Wyldling Snare: YA Portal Fantasy

Wyldling Dream #1

by A.R. Grimes

Apprentice knight Enoch Northward isn't ready to lead. But when he returns home to find his mentor dead and the heir-apparent missing, he knows he must rise to the challenge.

But the horrifying truth of his guardian’s death and disappearance of his friends leaves the grieving knight with no time to mourn. In search of answers, he ventures into the forbidden forest. There he discovers a portal leading to another world - and a girl who shares his faith and dreams.

The realm hanging in the balance as a mysterious enemy schemes to destroy it, but not all peril comes from the outside. Enoch himself harbors a secret that could destroy all he loves...

If you enjoy portal fantasy and adventure, then you'll love Wyldling Snare , the first installment of the Wyldling Dream series - a coming of age story with underlying themes of faith, friendship, and found family.

Genres: Fantasy

348 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2022

About the author

Born and raised in Wausau, Wisconsin, A.R. Grimes started writing “books” about dinosaurs in the second grade but moved on to writing fantasy after reading J. R. R. Tolkien, Madeleine L’Engle, and C. S. Lewis. She spent over twenty years trying to complete her debut novel, Wyldling Snare, and is living proof that any fool can get published nowadays. Several of her poems and short stories won awards in her alma mater Carroll University’s literary magazine (1998-2001). She is a member of SCBWI. Other than reading and writing, she enjoys singing in the church choir, listening to music, making fused glass art, drawing, daydreaming, and going on nature hikes. She is married to a martial arts enthusiast and currently lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. They share the house with two male offspring and two cats who—naturally—are the true overlords.

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grimes' created a fantastic world that I wish could be visited. Following Enoch's adventures through the twist and turns made it hard to put this book down. I can't wait to see where Grimes takes the series next.

[Fe Foster · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a Wyldling World!

This is a well crafted story, with such descriptive scenes, I felt that I was almost traveling through the portal with them. There is a world of new characters and language that sets a more immersive pace, drawing you in as a reader, to take the time, so as not to miss who is who in the world of Tehara.
Looking forward to the next in the series.

[Shmuel Yaccoby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced suspense fantasy with amusing moments and twists

True friends are not in dreams. They could be real; they must be real so the innocents be protected. This is a dynamic story from the very beginning, with dialogues that keep building the main characters’ characteristics and placing me in an eager position to read the next page. Such a good mixture of youth energy, worlds’ travel, the fascinating Wyldlings, interesting antagonists, assassin, murders, agony, friendship, commitment, caring drive, enchanting dialogues, and commitment to good cause.

I liked the characters’ thoughts written in italic font, which seemingly are referred to me, so I could sense their mind’s thinking and struggles, some of which are even amusing, thus keeping me being part of the occurring scenes. I wished to know more clearly about Tehara. I asked myself how different life is over there as compared to earth. Is it earth-like? The Wyldlings seem to be human-like. I guess that is why sequels exist and I should be patient.

Two parallel premises on earth and the other world, Tehara, were the out of space, Enoch, and the dreaming human Annabelle soon meet in the elusive Darkenwood Forest, forming this unique plotline. Well, I never thought of the possibility of having a ‘cosmic twin’ until reading this intriguing tale. What makes this tale realistic is that they actually share similar faith, and amazingly, similar holidays and customs as well. Furthermore, having minor characters named Gog and Magog surfaces a smile; just perfect. But seriously, I like Annabelle as a character who places our feet on the earth’s ground while our imagination kept floating by this fantasy.

There are plenty of good-feel dialogues such as this:
“Wow, Enoch! My mirror has turned into a wormhole. A real wormhole leading to my room. Through outer space. Just like the one in Stargate!” Enoch furrowed his brow and tipped his head to one side. “Worm… hole? Star… gate?” And then he raised his eyebrows. “Ah. You mean, the Void-Bridge.” “Void-Bridge?” Annabelle smiled slyly. “I suppose that’s as good a description as any I ever heard for an instantaneous portal transecting the spacetime continuum.”

