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The Travellers #1
The Chrysalis Key: Book 1 of The Travellers
In the summer of 1999 in the unassuming Brisbane town of Breakfast Creek, five teenagers find themselves up against a demonic agent of darkness.
Henry, Melanie, Julia, Hugh and Aiden never expected their detention to result in the execution of their school principal.
All of a sudden they are on the run from a demonic General with a penchant for collecting children.
Chrysalis school has slept for 50 years. But now she's ready to awaken.
The course of their lives has been changed forever.
Five teenagers. Three magical schools. A secret family curse. A tale of epic proportions you'll never forget.
Henry, Melanie, Julia, Hugh and Aiden never expected their detention to result in the execution of their school principal.
All of a sudden they are on the run from a demonic General with a penchant for collecting children.
Chrysalis school has slept for 50 years. But now she's ready to awaken.
The course of their lives has been changed forever.
Five teenagers. Three magical schools. A secret family curse. A tale of epic proportions you'll never forget.
- GenresFantasyYoung Adult
522 pages, Paperback
Published October 24, 2021
13 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
March 10, 2022
This book kept me hooked the whole read! It reminded me so much of the books that I read when I was younger and I loved it for it! The magic system is well-developed as well as the world-building and the characters complement each other very well! I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and magical read, you won´t regret it! Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!
November 11, 2021
*I received a free ARC of this book from Reedsy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are completely my own.*
3.5/5 Stars
“There are a number of ways to hide a memory, should one ever wish to attempt such a dangerous thing… If Henry Jolt knew of the secret memory his grandfather kept hidden in the wardrobe of his room at the rickety Breakfast Creek nursing home, everything would have turned out differently. He would probably, in fact, be dead.”
The Chrysalis Key by E.P. Bali is a young adult fantasy novel filled with dangerous family secrets, demonic generals, dark (and light) magic, death, and doorways to other worlds. Plus, throw in a wide array of characters, action and adventure, and a thread of mystery and voila! I was hooked by this book upon reading the synopsis—I mean Harry Potter meets The Breakfast Club, but darker, let’s just say that I was intrigued. And, overall, I really enjoyed the book and, knowing that it is the start of a seven-book series, found it to be a solid opener to introducing the characters, the world, and the magic and setting the stage for the rest of the series.
The Plot
It is the summer of 1999 in the small, unassuming town of Breakfast Creek and sixteen-year-old Henry Jolt would like nothing more than to finish his school year and spend time with his AV club friends and his younger brother, Arnold. But he never could have guessed that his discovery of a magical key and an innocuous detention would lead to the execution of his school principal by a demonic man known as the Red General.
Pulled together by circumstance, Henry along with his fellow detention-mates, Melanie, Julia, Hugh, and Aiden, are forced to flee from the General of Darkness with his penchant for collecting children, escaping through a magical green door opened by Henry’s key and entering another world.
It is in this other world where Henry, Melanie, Julia, Hugh, and Aiden learn about a secret curse plaguing Henry’s family, the Red General after them, and about Chrysalis School, one of the three magical schools within the multi-verse that has been closed for the past fifty-five years… until now.
And now, the course of their lives will never be the same…
The Worldbuilding & the Writing
The Chrysalis Key promises three things with regards to the world of the novel: the story being set in 1999, taking place in Australia, and, of course, magic! And it sure delivers! The novel strikes a nice balance between the real and the magical, between our world and the more magical world of Chrysalis (as well as the other magical locations that the characters travel to throughout the novel). Bali clearly defines both the magical and non-magical worlds of the novel, creating a visible contrast between all of the worlds which are explored on the page and creating a strong sense of “place” in terms of which world any particular scene is set in. I feel as though there is a lot more to be explored within the various magical worlds of the multi-verse and that Bali has set the stage nicely for these other worlds to be explored as the series progresses; I believe that there is especially more to be explored revolving around Chrysalis—some of my favorite descriptions and images from the novel come from the scenes set at Chrysalis School and I wish that there were more of them because I found them to be mesmerizing.
And as someone born in the late 1990s, I enjoyed the references throughout the novel to the time period. Between VHS tapes, The Truman Show, and 90s Disney movies, the novel is rife with references to the time period and clearly defines the era in which the story is set. However, I did wish that the time period played more into the story somehow as Bali’s choice to set the story in 1999 (especially when this is a point mentioned in the synopsis) seems very intentional, but has not really had any big pay off or import as of yet with the exception of references to the time period.
In terms of the writing, I found the story very easy to read and to be written in such a manner so that it is very easy to enter the world of the novel. The novel is filled with vivid images and descriptions which, as previously stated, really make the world of the novel, including the physical setting, the characters, and the various aspects of the different locations, come to life. The dialogue between the characters also, for the most part, seemed very natural and real and worked to showcase a lot about the individual characters.
However, the book dragged for me at some points and I feel as though it could have used some tightening and condensing. There were some scenes, events, and conversations that occurred within the novel that I felt could have been cut as they did not add much to the story overall (they were either out of place, held no real value to the plot, and/or were never brought up again), which would have worked to keep the story from dragging and kept the action going.
The Characters
As per usual, the characters were definitely the highlight of the story for me. The novel includes a wide array of characters, including a number of point of view characters, who were all very unique and distinct in their own right. While the novel strongly focuses on the five main protagonists—Henry, Hugh, Aiden, Melanie, and Julia—I liked how Bali took the time to explore various aspects of both the other narrators as well as the side characters. I enjoyed learning more about the various characters over the progression of the novel and seeing different sides of them that were not apparent at first glance, witnessing their character growth and development as the story unraveled. Out of the novel’s five main protagonists, I found Henry to be the most developed as well as my favorite of the group (Aiden and Hugh are probably tied for a close second) and while the novel follows multiple points of view, it is definitely Henry’s story to tell (he also has the most chapters out of all of the characters). I also liked the relationships and dynamics between the characters that were explored throughout the novel, particularly between Henry and Aiden, Aiden and Hugh, Henry and Arnold, and Hugh and Amos (the latter two I wish that we saw more of and definitely expect to be explored more in the following books), and I enjoyed witnessing how these relationships and dynamics showed off different aspects of the various characters.
