The Abandoned Realm

by Brittany Hansen

When a writer abandons a story, the hero is ripped from the existence the author created and sentenced to the Abandoned Realm. With less people believing in the power and magic of fiction, the real world and the Abandoned Realm are slowly poisoned as the boundary between them weakens.

A vengeful hero-turned-villain exploits the boundary’s weakness to make a portal, flooding San Francisco with bloodthirsty monsters and dark magic. Bex, a failed writer, and her resentful unfinished character hold the key to resealing the portal. Their inner demons, as well as those attacking the city, must all be defeated to close the portal before time runs out.

For the adults who grew up loving Percy Jackson, Inkheart, and the Raven Cycle series. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and other RPGs, fan fiction, and for those who love stories where the fantasy world blends with the real one will enjoy The Abandoned Realm.

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Audiobook, Contemporary, Fiction

476 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 1, 2023

Reviews

[Katie Kruszynski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok so I’m not going to write a synopsis because you can go read the blurb! I’ll try not to spoil anything either and just give you the general vibes of this book!

This is a book for people who want to feel like they felt in middle/high school after reading a fantasy book, but with relatable characters for adults. I feel like we can all relate to the characters’ feelings of self-doubt and fear. I thought Brittany did an excellent job of acknowledging these feelings and then slipping in really inspirational ways to overcome them. This book reminded me of why I fell in love with fantasy in the first place.

This book was so funny. There were many times that I laughed out loud at things that Guy said or that Talera did. I was hardcore cheesin’ throughout.

There were so many elements to this story that were so so good. I loved the action sequences and the moments of deep vulnerability. I felt like the villain’s story could’ve been delved into a little more and that the third part felt a little rushed, but overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and will continue to pick up books by Brittany!

*I received an ARC of this in return for an honest review*

[Peyton · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ the first half of the book was both too fast and too slow, and the villain was a little cheesy, but I truly had so much fun reading this and the last half of the book kept me on my seat, there was so much action. The magic/science concepts were super interesting. Gonna go make a cup of Faelyn Fog tea now. ❤️

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

An ode to young fantasy lovers with heavy influence of meta/multiverse theories. What happens to characters created and forgotten? The answer: a variation of Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends where the protagonists outgrown or left behind are sent away. Much like Tinkerbell, a lack of belief in magic is destroying their realm. Evil forces characters and their creators to work together to save both the Abandoned Realm and the real world in a delightfully creative and adventurous way. I would highly recommend this story for lovers of middle school and YA fantasy, especially young aspiring writers!

**thank you to Brittany for providing me with an ARC of her debut novel in exchange for an honest review! I am so grateful! Congratulations!

[Louisa Filice · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story idea was very unique and intriguing, however I felt the story was a little too fast-paced. We jumped straight into the story without really getting to know the characters, so I didn’t feel much attachment to them.

[Zanda Graves · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You’re still here aren’t you? Even after being discarded. We. Are. Still. Here. So why shouldn’t we care?”

This book was such a fun read! I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this one. In a weird way it almost reminded me of the Barbie movie haha. The idea that this other world exists that’s is full of characters that were created by authors is such a cool concept!

I loved most of the characters in this. Bex is such a relatable character and I really enjoyed watching her grow throughout the book.

I did have an issue with this book though, and that was Rehnir’s character. I didn’t really understand anything about him. His powers were a bit confusing and I never really got what his motivations were.

Other than that I really enjoyed this book and drinitley recommend it!

[Bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars!! i thoroughly enjoyed this! it was fun and whimsical, and pretty much felt like watching a funny/action filled movie. i loved the thought of our stories making characters in other realms and having the realms be linked. i loved the character growth of the characters, and it’s nice to see how they can acknowledge their faults and grow from it. i also loved the friendship that bloomed from all of them, and overall was an a extremely diverse novel! however, i felt a lot less connected to Bex, despite relating a bit, and felt that sometimes the character felt a bit flat. overall was a fun read!

[Jelena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ovo zapravo nije bilo loše

[Taylor H · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

the concept for this book to me was unique and something I hadn't read before - the abandoned realm was a fun idea. besides the realm though, I didn't really enjoy much else. I didn't connect or care for any of the characters. It was a decent ride, but if you asked me to explain the Fear, the Fading, or the magic system behind the portal id have a rough time - which i felt the Fading subplot was unnecessary.

if this author wrote another book would I read it? yes I would

[Didy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down!!! What a wonderfully unique storyline with beautiful messages we all need to remember!! Absolutely loved this book. It left me with all the feels!

