are no twists and turns, it a mostly straight road with just a few gentle curves. It doesn't over complicate itself, it pads its length with mundane details of everyday life and conversations that either repeat themselves or drip with sentiment.
The plot, while simple, also has several holes, which I will cover in the spoilers section.
The voice narration by Krista Nicely is, like the book, OK. It doesn't stand out as great, but is not bad either. Her voice range is decent, but not super huge. Her male voices are not quite male but don't obviously sound like a woman doing male voices. I will say her voice of Lizzy sounds a lot like Angela Lansbury.
Overall, it's an OK book with a simple plot, simple characters, little world building, OK voice acting but a GREAT concept. I wish it was executed in a different way, not quality wise, but in structure.
I may continue with this series, but only time will tell.
*** spoilers ***
I think this book would have been better if it was written in a different form. I would have liked to see Jenny move into the house and spend time establishing her character, exploring her life and really showing she was a real person. Then over time, have the cat act more and more strange, have odd things happen in the house that she can't explain and generally develop a mystery about her aunt and the house. Of course, instead it was a chapter of her moving in and getting all the back story on the house and her aunt.
The plot itself has sever issues though, like the main enemy being her best friend. The best friend who apparently had 6 years to hang about on earth doing nothing, who had the guardian key in her hand, and put it on Jenny instead of pocketing it. A best friend who desperately wanted into a shed, but not only didn't try and convince Jenny to go in but also didn't try and dig under it, or bust a wall or anything.
Then there are the dimwitted enemy soldiers, who are specifically bred to be soldiers and nothing else. However, they freak out when bugs are around, and at the thought of alligators they panic and run like a herd of zebras at a watering hole. Even the slightly brighter officers send out commands to flee from the beasts.
Very much like the excuse in Dune, for why swords and knifes had to be used, this book goes out of its way to say no weapons can go through the portals, so they have to use hand to hand and staffs to fight. However, the main conflict is on earth, which has a lot of weapons on it. It makes little sense that they would not be training with firearms and using them. Of course when it comes to it, the soldiers use some sort of laser style weapons, which can go through the gates apparently, after all.
This is not a full list of plot holes, but the ones that bothered me the most.
April 29, 2021
This book is spectacular! The characters, the storyline, the creativity shown by the author, are all amazing!
Reading this first book reminded me of reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, for the first time! I was taken to places I never would have dreamed of. And isn’t that what a good book is supposed to do?
I can only hope this series makes it to the big screen too!
My fingers will be crossed! 🤞🏼
Reading this first book reminded me of reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, for the first time! I was taken to places I never would have dreamed of. And isn’t that what a good book is supposed to do?
I can only hope this series makes it to the big screen too!
My fingers will be crossed! 🤞🏼
July 19, 2023
Fantasy meets sci-fi! It was delightful following along with Jenny as she discovered why her Aunt she barely knew left everything to her! Tidbit is definitely my favorite character, until others are introduced in later books and it's hard to decide!
Grateful to have discovered Bonnie Dillabough and her series. My kids love books and it's hard to find authors I can trust to produce clean and entertaining novels to satisfy their veracious appetites!
Grateful to have discovered Bonnie Dillabough and her series. My kids love books and it's hard to find authors I can trust to produce clean and entertaining novels to satisfy their veracious appetites!
August 1, 2019
Absolutely intriguing! I instantly fell in love with the characters. So many twists and turns. I can't wait to see what lies ahead!
November 11, 2021
The whole series is wonderful and the author takes you on an adventure makes you want to be with Ginny and her friends
January 18, 2022
Not for me
I couldn't finish it. It was pretty juvenile and sickeningly sweet. The concept was good, the characters were too syrupy.
I couldn't finish it. It was pretty juvenile and sickeningly sweet. The concept was good, the characters were too syrupy.
December 18, 2024
I loved this story, and would really like it on audio <3
June 14, 2024
Completely out of the blue, Jenny inherits a house, a cat and a key from a mysterious old aunt she barely knew. Jenny’s life will never be the same again.
What follows is an eye opening, fantastical initiation into a whole new world that plunges Jenny into a fight for her life.
Interesting characters combine with a great story-telling style to give a plot that speeds along and features plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
The book brings to mind fond memories of Narnia and Enid Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ but brought right up-to-date with a modern contemporary feel and a kick-ass heroine.
Once the story sucks you in you’ll have a battle on your hands if you try putting it down.
What follows is an eye opening, fantastical initiation into a whole new world that plunges Jenny into a fight for her life.
Interesting characters combine with a great story-telling style to give a plot that speeds along and features plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.
The book brings to mind fond memories of Narnia and Enid Blyton’s ‘Magic Faraway Tree’ but brought right up-to-date with a modern contemporary feel and a kick-ass heroine.
Once the story sucks you in you’ll have a battle on your hands if you try putting it down.
January 14, 2020
What an adventure! The author is so articulate in their descriptive language. You truly feel like you are part of the journey. Jenny is a heroine that you can get behind, and the villain is surprising! Can't wait to read book 2, "Infinity on Fire"!
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