However, in a Breakfast Club-esque manner, each of the five protagonists falls strongly into a sort of “character stereotype,” which means that they sometimes have the potential to lean too strongly into these stereotypes (I found this to especially be the case regarding Julia, which might explain why she was definitely my least favorite out of the five). I hope to see each of the characters grow more into themselves as the series progresses, which Bali strongly seems to suggest to be the case with the direction each of the characters took in their final point of view chapter.
And while the protagonists are pretty well-developed, I really wanted to know more about the side characters, particularly characters such as Calomere, Rose, Amos, Julian, and Clementine who have ties to Chrysalis and who I found to be very intriguing characters, despite not knowing too much about them. I hope to see more attention paid to these side characters in the next books, which I believe will be the case, particularly considering that it seems as though more attention will be paid to Chrysalis School based upon the events of this installment.
The Twists, the Turns & the Mystery
I found the mystery aspect to be one of the strong suits of the novel as a whole. The story itself is littered with various mysteries to be solved and twists and turns to unravel alongside the characters, with almost every new chapter seeming to introduce a new secret or mystery to discover the answer to or providing another twist to an already introduced mystery. In this manner, I liked how the novel slowly worked towards revealing the answers to these various mysteries and twists in a slow, natural way so that more clues were gathered as the story progressed. Each of the five main protagonists have their own problems to solve and secrets to explore, but I liked how there are threads of mystery that weave throughout the group (such as the mysteries and secrets surrounding Henry’s grandfather) and it takes all of them working together to eventually solve them, which I greatly enjoyed as each character was able to bring something different to the table in terms of working to navigate the various twists and turns of the novel. While many of these mysteries are solved by the novel’s end, Bali still leaves quite a few to be solved in the following books (including some that are never posed outright, but that I still really hope that we are provided an answer to), but just the right amount so that it did not seem as though things were left unresolved. And the last five chapters? Those endings? Bali has definitely set the stage for more twists to come in the proceeding installments.
Conclusion
Overall, The Chrysalis Key is a solid debut that I would recommend to readers who enjoy young adult fantasy books filled with dynamic casts of characters (who just so happen to be thrown together by circumstance), elements of magic (both light and dark), family secrets (and curses), and action and adventure (which includes traveling between various magical worlds) and I am very interested to see where the story goes next!
3.5/5 Stars
“There are a number of ways to hide a memory, should one ever wish to attempt such a dangerous thing… If Henry Jolt knew of the secret memory his grandfather kept hidden in the wardrobe of his room at the rickety Breakfast Creek nursing home, everything would have turned out differently. He would probably, in fact, be dead.”
The Chrysalis Key by E.P. Bali is a young adult fantasy novel filled with dangerous family secrets, demonic generals, dark (and light) magic, death, and doorways to other worlds. Plus, throw in a wide array of characters, action and adventure, and a thread of mystery and voila! I was hooked by this book upon reading the synopsis—I mean Harry Potter meets The Breakfast Club, but darker, let’s just say that I was intrigued. And, overall, I really enjoyed the book and, knowing that it is the start of a seven-book series, found it to be a solid opener to introducing the characters, the world, and the magic and setting the stage for the rest of the series.
The Plot
It is the summer of 1999 in the small, unassuming town of Breakfast Creek and sixteen-year-old Henry Jolt would like nothing more than to finish his school year and spend time with his AV club friends and his younger brother, Arnold. But he never could have guessed that his discovery of a magical key and an innocuous detention would lead to the execution of his school principal by a demonic man known as the Red General.
Pulled together by circumstance, Henry along with his fellow detention-mates, Melanie, Julia, Hugh, and Aiden, are forced to flee from the General of Darkness with his penchant for collecting children, escaping through a magical green door opened by Henry’s key and entering another world.
It is in this other world where Henry, Melanie, Julia, Hugh, and Aiden learn about a secret curse plaguing Henry’s family, the Red General after them, and about Chrysalis School, one of the three magical schools within the multi-verse that has been closed for the past fifty-five years… until now.
And now, the course of their lives will never be the same…
The Worldbuilding & the Writing
The Chrysalis Key promises three things with regards to the world of the novel: the story being set in 1999, taking place in Australia, and, of course, magic! And it sure delivers! The novel strikes a nice balance between the real and the magical, between our world and the more magical world of Chrysalis (as well as the other magical locations that the characters travel to throughout the novel). Bali clearly defines both the magical and non-magical worlds of the novel, creating a visible contrast between all of the worlds which are explored on the page and creating a strong sense of “place” in terms of which world any particular scene is set in. I feel as though there is a lot more to be explored within the various magical worlds of the multi-verse and that Bali has set the stage nicely for these other worlds to be explored as the series progresses; I believe that there is especially more to be explored revolving around Chrysalis—some of my favorite descriptions and images from the novel come from the scenes set at Chrysalis School and I wish that there were more of them because I found them to be mesmerizing.
And as someone born in the late 1990s, I enjoyed the references throughout the novel to the time period. Between VHS tapes, The Truman Show, and 90s Disney movies, the novel is rife with references to the time period and clearly defines the era in which the story is set. However, I did wish that the time period played more into the story somehow as Bali’s choice to set the story in 1999 (especially when this is a point mentioned in the synopsis) seems very intentional, but has not really had any big pay off or import as of yet with the exception of references to the time period.
In terms of the writing, I found the story very easy to read and to be written in such a manner so that it is very easy to enter the world of the novel. The novel is filled with vivid images and descriptions which, as previously stated, really make the world of the novel, including the physical setting, the characters, and the various aspects of the different locations, come to life. The dialogue between the characters also, for the most part, seemed very natural and real and worked to showcase a lot about the individual characters.
However, the book dragged for me at some points and I feel as though it could have used some tightening and condensing. There were some scenes, events, and conversations that occurred within the novel that I felt could have been cut as they did not add much to the story overall (they were either out of place, held no real value to the plot, and/or were never brought up again), which would have worked to keep the story from dragging and kept the action going.