[Malarie Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic read!!
Being strictly a fantasy reader, I have read my share of magic systems, character arcs and fantastical beings. But this book was unlike anything I’ve read so far and I loved it! It’s packed full of action and magic and seriously made me question alternate realities - something that I def take interest in!

What would you do if you met a character that you created - in real life? I’d probably freak out just like Bex did in this book! The concept is brilliant and I loved how the magic system was fueled by dreams, fears, brain waves and much more! 🤌🏼 I am now stuck thinking about all the characters I have loved over the years and what it would be like if they were real and operating on another plane of existence. 😝

Synopsis in my own words:
Bex is a writer and her own worst critic. The fantasy story she started soon becomes paper in the trash bin. Talera - a character written by Bex, is going about her Elven life as usual. Until she is ripped from her existence and dropped into The Abandoned Realm - a place where characters are sentenced to go when their author quits writing their story. With so many abandoned characters thrown into one place, tensions are high and there’s bound to be trouble. When Taleras magic is taken against her will and used to bridge the Abandoned Realm with the real world, all hell breaks loose. As worlds collide and Bex comes face to face with her brought-to-life Elven Warrior, they must work together and alter Taleras unfinished story to save not only the abandoned characters but the people in the real world.

Perfect for an action-packed adventure read with a contemporary fantasy theme set in San Francisco, a sassy Elven warrior amongst a mixed group of hero’s, and some mind bending magic.

This book is a standalone and has:
✨ Adventure/high stakes
✨ Contemporary/fantasy
✨ Unique magic system
✨ Plot twists
✨ A bit of friends to lovers trope
✨ Multiple POV
✨ Fantasy meets real world

[Alex Daffern · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was so grateful to receive this ARC! This was a fun debut novel that left me inspired to pick up the stories I’ve left discarded. A creative concept, the Abandoned Realm was action packed and full of diverse characters across the spectrum of all things fantasy. I also loved the unique idea of adding a playlist to the book that compliments the story! The only constructive thing I would add is that I wish there was more build up. We dived right in and I got to know the characters on the journey—but I personally would have liked to have a smidge more development at the start.

Can’t wait to see why Brittany writes next :)

⭐️ 3.5 Stars ⭐️

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Britany Hansen has a long a bright future ahead her in the world of fantasy.

While this books may really be a 3.5-4 stars, I understand that I’m not the audience for it. With that in mind, I think this book does belong in the 4-4.5 star range. So I’ll round it up for ease of mind.

I absolutely love the concept of a separate world where our non-finished/abandoned creations are sent to. But it gave me the same sense as I felt about watching Toy Story: guilt for abandoning so many characters that I tried to write in high school (2009-2013) and some of the music that I gave up on.

I think anyone who is young-ish (14-17) could find this book incredibly fun to read. I gotta say, the last like 100 pages… yeah, it’s a ride! Full steam ahead.

Great job, Britany!

[Geoffrey Hutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for book lovers! It’s a book for people who have struggled with doubt and self-confidence. It’s a book for people who ever found themselves in an unexpected situation and had to summon the courage to carry on. It’s a book for lonely people with great hearts who need to remember that it’s okay to rely on others when you need help. It’s a book about every different type of power, and it just might help someone reclaim their own (might as well be you)!

[Kristi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am so sorry to give this only two stars.... But I just really couldn't get into this story. It felt like there were too many details, too many forms of magic to keep track of. It really just did not click. I did finish it, but reluctantly. I want to love it, I love the idea of it. I just did not enjoy reading it.

[Lilly Muir · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot shut up about this book. The friends to lovers. The snarky character. The abandoned realm. The creativity. 5 stars is not enough for this book!!

[Pearson Myles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little rough around the edges but marvelous! (Stick around for my fan castings at the bottom!)

I discovered this book on Tiktok and immediately preordered it because it was a story I wanted to write a few years back. I'm so glad I did! When the book arrived, I absolutely loved the cover and the author's creativity with the interior.

It's "published" under the same bookstore name as the fictional one in the story. I love meta details like this! Plus, the author provided a Spotify link with a custom playlist for the book. All the artwork in this book is stellar. The manuscript format is top notch, but let's get to the story itself.

First off, amazing premise. A story where scrapped characters find a way to the real world and confront their writers is refreshingly fresh and fun! Three stars automatically. The first act really gets you pumped to see these two worlds collide. Second act started strong then began to drag. The ending swooped in and tied it all up in a neat little bow. For another star, the pacing/storyline needed some work. But let's talk characters.