What also makes this fast-paced YA book unique are the subplot narratives encapsulating the main story, such as the power of the inner drive. Practically, perfect for readers of any age. Overall, well-written escapism and positive moral lessons.

[Huckleberry Rahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

a portal of a good time

This book had me at every turn. Enoch is written as such a real teenage boy thrust into power after tragedy. He works to prove himself while making simple logical mistakes. As he tries to prove himself to friends, mentors, and himself, you as a reader can’t help but root for him.

Meanwhile William, though up to no good, seems to have ended up there versus sought out the life. Again, you want to read through the pages and help him out.

Grimes did a wonderful job of making these characters real and worthy of our time and consideration.

[Gerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Can't wait for the sequel

Grimes's portal fantasy sucks you in immediately. I can't wait for the second book to find out what happens with Enoch!

[Jenelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enter a world full of knights in shining armor, dangerous creatures that stalk the forests, magic, and talking beasts.... and a portal into our own world!

In this debut portal fantasy novel, A.R. Grimes introduces a whole new world of magic and mystery in a story that will take the reader on quite the wild ride!

Three different stories following three different main characters weave and dance around each other in this tale. What starts out seeming like a typical medieval fantasy, soon changes tracks and introduces a character in our own world interacting with a character in this new fantastical land through dreams. In a unique twist, the "portal" part of this portal fantasy actually allows the fantastical character to visit our own world for a short visit first, rather than tossing a character from our world into a strange new land. I quite enjoyed that twist.

I enjoyed the way that the author wove Christianity through the story, making their faith very natural and just a part of these characters' lives without stopping the story to preach at the reader. I also loved that though side-character Commander Storm is known to not be a believer, he still might be my favorite in the story so far.

This story does not shy away from darkness, or the fact that bad things happen, or that there are those who actively work to seek harm to others or selfishly seek to promote themselves. There was a startling contrast between Enoch's naïveté and William's close relationship with evil, for example.

William... hoo boy. What a character! I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be terrified of him, feel sorry for him, be rooting for a redemption arc for him, or just plain hope he and everyone around him end up dead. At the present, I'm firmly in "camp redemption arc" for William.

Just a couple things kept this from being a top-favorite read for me:

-The pacing was a little frenetic. Sometimes things felt super slow and dragged out and repetitive, but other things went by too fast or were glossed over.

-I didn't feel like I really got to know Annabelle at all, but I felt like I should have because I think she's going to be very important to the series. While I liked that this story turned things on its head, following the character in the fantasy world more than the one in ours to begin with, I would have liked a little more time getting to know Annabelle and seeing her and Enoch establish an actual sibling-like relationship. What we get to see is fragments and bits and pieces and at first they don't even remember their meetings in the dream world, so it's hard to believe they have actually become friends.

-There is a lot of world building in this story. Like a ton. And it's really really good. But I also spent a lot of time just sort of accepting "ok, I don't know what that is" and moving on while feeling lost, and I'm someone who doesn't mind wandering around a fantasy world until I've got my bearings.


But overall, I enjoyed the story, and I look forward to reading book 2!

[Martin Herrmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good book for someone just starting to read fantasy.

[Victoria Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wyldling Snare is a young adult portal fantasy with great characters and an amazing world called Tehara.
The main character Enoch lives in the fantasy world that Grimes created named Tehara which is parallel to our world here on Earth. Annabelle, who lives on earth, has dreams about Enoch and his world and they soon meet in the Darkenwood Forest.

I actually enjoyed the story about Enoch and the Wyldling’s on Tehara more than Annabelle and Earth. Tehara feels like an amazing world and yet I know very little about it other than the everyday struggles that Enoch and his friends have with those using magic. (Sorcerers and your typical magical creatures that are found in fantasy novels.) I would love to learn more about Tehara so I could have a better idea of what it’s like there.

All in all, this is a really good story that was well written. Kudos to Grimes for doing such a good job and bringing Enoch and his world to those of us who love to read.