The Characters
As per usual, the characters were definitely the highlight of the story for me. The novel includes a wide array of characters, including a number of point of view characters, who were all very unique and distinct in their own right. While the novel strongly focuses on the five main protagonists—Henry, Hugh, Aiden, Melanie, and Julia—I liked how Bali took the time to explore various aspects of both the other narrators as well as the side characters. I enjoyed learning more about the various characters over the progression of the novel and seeing different sides of them that were not apparent at first glance, witnessing their character growth and development as the story unraveled. Out of the novel’s five main protagonists, I found Henry to be the most developed as well as my favorite of the group (Aiden and Hugh are probably tied for a close second) and while the novel follows multiple points of view, it is definitely Henry’s story to tell (he also has the most chapters out of all of the characters). I also liked the relationships and dynamics between the characters that were explored throughout the novel, particularly between Henry and Aiden, Aiden and Hugh, Henry and Arnold, and Hugh and Amos (the latter two I wish that we saw more of and definitely expect to be explored more in the following books), and I enjoyed witnessing how these relationships and dynamics showed off different aspects of the various characters.
However, in a Breakfast Club-esque manner, each of the five protagonists falls strongly into a sort of “character stereotype,” which means that they sometimes have the potential to lean too strongly into these stereotypes (I found this to especially be the case regarding Julia, which might explain why she was definitely my least favorite out of the five). I hope to see each of the characters grow more into themselves as the series progresses, which Bali strongly seems to suggest to be the case with the direction each of the characters took in their final point of view chapter.
And while the protagonists are pretty well-developed, I really wanted to know more about the side characters, particularly characters such as Calomere, Rose, Amos, Julian, and Clementine who have ties to Chrysalis and who I found to be very intriguing characters, despite not knowing too much about them. I hope to see more attention paid to these side characters in the next books, which I believe will be the case, particularly considering that it seems as though more attention will be paid to Chrysalis School based upon the events of this installment.
The Twists, the Turns & the Mystery
I found the mystery aspect to be one of the strong suits of the novel as a whole. The story itself is littered with various mysteries to be solved and twists and turns to unravel alongside the characters, with almost every new chapter seeming to introduce a new secret or mystery to discover the answer to or providing another twist to an already introduced mystery. In this manner, I liked how the novel slowly worked towards revealing the answers to these various mysteries and twists in a slow, natural way so that more clues were gathered as the story progressed. Each of the five main protagonists have their own problems to solve and secrets to explore, but I liked how there are threads of mystery that weave throughout the group (such as the mysteries and secrets surrounding Henry’s grandfather) and it takes all of them working together to eventually solve them, which I greatly enjoyed as each character was able to bring something different to the table in terms of working to navigate the various twists and turns of the novel. While many of these mysteries are solved by the novel’s end, Bali still leaves quite a few to be solved in the following books (including some that are never posed outright, but that I still really hope that we are provided an answer to), but just the right amount so that it did not seem as though things were left unresolved. And the last five chapters? Those endings? Bali has definitely set the stage for more twists to come in the proceeding installments.
Conclusion
Overall, The Chrysalis Key is a solid debut that I would recommend to readers who enjoy young adult fantasy books filled with dynamic casts of characters (who just so happen to be thrown together by circumstance), elements of magic (both light and dark), family secrets (and curses), and action and adventure (which includes traveling between various magical worlds) and I am very interested to see where the story goes next!
October 17, 2021
It’s safe to say I’m in love with Ektaa’s books! Her writing style really allowed me to build the world of the book and characters in my head, everything was literally perfect!
If I didn’t have so many exams and assignments I would have finished this book in one sitting. I enjoyed it so much, the characters and the plot line was just amazing! I’m beyond excited to read book 2!
A curse that follows the family, looming over them for too long, it now requires to be solved. Each character had their own personality, during the mystery of family curse, they shined out and were shown to be together breaking through the odds. Not once I felt like their characters were bland!
I was honestly beyond excited when Ektaa told me the book was set in Australia! The book felt like home for me and the world building around it was just the cherry on top!
I’m saying this, they may had been some conservations and scenes that I didn’t think it was entirely relevant or necessary to the book but nonetheless I loved it cause it allowed me to understand the characters better on a more personal level.
Five friends whose life changed, they got closer by the minute as all the chaos was starting to explode from the school drama to their own personal dramas. They sticker by each other and was always pushing each other to thrive.
An ARC was provided for an honest review*
If I didn’t have so many exams and assignments I would have finished this book in one sitting. I enjoyed it so much, the characters and the plot line was just amazing! I’m beyond excited to read book 2!
A curse that follows the family, looming over them for too long, it now requires to be solved. Each character had their own personality, during the mystery of family curse, they shined out and were shown to be together breaking through the odds. Not once I felt like their characters were bland!
I was honestly beyond excited when Ektaa told me the book was set in Australia! The book felt like home for me and the world building around it was just the cherry on top!
I’m saying this, they may had been some conservations and scenes that I didn’t think it was entirely relevant or necessary to the book but nonetheless I loved it cause it allowed me to understand the characters better on a more personal level.
Five friends whose life changed, they got closer by the minute as all the chaos was starting to explode from the school drama to their own personal dramas. They sticker by each other and was always pushing each other to thrive.
An ARC was provided for an honest review*
November 2, 2021
A fantastic debut novel packed full of engaging characters that have been thrust together on a mysterious adventure.
I found myself very easily sucked into the tale that Bali has given us. Her world building was well executed, and descriptive writing style allows for readers to easily conjure up images and paint scenes within their minds.
The Chrysalis Key shines focus on the theme of friendship, and showcases how it strengthens and thrives amidst chaotic drama. Told in multi-POV, each character is given a truly unique voice and their very own set of problems to overcome and goals to achieve. I became quite attached to all of them, and hope to one day see some spin-off books for certain characters.
A captivating read from beginning to end. It is very easy to immerse yourself in Bali’s writing, and I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
I found myself very easily sucked into the tale that Bali has given us. Her world building was well executed, and descriptive writing style allows for readers to easily conjure up images and paint scenes within their minds.
The Chrysalis Key shines focus on the theme of friendship, and showcases how it strengthens and thrives amidst chaotic drama. Told in multi-POV, each character is given a truly unique voice and their very own set of problems to overcome and goals to achieve. I became quite attached to all of them, and hope to one day see some spin-off books for certain characters.
A captivating read from beginning to end. It is very easy to immerse yourself in Bali’s writing, and I am looking forward to the second book in the series.