Dialogue is a bit cheesy and wooden in some parts (but it's the author's first book, so I totally get it). Talera, one of the main protagonists, is more of your typical elven badass. She has a lot of promise, but the author barely scratched the surface with her potential. So many implications with discovering you are a fictional character. Same with Bex, her creator and the other protagonist, an ordinary human woman with confidence issues (relatable).

My real issue with the characters is with the antagonists, both hero-turned-villain characters whose names I kept forgetting. Each chapter with the red-herring antagonist is quite repetitive with the same internal monologue of naming himself a monster. It gets to the point when the "real" villain is revealed, you wished there was more of a build up for this payoff. It feels as though it came out of nowhere.

At the end of the day, I'm so happy this book exists. I'm surprised no one has tackled a story like this, so well done Hansen for all your efforts and love! If there's something this book nails, it's the burden of all writers putting themselves out there to share their story. In a weird way, this book is a masterpiece because its imperfections reflect the rookie author Bex's own writing. I've read a decent amount of indie books so far, but this is one of the keepers. This author has so much potential and I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next.

FAN CASTINGS!
Elle Fanning as Talera
Danielle Galligan as Bex
William Jackson Harper as Guy

[Obsessively Bookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Fantasy
Spice: None
 
What a truly inspirational and amazing read! Honestly, I am blown away by Brittany’s imagination. It was an incredibly unique plot, at least I have personally never read anything like it. Highly recommended to anyone who loves fantasy book with magic, epic action scenes, dragons, heroes, villains, and a sprinkle of romance.  The magic system, in my opinion, was *chefs kiss* and the world building was simple enough for you to follow and not get lost but complex enough to keep you engaged.
 
I went through a whirlwind of emotions, I laughed, cried, gasped, and plotted alongside the characters throughout the book. The lessons woven throughout the book were wonderful and made me question what my fears and obstacles throughout life are. The character development was phenomenal for both Bex and Talera, and all the side characters were thoroughly developed with just enough backstory for you to connect with them, but not enough were they overshadowed the main characters. The juxtaposition between good and evil was just brilliantly written.
 
The action scenes were beautifully written, jam packed with highs and lows which kept me at the edge of my bed. To be honest I think this book would make a very enticing movie plot because Talera is badass.
 
I don’t want to say much more as to not ruin anything for anyone (I suggest going in as blind as possible), but I will say that the ending was beautiful. It did feel a bit rushed but not enough to even knock the rating down 1/4 star.
 
This shot its way straight to one of my favorite reads of 2023, and it comes out tomorrow June 1st so I suggest you run today to pre-order it from anywhere you can!

[Dylan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for my office Book Club. It is certainly an odd pivot from the typical book club experience, because for once the content was actually PRETTY interesting? I liked this as a story. It's not really my cup of tea, but like, it was a fun enough little fantasy tale.

But man, I'm sure people reading this GR review will bristle at this, but this really has "self published" written all over it. There are rough edges and odd quirks all over the place, and they're incredibly distracting, and all I could think about was that if this had gone through a professional editing process, I think it would have benefitted greatly. There are little mistakes in literally the language used--at one point a character loses her "strangled hold" on something, instead of her stranglehold--but also just big picture, there's a frustrating lack of polish.

Characters repeat phrases in close succession. The prose flops around between meaningless phrases and incredibly obvious ones. The characters weirdly inconsistent--Talera sort of shifts between "stern warrior woman who hates everyone" to "Just sort of a chill friend" as the scene dictates, and Guy shifts just as much. The world of the novel doesn't make a ton of sense in some ways, and sometimes things happen that don't produce reactions that feel real?

IDK, it's a bummer because again, fun story! And it's possible that other people will be less bothered by all that than I was. But it feels like it really needed someone to go through and really tighten things up, and that never happened.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰✨

“𝗜 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹. 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁.”

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 🫑
𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: Quests, multiverse, action-packed, friends-to-lovers, high stakes, adventure
𝐏𝐎𝐕: 3rd person, Multi POV
𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Single
𝐊𝐔: No

This has been on my TBR for a while after I saw 1 TikTok where the author discusses the premise of the book, which sounded so unique that ran to amazon and bought it immediately. In short, when an author stops writing their WIP (work in progress), the characters are ripped from their world and sent to the abandoned realm. I’m a big Marvel fan so I love a good multiverse storyline.