This is the first book of an intended series. I’ll gladly read the second novel. I’m curious to see what happens with Enoch.

[S.A.McClelland S.A.McClelland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great YA portal fantasy

This is a fantastic start to the series with a massive imagination down to the settings and characters. I loved all of it. The way the Author entwined all the stories together was very well done. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[J.F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to love about this story: the hero’s journey, portals, incredible world building, and loveable characters all packed into a story brimming with faith and hope.

Enoch suffers immense loss and inherits a position for which he doesn’t feel prepared. Yet he strives to do the right thing in the face of opposition and loss, all while trying to understand the strange things that are happening to him.

Tehara is such a fantastic world with a rich culture, sayings, and diversity that rings so true I wonder if I might be able to visit in my dreams as Annabelle does.

But the best thing about this story is the faith and hope woven into every page. It’s not preachy, it’s just part of their story and way of life. I love that God is referred to as “the Threefold One” and Grimes make it clear—no one is beyond His reach.

If you enjoy well-written, action-packed, faith-based fantasy stories, Wyldling Snare is for you.

[C.L. Wyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful start to a new YA series!

An awesome action packed adventure! The characters were very relatable which I think is important in a YA series. Great world building and a very promising start to a new series!

[C. Borden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written fantasy novel with hints of Christian faith scattered throughout. I zoomed through, not wanting to put it down!

[E.G. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like it started a tad slow as I got comfortable getting to know the three POVs. We follow MCs Annabelle and Enoch, and one of the antagonists William. Enoch is the main character, though all three add demension and interest to the story.

Enoch and William are from a world of three suns, riding deer rather than horses, where the races are interesting animal-humanoid hybrids in addition to a human-like race. Each of these races add dimension to the world, with characteristics, temperaments, cultural elements and dynamics between them. Annabelle is from earth.

Enoch is part of a military garrison that protects a fort like town and the surrounding forest. He’s young and struggling to keep up with his training squad. Still, his mentors aid him and train him with the intention of having him potentially lead one day.

Meanwhile, William and his evil master plot something. They have an assassin similar to a werewolf disguised and hunting for someone. William is also dabbling in an ancient power, hoping to become powerful enough to get out of his master’s reach eventually.

When several leads superior to him go missing/die suddenly, Enoch is thrust into a position of power. Other People from their town are going missing and his first priority is to find them. Meanwhile, strange powers start cropping up for him, ones similar to myths of ancient beings known as Wyldlings, and he visits Annabelle in his dreams where they interact and get to know each other. Enoch eventually finds a portal that allows them to visit face to face.

Soon, enemies close in and time is running out. Enoch worries Annabelle will be the next victim of the mysterious murderer.

I really loved how distinct the characters were, and all the cool creature-esque characters added to Enoch’s world. Peter the messenger and Red were two of my favorites. Also, Toad is hilarious.

I also teared up once about what was under the twisted tree. A.R. Grimes you know what you did.

Lastly, I want to emphasize this book’s tribute to Christian religion. It is clear and honest, woven into the story as part of the character’s lives and belief system, and very well done. #nopreaching #justfaith

If you love portal fantasies, multi-POV/gender, or medieval type language and coming of age stories, then you’ve got to read this series!

[RebeccaReadsTooMuch 💁‍♀️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA portal fantasy follows 3 main characters. In the magical land of Tehara, we have Enoch, a newly promoted baron-knight, forced to step up to a leading role far too soon after suffering the lose of multiple loved ones; William, a liquor-swigging sorcerer-in-training; and on Earth, we have Annabelle, a sweet and naive teen clarinet player. There are many connections between the main characters, but most striking to me was they all are victims of bullies.

The world building and magic system is complex and was confusing to me at times, though I imagine this is due to being the first book in a planned multi book series. The detailed descriptions painted a vivid and rich setting, weaving dreams into real and magical worlds. Much of the story takes place in a forest with imaginative anthropomorphic hybrid animals (always welcome if you ask me!), and here the author’s sense of humor comes alive.