October 23, 2021
Overall The Chrysalis Key is a great first book in a series. There was plenty of world/character building and development. The first book in any series has a hard job to pull readers in and this book did just that!
I do think it could have been made shorter with some of the unnecessary dialogues. But I can not wait for the rest of the series to come out. Cliff hanger are a killer.
An ARC was provided for an honest review*
I do think it could have been made shorter with some of the unnecessary dialogues. But I can not wait for the rest of the series to come out. Cliff hanger are a killer.
An ARC was provided for an honest review*
February 6, 2022
dnf on page 154
trigger warning
A group of students joins together for detention. Their job: manage the tech stuff for the last assembly of the year, as the AV club has fallen ill. Not what they would like to do, but nobody expects things to go as horribly wrong as they do.
Let's get the comparisons out of the way: The similiarity to HP is the magical school, the one to the Breakfast Club the coming together of different people for detention. Oh, and the town they're from is called Breakfast Creek.
They do not feature the same style or atmosphere as the blurp claims. Just ignore that.
The plot boils down to there being this school that is now in a special dimension that's closed off, and to get to it, you need the Key and the one to wield it. This is important because the inhabitants of the school now are on the run, and have landed in a world where the ability to do magic is an instant ticket to the gallows.
Our main group of characters is thrown into the story, and I can't really tell you anything about them. They don't feel real, they're flat. I can't even tell you how many there are, maybe four or five. It doesn't really matter. They have had roles assigned to them, like the goth, the big brother, the diva.
This is kinda ironic if you consider that the pace of the start of the book was sacrificed for the introduction of the people we're following.
Every now and again, the author tries to make things mysterious and thrilling, but it ends up being ridiculous. Example: One character can't sleep, wanders around in the night, and happens to overhear a conversation he's not supposed to listen to. As the conversation ends, he goes back to bed. No extra thoughts, he was just a vehicle to get the info. It felt like the character looked into his script and followed what it said there instead of having behaviour that feels natural either for the person or the situation.
At the beginning of the story, the part on Earth, we're in the 1990-ies but as a 90-ies kid, the references felt forced. Like it was an afterthought. "Hey vintage stuff is trendy, so let them mention stuff!"
It's just... there was nothing I liked about this, and there are still 350 pages to go. From other reviews I gathered that there are supposedly six other novels planned in this series. This was bad writing, but bad in the way of someone who has just started out doing their thing, who adds stuff without managing to make it fit together. Maybe in the future the author will find their feet and I'll enjoy their works, I can't say.
But this?
Yeah no. I quit.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
trigger warning
A group of students joins together for detention. Their job: manage the tech stuff for the last assembly of the year, as the AV club has fallen ill. Not what they would like to do, but nobody expects things to go as horribly wrong as they do.
Let's get the comparisons out of the way: The similiarity to HP is the magical school, the one to the Breakfast Club the coming together of different people for detention. Oh, and the town they're from is called Breakfast Creek.
They do not feature the same style or atmosphere as the blurp claims. Just ignore that.
The plot boils down to there being this school that is now in a special dimension that's closed off, and to get to it, you need the Key and the one to wield it. This is important because the inhabitants of the school now are on the run, and have landed in a world where the ability to do magic is an instant ticket to the gallows.
Our main group of characters is thrown into the story, and I can't really tell you anything about them. They don't feel real, they're flat. I can't even tell you how many there are, maybe four or five. It doesn't really matter. They have had roles assigned to them, like the goth, the big brother, the diva.
This is kinda ironic if you consider that the pace of the start of the book was sacrificed for the introduction of the people we're following.
Every now and again, the author tries to make things mysterious and thrilling, but it ends up being ridiculous. Example: One character can't sleep, wanders around in the night, and happens to overhear a conversation he's not supposed to listen to. As the conversation ends, he goes back to bed. No extra thoughts, he was just a vehicle to get the info. It felt like the character looked into his script and followed what it said there instead of having behaviour that feels natural either for the person or the situation.
At the beginning of the story, the part on Earth, we're in the 1990-ies but as a 90-ies kid, the references felt forced. Like it was an afterthought. "Hey vintage stuff is trendy, so let them mention stuff!"
It's just... there was nothing I liked about this, and there are still 350 pages to go. From other reviews I gathered that there are supposedly six other novels planned in this series. This was bad writing, but bad in the way of someone who has just started out doing their thing, who adds stuff without managing to make it fit together. Maybe in the future the author will find their feet and I'll enjoy their works, I can't say.
But this?
Yeah no. I quit.
The arc was provided by the publisher.
November 4, 2021
POV: you're a teenager in 1999, sitting in detention in your small town Queensland high school. BOOM - suddenly a super creepy faceless guy bursts in and kills your principal with a ball of magic. What?? The weird key in your pocket, that a shadowy figure gave you yesterday, is burning... leading you somewhere. Do you follow? Do you take the rag tag group of teens who were in detention with you?
***
Do you have a hole in your soul that's shaped like The Books We're No Longer Allowed To Name? Do you like the sound of:
- Aussie setting
- discovering magic is real
- a magical key
- portals to other worlds
- awakening inner magic
- ragtag crew thrown together by circumstance
- creepy bad guy who steals children
- magical schools
- a family curse
... and that's honestly just scratching the surface of this awesome story?!
I absolutely loved this book! As someone who WAS a teen in 1999, I enjoyed the setting although I'd say there wasn't a super strong sense of the time - mainly just that they couldn't text each other and there's no social media, so organising their antics falls to frantic bike rides and dialling home phones. I kind of enjoyed the childhood vibe that gave the book.
Although it's billed as YA, I'd say it read around the same level as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, which is more upper middle grade. The story is told from the 5 perspectives of the teens in detention that fateful day. It's definitely a plot-based story with a good pace, but there is also great character development. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, all with their unique backstories and motivations, and watching the dynamics between them develop.
There is no romance - this is a true, magical teen adventure story.
Although a few typos slipped through the cracks, which I'm usually pretty picky about, this was overall so well written that I found them easy to overlook. I loved the little story-relevant images at the top of each chapter, a really cool detail.
I loved this world, I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved pretty much every single thing about this book and I was kind of devo when it was over. I can't wait for book two!!
***
Do you have a hole in your soul that's shaped like The Books We're No Longer Allowed To Name? Do you like the sound of:
- Aussie setting
- discovering magic is real
- a magical key
- portals to other worlds
- awakening inner magic
- ragtag crew thrown together by circumstance
- creepy bad guy who steals children
- magical schools
- a family curse
... and that's honestly just scratching the surface of this awesome story?!
I absolutely loved this book! As someone who WAS a teen in 1999, I enjoyed the setting although I'd say there wasn't a super strong sense of the time - mainly just that they couldn't text each other and there's no social media, so organising their antics falls to frantic bike rides and dialling home phones. I kind of enjoyed the childhood vibe that gave the book.
Although it's billed as YA, I'd say it read around the same level as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, which is more upper middle grade. The story is told from the 5 perspectives of the teens in detention that fateful day. It's definitely a plot-based story with a good pace, but there is also great character development. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, all with their unique backstories and motivations, and watching the dynamics between them develop.
There is no romance - this is a true, magical teen adventure story.
Although a few typos slipped through the cracks, which I'm usually pretty picky about, this was overall so well written that I found them easy to overlook. I loved the little story-relevant images at the top of each chapter, a really cool detail.
I loved this world, I loved the characters, I loved the story, I loved pretty much every single thing about this book and I was kind of devo when it was over. I can't wait for book two!!
October 17, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! The world building was done really well and the characters were engaging. I really related to them as I myself was in senior high school in 1999 and could recall familiar behaviours from schoolmates. The first book of any series has the tough job of setting the scene and explaining the inner working of their world/magic in a way that's intriguing to the reader and I feel the author has done a very good job that here. I found the pace of the book relevant to the scenes in the story which adds to the readers understanding of the character's mood, thoughts and feelings in the given situation. There are a couple of supporting characters that could warrant their own spinoff story in my opinion (Clementine!) And my absolute fav part of this book is that its set in QLD Australia during 1999; The references made to the 90s were very nostalgic and made me smile.
I also want to point out that having read plenty of sci fi/fantasy genre books - the antagonists are often referred to as the "Dark One" or the "Shadow" or "Chaos" and it’s difficult to feel any sense of danger or unease from them. That’s not the case for here, kudos to the author for not falling into that lazy trap - she actually defines the antagonist and the revulsion I felt when first introduced to him was real. This made for great reading!
Highly recommend this book, it’s fun, its engaging, not too dark, not too light, I found it to be just right. Look forward to the next book in series.
I also want to point out that having read plenty of sci fi/fantasy genre books - the antagonists are often referred to as the "Dark One" or the "Shadow" or "Chaos" and it’s difficult to feel any sense of danger or unease from them. That’s not the case for here, kudos to the author for not falling into that lazy trap - she actually defines the antagonist and the revulsion I felt when first introduced to him was real. This made for great reading!
Highly recommend this book, it’s fun, its engaging, not too dark, not too light, I found it to be just right. Look forward to the next book in series.
November 7, 2021
I would like to thank the author, publishers and Read the Book Tour for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was the perfect Sunday, rainy weather read and I am so glad I had the whole day to indulge in this magical adventure that Bali takes us on. I loved the concept, fast paced action and the multiple POV’s, which gave each of the characters a distinct voice. It’s not often that I come across a book set in Australia and to know it was inspired by Harry Potter just made it all the more intriguing! I didn’t find that the story was predictable and the end of each chapter simply had me wanting more. There is no romance in this novel, which is refreshing as it allowed the author to focus on friendship and the incredible journey that our fierce five embark on. The only aspect that was a little down was I did find that certain portions were a little dragged out, hence making the overall book longer than it could’ve been. If you’re looking for an read filled with magic, mystery, friendship and the promise of good vs.evil, then I wouldn’t look past The Chrysalis Key! You won’t be disappointed!
I would also like to mention the beautiful tour pack I received from Bali. When I opened it, I was floored at the careful detailing and thought behind the items that accompanied the book.
This was the perfect Sunday, rainy weather read and I am so glad I had the whole day to indulge in this magical adventure that Bali takes us on. I loved the concept, fast paced action and the multiple POV’s, which gave each of the characters a distinct voice. It’s not often that I come across a book set in Australia and to know it was inspired by Harry Potter just made it all the more intriguing! I didn’t find that the story was predictable and the end of each chapter simply had me wanting more. There is no romance in this novel, which is refreshing as it allowed the author to focus on friendship and the incredible journey that our fierce five embark on. The only aspect that was a little down was I did find that certain portions were a little dragged out, hence making the overall book longer than it could’ve been. If you’re looking for an read filled with magic, mystery, friendship and the promise of good vs.evil, then I wouldn’t look past The Chrysalis Key! You won’t be disappointed!
I would also like to mention the beautiful tour pack I received from Bali. When I opened it, I was floored at the careful detailing and thought behind the items that accompanied the book.
October 29, 2021
What an incredible debut YA novel from the talented Ektaa Bali!!
I am so grateful to have been chosen to read an advance copy of this book, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
The story follows teens Henry, Aiden, Julia, Hugh, and Melanie as their worlds are turned upside down after a morning detention, and Henry finds a mysterious key that will open any door, and a sinister man called the Red General appears at their school looking for it. What ensues is madness involving portals and magic schools, awoken power and a family curse, and I was here for every page of it!
Bali does a wonderful job of portraying each character very distinctly. Each with their own personalities, their own burdens to bear. It is these differences that lead then down their paths, but I love the bond they build with each other too.
There are lots of clues and Easter eggs dropped throughout the book to indicate where the story might go next, and I'm so interested to follow our fab 5 on their next adventures!
I really think fans of Lynette Noni's Whisper series, Tomorrow When The War Began, and even Percy Jackson will enjoy this story full of Australiana, 90s nostalgia and wonderful found family friendships ❤
I am so grateful to have been chosen to read an advance copy of this book, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint!
The story follows teens Henry, Aiden, Julia, Hugh, and Melanie as their worlds are turned upside down after a morning detention, and Henry finds a mysterious key that will open any door, and a sinister man called the Red General appears at their school looking for it. What ensues is madness involving portals and magic schools, awoken power and a family curse, and I was here for every page of it!
Bali does a wonderful job of portraying each character very distinctly. Each with their own personalities, their own burdens to bear. It is these differences that lead then down their paths, but I love the bond they build with each other too.