I must give props to the author for significantly increasing my vocabulary. I have never used my Kindle’s dictionary search feature more. I do not feel this holds up as a standalone read; if you want a satisfying ending, you’ll need to continue on to the next.

#bookloungereviewteam

[Angee Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enoch Northward is an apprentice knight who still has a long way to go before he leads anyone. But when he comes home to mentor killed and the heir-apparent missing, he knows he has no other option but to rise to the occasion. With nowhere to turn. Enoch ventures into the forbidden forest, where he discovers a portal leading to another world – a mystical place called Wisconsin. When he finds a girl who shares his faith and dreams, he realizes that his most challenging adventure is about to begin.
I absolutely ADORED this book! Though it is Y.A., it was compelling even to an almost thirty-year-old mom. Fantasy is not my typical genre, and I do believe that is why it took some time for me to get into the story and why, at times, I felt confused. However, within the first couple of chapters, the story really takes off, and I was happy to be along for the ride. It is well-written, action-packed, and a great start to a series. I especially loved the sprinklings of faith and how it tied in with the story. I am excited to start the next book 😊

[Amanda Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enoch enjoys the world he lives in. He loves hanging with his friends and exploring the land around him. Until suddenly, his mentor is dead, and his friends are missing. Enoch it suddenly faced with the challenge of discovering his strengths and his thrust into a role he may not be ready to have. He also discovers that the world he thought he knew has hidden secrets, most importantly, a hidden world.

A. R. Grimes has a wonderful imagination, creating a fantasy world that also dabbles in the real world. She has a great command of the English language, building lots of character, back stories and fantasy creatures. I really liked the description on the back of the book, which is what encouraged me to read this portal fantasy. However, I had an extremely difficult time following the story. I don’t know if it was all of the made up names and creatures, or if it was going back-and-forth between characters’ perspectives in different chapters. Unfortunately, I just didn’t understand the story except for the basic storyline that followed the summary on the back of the book.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE WYLDING SNARE was a well-developed young adult portal fantasy with an epic fantasy feel. Enoch is a knight in training in a kingdom under siege with evil forces threatening it. I loved the interesting world of the Wyldings, the constant danger, soot panthers, magic elixirs, assassins, it was a well described world that I could easily imagine. I liked the contrast in scenes between central Wisconsin and the fantasy planet of Tehara as on one parallel world, Enoch and his friends are struggling to survive with shapeshifters, magic users, sorcerers, etc, and back on Earth on the other side of the wormhole, we have Annabelle in current day Wisconsin in the band. This was a great start to this YA fantasy series and I look forward to more! 5/5 stars.

[Melanie Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2023
Even though this is not the type of book I would typically pick up, I truly enjoyed being immersed in Enoch’s world. Grimes artfully crafts an intricate fantasy story, while keeping the reader semi-grounded in the real world. The character development is top notch, and the author’s skillful and descriptive writing makes the story come alive for the reader. With its many twists and turns, the storyline kept me on the edge of my seat.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
Definitely a worthwhile and magical read!

[Karen Grunst · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Hero to Cheer On

Enoch is a relatable and likable protagonist with a heart of gold, even if that gets him in trouble at times. The author has populated this world with an intriguing mix of creatures, some allies and some enemies. While many story questions were resolved, enough remain to propel readers on to book 2.

[Hannah Willow · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book. The characters are engaging and I'm so excited for the rest of the series.

[Nicole Maness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written world! Relatable characters! I will definitely be reading this again!

[Felicia Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Seek justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with Lord Yshua.” This is Enoch’s mantra that gets him through the terrible tragedies that have struck his world of Tehara.

Back on earth, Annabelle discovers a portal to escape the frozen tundra of Wisconsin in February.

Worlds collide and Enoch and Annabelle must work together to defeat the dangers in Tehara.

Congratulations to this wonderful author for finally publishing her series after building the world for nearly 20 years! Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.