There are lots of clues and Easter eggs dropped throughout the book to indicate where the story might go next, and I'm so interested to follow our fab 5 on their next adventures!
I really think fans of Lynette Noni's Whisper series, Tomorrow When The War Began, and even Percy Jackson will enjoy this story full of Australiana, 90s nostalgia and wonderful found family friendships ❤
October 16, 2021
3.5 stars!
This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.
The Chrysalis Key has an amazing fantasy plot line with a family mystery (in the form of a curse) to be solved. The narrative tone for each character was well suited and displayed the emotions and actions perfectly.
I was so glad to find out that this book was set in Australia as the ordinary world, and was even more excited when the events of the book took place in both the extraordinary and ordinary worlds.
Something different about this book is that the language used was easy to understand but I would recommend it if you would like to expand your vocabulary.
I was hooked from the start and the plot twist at the end had me anxious to find out what happened next.
However, I did find that this book could have been edited down to be shorter. There was unnecessary conversation that didn’t add much to the story and a lot of the main mystery was shared through conversation. Reading a lengthy speech from a character about their own experiences becomes tiring. The end of the book had more action and less speech, which if the rest of this book had, would have made it a better read.
This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.
The Chrysalis Key has an amazing fantasy plot line with a family mystery (in the form of a curse) to be solved. The narrative tone for each character was well suited and displayed the emotions and actions perfectly.
I was so glad to find out that this book was set in Australia as the ordinary world, and was even more excited when the events of the book took place in both the extraordinary and ordinary worlds.
Something different about this book is that the language used was easy to understand but I would recommend it if you would like to expand your vocabulary.
I was hooked from the start and the plot twist at the end had me anxious to find out what happened next.
However, I did find that this book could have been edited down to be shorter. There was unnecessary conversation that didn’t add much to the story and a lot of the main mystery was shared through conversation. Reading a lengthy speech from a character about their own experiences becomes tiring. The end of the book had more action and less speech, which if the rest of this book had, would have made it a better read.
March 28, 2022
"If Henry Jolt knew of the secret memory his grandfather kept hidden in the wardrobe of his room at the rickety Breakfast Creek nursing home, everything would have turned out differently. He would probably, in fact, be dead."
-E.P. Bali, The Chrysalis Key
2🌟/5
I received this e-book from NetGalley.
The Chrysalis Key is the first book of a seven-book series .
Henry, Hugh, Aiden, Melanie and Julia are the characters of this story, which (I didn't seem to care for any of them) will live an unforgettable(?) adventure as they escape from the villain of the story Red General (and his other minions), who is in search of the Chrysalis Key .
This is a story about a curse, magical schools and powers (or the Power ). It will make you go back and forth, as you consider whether some plots are kind of interesting until comes a time (actually, many of them) where you'll just tell yourself: "I'm sure this could be trimmed" and surely the most vital one: "when is this chapter going to end?" .
It just was not for me!
-E.P. Bali, The Chrysalis Key
2🌟/5
I received this e-book from NetGalley.
The Chrysalis Key is the first book of a seven-book series .
Henry, Hugh, Aiden, Melanie and Julia are the characters of this story, which (I didn't seem to care for any of them) will live an unforgettable(?) adventure as they escape from the villain of the story Red General (and his other minions), who is in search of the Chrysalis Key .
This is a story about a curse, magical schools and powers (or the Power ). It will make you go back and forth, as you consider whether some plots are kind of interesting until comes a time (actually, many of them) where you'll just tell yourself: "I'm sure this could be trimmed" and surely the most vital one: "when is this chapter going to end?" .
It just was not for me!
January 28, 2025
I felt like this book had a lot of potential, but it just didn’t quite get there. It felt like a lot of the plot just got dropped into the story and there wasn’t a good explanation for it. The story didn’t circle back around to fill the reader in on what was happening. So I spent a fair bit of time wondering what exactly was going on. I will also say that the lack of editing in the book was very distracting. When I have to reread sentences multiple times to understand them, it really takes me out of the story. Words were often omitted, misspelled, or the wrong word was used. The pacing also felt very slow. The events in the story seemed to move at a snail’s pace. I was hoping it would pick up once the characters had an idea about what they were dealing with after they arrived in the other world, but it just never picked up. Overall, this was just an okay read, it wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t super amazing. I think the average middle grade reader would find it interesting, and might not be as concerned with the consistency and plot issues that I was as an adult reader.
October 27, 2021
This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review.
The Chrysalis Key is the first book in Ektaa Bali’s new fantasy series, and it was a great start to the series.
I was so excited going into this book for many reasons, it’s a fantasy book set in Australia, it’s written by an Australian author, and the book is described as the breakfast club meets Harry Potter but darker, and you know I love a dark story!
The plot and story was creative and imaginative, with a great cast of characters throughout.
It was great swapping between all the different characters perspectives, it really gave each character a chance to shine and develop.
The story and plot were great but one issue I did have with the book was it felt like the story dragged and went on for too long. I love long books and character development, but for this story I felt like it could have been cut down a bit and it would still have been amazing.
The Chrysalis Key is the first book in Ektaa Bali’s new fantasy series, and it was a great start to the series.
I was so excited going into this book for many reasons, it’s a fantasy book set in Australia, it’s written by an Australian author, and the book is described as the breakfast club meets Harry Potter but darker, and you know I love a dark story!
The plot and story was creative and imaginative, with a great cast of characters throughout.
It was great swapping between all the different characters perspectives, it really gave each character a chance to shine and develop.
The story and plot were great but one issue I did have with the book was it felt like the story dragged and went on for too long. I love long books and character development, but for this story I felt like it could have been cut down a bit and it would still have been amazing.
September 4, 2022
This book was in desperate need of an editor. Honestly, at least 50% of the errors in the book could have been solved if run through Grammerly once. It was distracting how often they forgot to capitalize words, use commas correctly, basic spelling of words were incorrect. I remember if books make a mistake or two usually. This book had an issue every chapter, sometimes every other page. I wanted to like this story. The pitch made me so excited, and the cover is beautiful, so I wanted this to be something I would enjoy and recommend to friends. It was just so poorly edited that it took me so long to sit through. An editor also could have picked up that this book isn't really YA, it's more middle aged. I'm sure middle aged readers would have like it more, maybe cared less about the mistakes as it was more aimed towards them as well. I just couldn't lower myself to that reading level for the sake of terrible editing.
November 14, 2021
An absolutely fantastic Novel filled with unpredictable twists and turns. I nearly threw the book twice in surprise whilst reading. I had questions from the get go which were answered as I read further. The plot twists and adventures kept me turning the page and wanting more.
I could NOT put this book down and thoroughly enjoyed it. Due to work and Gym this book took me three days to read, but had I had a whole day to myself I would have read it none stop and finished it in one day. I even went to the gym early and sat reading it before my class so that I could finish it.
I CANNOT wait for the next book to be released by Ektaa, she has fast become my favourite author. I would definitely reccomend giving Ektaa's book a chance for those who like the authors Maria V Snyder and Melina Marchetta
I could NOT put this book down and thoroughly enjoyed it. Due to work and Gym this book took me three days to read, but had I had a whole day to myself I would have read it none stop and finished it in one day. I even went to the gym early and sat reading it before my class so that I could finish it.
I CANNOT wait for the next book to be released by Ektaa, she has fast become my favourite author. I would definitely reccomend giving Ektaa's book a chance for those who like the authors Maria V Snyder and Melina Marchetta
December 28, 2021
Thanks Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review.
It's the first book from a series (pretty long one as far as I could find out) that's why it moves rather slow. There is a lot of world building and character introduction to happen before we move to the real plot.
It's daring for the author to handle few main characters at once, but for now I think there's a ballance in their introduction and starting development in the overall narrative.
I find the main cast very diverse and the characters very relatable. You will root for them and you will not agree with the decisions they choose to take, but they are also not flawless, which makes room for further development.
I am intrigued to find out what happens next!
It's the first book from a series (pretty long one as far as I could find out) that's why it moves rather slow. There is a lot of world building and character introduction to happen before we move to the real plot.
It's daring for the author to handle few main characters at once, but for now I think there's a ballance in their introduction and starting development in the overall narrative.
I find the main cast very diverse and the characters very relatable. You will root for them and you will not agree with the decisions they choose to take, but they are also not flawless, which makes room for further development.
I am intrigued to find out what happens next!
February 12, 2022
The chrysalis key by E.P. Bell.
Book 1 of The Travellers.
In the summer of 1999 in the unassuming Brisbane town of Breakfast Creek, five teenagers find themselves up against a demonic General of Darkness.
Henry, Melanie, Julia, Hugh and Aiden never expected their detention to result in the execution of their school principal.
All of a sudden they are on the run from a demonic General with a penchant for collecting children.
Chrysalis school has slept for 50 years. But now she’s ready to awaken.
The course of their lives is going to change forever.
Five teenagers. Three magical schools. A secret family curse. A tale of epic proportions that you’ll never forget.
An ok read. It was slow but readable. 3*.
Book 1 of The Travellers.
In the summer of 1999 in the unassuming Brisbane town of Breakfast Creek, five teenagers find themselves up against a demonic General of Darkness.
Henry, Melanie, Julia, Hugh and Aiden never expected their detention to result in the execution of their school principal.
All of a sudden they are on the run from a demonic General with a penchant for collecting children.
Chrysalis school has slept for 50 years. But now she’s ready to awaken.
The course of their lives is going to change forever.
Five teenagers. Three magical schools. A secret family curse. A tale of epic proportions that you’ll never forget.
An ok read. It was slow but readable. 3*.
December 20, 2021
The Chrysalis Key is the first in a new 7 book series (yeah 7!!, from what the author stated). This is definitely the intro book and there are a lot of players to introduce and the author did a great job of setting up the magic and the world building. The book starts off pretty slow and you really have no idea what is happening or going to happen but you keep reading to stay on the ride and find out. I was not happy with a few of the choices some of the characters made towards the end but I guess the books have to go somewhere.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.
October 11, 2021
I want to say that I fell for every page of this story. That this was amazing and I couldn't put it down and that it should be a best seller. But unfortunately that is not what happened. This book was far longer than it needed to be. I wished that the author would have cut at least 200 pages and tighten it up a lot. I will say that I did enjoy it but a lot of it just dragged so much. The characters were great and the plot was all there. It was just too long.
October 17, 2021
An entertaining read from beginning to end. The pace was a little bit slow, but nevertheless a nice introduction to an intriguing new world or I should say worlds. The book is described as “The Breakfast Club meets Harry Potter but Darker” and that is very fitting. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.
November 28, 2021
AHHHHHHHHHHH
You need to read this book. It's been a LONG time since I read something that actually kept me on the edge of my seat, obsessively reading because I could NEVER figure out the plot twists.
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***
You need to read this book. It's been a LONG time since I read something that actually kept me on the edge of my seat, obsessively reading because I could NEVER figure out the plot twists.
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***
December 2, 2021
This is the 1st book I've read written by E.P. Bali; I can’t wait to read more of her books.
This is the 1st book in the Travellers Series; the story is about Aiden, Julia, Hugh, Melanie & Henry, they are all in detention and go on the run after Chrysalis executes the principal.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the 1st book in the Travellers Series; the story is about Aiden, Julia, Hugh, Melanie & Henry, they are all in detention and go on the run after Chrysalis executes the principal.
I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.
May 31, 2022
# The Chrysalis Key is by author # E. P. Ball. The year is 1999 and in the town of Breakfast Creek. Five teenager's come up against a demonic General of Darkness. Chrysalis school has slept for 50 years. Now she's ready to awaken.
The elements of this story are just wonderful!! 💜🐾🐾
Thank you for the advance copy # Netgalley
The elements of this story are just wonderful!! 💜🐾🐾
Thank you for the advance copy # Netgalley
June 1, 2022
I really enjoyed this book! It’s a bit of a mix between Harry Potter and Narnia, with magic and travel through different worlds, self reflection, growth and family and friends, but also a lot of dark elements.
I’m super excited to see where the rest of the series takes me!
Highly recommend for those that love magic and mysterious worlds!
I’m super excited to see where the rest of the series takes me!
Highly recommend for those that love magic and mysterious worlds!
February 6, 2024
this was genuinely so good and I found it interesting despite being targeted more at children, i found the story structure to be fantastic and i loved this authors writing style, it’s not common lately to find an author this intelligently read and she is single handedly saving the industry.
i hope you never stop writing, Ektaa; you are a breath of fresh air.
i hope you never stop writing, Ektaa; you are a breath of fresh air.
December 3, 2021
If Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and The Breakfast Club had a love child, this book would be it. Absolutely magnificent! I could not put this book down! I was so sad when it ended! It has been a long time since a fantasy novel has taken me in its grasp! I seriously could not get enough of this book! I’m so excited for the rest of the series to come! The characters are well written, and the world-building is fantastic! I was always sucked into the story and forgot I was even reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1999 time setting and the fact that there was no romance needed to make this book interesting. There was always something happening and plot twists to keep you on your toes! I want to buy a physical copy of this book just to have it on my shelf.
The Chrysalis Key is about a group of five kids who have gone about living their normal lives when, oddly enough, they all end up in detention for various reasons. Suddenly they find themselves thrust into a world of magick, creepy beings, and a magickal school that will leave you on the edge of your seat. From odd family drama, friendships that will last a lifetime, to the front lines of magickal spells and curses...this book seems to have it all.
There were constant plot twists and eerie scenes that left me quite literally gripping my kindle. I am so incredibly happy with this book! I cannot express enough how much i have enjoyed this novel! Definitely 5/5 stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an action-packed, magical read! This book will not let you down! Fast, fun and gripping! I look forward to when the rest of the series comes out! They will definitely be at the top of my TBR when they come out!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!!!
The Chrysalis Key is about a group of five kids who have gone about living their normal lives when, oddly enough, they all end up in detention for various reasons. Suddenly they find themselves thrust into a world of magick, creepy beings, and a magickal school that will leave you on the edge of your seat. From odd family drama, friendships that will last a lifetime, to the front lines of magickal spells and curses...this book seems to have it all.
There were constant plot twists and eerie scenes that left me quite literally gripping my kindle. I am so incredibly happy with this book! I cannot express enough how much i have enjoyed this novel! Definitely 5/5 stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an action-packed, magical read! This book will not let you down! Fast, fun and gripping! I look forward to when the rest of the series comes out! They will definitely be at the top of my TBR when they come out!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!!!
June 18, 2022
As an older reader who loves YA Fantasy, this didn’t hit the spot for me. I could see that it would be much better suited to a younger reader, perhaps falling into the middle grade genre rather than YA.
At first, the setting and the little details describing the familiar Aussie world were fun to read. It just felt like home, a flashback to my teenage years. But soon this wasn’t enough to hold my interest as the story moved into a magical stage.
Details are vague in the writing, in an attempt to add to the scary nature of these strange people looking for the key, but instead it just made me lose interest in the story. I craved a faster pace in the world building where I could really sink into this new world and get lost in the story.
As the teenage characters run to save themselves, little is shared about them leaving me immune to their plight. I hadn’t gotten to know them well enough to be invested in their escape.
As we started following the journey of these teenagers I found that many of the solutions to problems that arise seemed too convenient. Although, there was much intrigue in the interesting world that began to take shape as the story progressed.
When the author introduced multiple points of view I found it hard to keep track of who I was reading as they were written similarly. I would have liked this to have been an opportunity to really get to know each character more deeply.
I can definitely see how this would be a great book for teenagers, it is a unique and interesting concept delivered in a way that is accessible for a younger audience.
**I received an ARC from NetGalley and willingly offer my honest review**
At first, the setting and the little details describing the familiar Aussie world were fun to read. It just felt like home, a flashback to my teenage years. But soon this wasn’t enough to hold my interest as the story moved into a magical stage.
Details are vague in the writing, in an attempt to add to the scary nature of these strange people looking for the key, but instead it just made me lose interest in the story. I craved a faster pace in the world building where I could really sink into this new world and get lost in the story.
As the teenage characters run to save themselves, little is shared about them leaving me immune to their plight. I hadn’t gotten to know them well enough to be invested in their escape.
As we started following the journey of these teenagers I found that many of the solutions to problems that arise seemed too convenient. Although, there was much intrigue in the interesting world that began to take shape as the story progressed.
When the author introduced multiple points of view I found it hard to keep track of who I was reading as they were written similarly. I would have liked this to have been an opportunity to really get to know each character more deeply.
I can definitely see how this would be a great book for teenagers, it is a unique and interesting concept delivered in a way that is accessible for a younger audience.
**I received an ARC from NetGalley and willingly offer my honest review**
December 18, 2021
I was really excited to read the Chrysalis Key, a book by an Australian Author, set in my backyard of Brisbane, dark Academia fantasy with lots of magic! And it didn’t disappoint! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The characters are great and all 5 kids are diverse and have very distinct personalities and goals and you really get to know all of them. The world building and magic system make sense and are wonderful and complex. Overall a wonderful and exciting debut into YA!
The story was vast and sometimes a little slow and there was a lot of information and side characters to keep track of. Which makes sense since this book will set up 6 more books in The Travellers Series.
Overall I had a great time reading this book and can’t wait to see what happens next. (those cliffhangers!)
August 11, 2022
This ya fantasy series is set only 30 mins from where I grew up. It was refreshing to read a plot set in Brisbane City. Good ol’ Brisvagas!
The story took me back to my 17 year old self. I loved the Aussie-ness. Each of the main teenaged protagonists were relatable in their own individual ways. I can’t possibly choose a favourite. Aiden’s story certainly tugged on my heart strings and Henry is a cinnamon-roll. The main villain gave me the heepie-jeepies (in a good way).
It’s a beautifully written portal fantasy, written in multiple POVs that will leave you wanting more.
Luckily for me I already have the Sequel the Allure of Power in my huge TBR.
The story took me back to my 17 year old self. I loved the Aussie-ness. Each of the main teenaged protagonists were relatable in their own individual ways. I can’t possibly choose a favourite. Aiden’s story certainly tugged on my heart strings and Henry is a cinnamon-roll. The main villain gave me the heepie-jeepies (in a good way).
It’s a beautifully written portal fantasy, written in multiple POVs that will leave you wanting more.
Luckily for me I already have the Sequel the Allure of Power in my huge TBR.
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