This book felt like a classic YA fantasy book that readers look back on as the book that got them into reading, like the Percy Jackson series. This was an impressive debut and unlike most of the books I read. This book would make an excellent movie!

The beginning felt a bit disjointed from one chapter to the next, and I had a hard time remembering all the characters in the beginning but once I got into the story it was fine. This was fast paced and overall, an enjoyable read. I recommend this to anyone feeling nostalgic and misses the feeling of a good middle school or YA fantasy.


⚠️𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:⚠️
Strong language

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬:Deadly disease, gore, bodily fluids, blood, murder, emotional abuse, manipulation, neglect, intrusive thoughts, corpses, loss of a parent, child abuse, physical abuse, assault metaphor, violence against women, mention of kidnapping, restraint, mass murder, suicidality mention, police, mention of vomit, mention of drugs, eugenics, physical abuse & self-harm

[Christa Brouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is unique. The story is unlike anything I have read before. I started it thinking it could be like an ACOTAR 2.0 but it is far from that. I literally couldn’t stop reading it once I hit Part 2. The story sucks you in and you genuinely just want to know what is next so badly. The author put a lot of thought into the characters and describing the two worlds. I appreciated that the worlds weren’t complicated and confusing which left you able to focus on the action instead. The characters were individual and different and it keeps it interesting.

The story is symbolic of a writer’s struggles with their own writing and the way she saves the worlds from imploding is so poetic. I will recommend this book to all my friends and pass my own copy around!

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stellar debut from my delightful partner in meme-dom, Brit! If you loved The Pagemaster as a kid, or geeked out over Game Central Station in Wreck It Ralph, you will enjoy this book.

I loved the way the narrative shifted between Talera and Bex, as well as getting to hear from the baddie (Guy and I BOTH love this term). It was such a fun set up to have a fictional character confronting her creator after being deemed unworthy. The lead up to the climax was a particular highlight - a testament to the power of our imagination and belief in ourselves and others.

All in all a great story to fall into and I'm so excited to see what Brit dreams up next!

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Abandoned Realm is a novel with an amazing premise that, thankfully, realized thanks to good writing, interesting characters, and fun action and magic that delivers an emotional punch. The novel flies by. It is such a fun, engaging read that it’s hard to put down. It establishes the world and the characters and magic system without going insanely heavy into them. I highly recommend this book to everyone! PS: The very last page drew tears from me! Thanks to the author for money and time well spent.

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. This is a novel for people who love stories, magic, and fantasy. I found the story engaging from start to end. The characters were flawed and relatable in the best ways. Elves (need I say more), magic portals, multiverse, book about books, high stakes, battles, romance (just to mention a few) - this story has it all. So glad I took a chance on this one as it will have a permanent home on my shelves and will be one I gladly return to. Very much looking forward to seeing what else this author has to offer in the future.

[Nicole Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something about this book just makes me so happy. Yes it has its flaws, like I felt we could have spent more time getting to know the MCs, but I honestly didn’t really even mind. This book is for the aspiring writer in me, the person who tries to write a story and is always fighting the negative self talk, the person who has so many good ideas but is worried they aren’t good enough. Please read this book if you want a fantasy story that will make you laugh, cry, and feel so many emotions. And if you are a writer too, this book is definitely for you.

[Lu · Rating 1 out of 5]

I looked forward to reading this book since the premise seemed very promising, but the writing put me off and I struggled to finish it. TBH, the playlist at the beginning was a huge callback to FanFiction.net and that set the mood for me, in a bad way. This book is just a collection of tropes and stock characters, with an obvious plot line and cliche scenes, very cookie-cut. I literally groaned at the bad plot twist near the end. At least I could use it for the "author self-insertion" prompt for the 52 books reading challenge.

[Meghan Karch · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few thoughts: Let’s bring back chapter titles, so fun! Also, I love when books have artwork. 🫶🏼 This is a debut novel for Brittany and it was pretty dang good! A very unique story, which is always refreshing. I love when people come up with strange new ideas to write about. Fantasy and romance can get repetitive. Writing was a little wobbly and some of the plot went in and out of focus, but overall enjoyable! 4/5 ⭐️

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun adventure! Bex and Talera are each great main characters on their own. Bex is the relatable bookworm while Talera is the warrior we want to be. Combining the two in a single narrative with an assortment of secondary characters is what brought this book to life.

The book gave me adult Percy Jackson vibes in the best way as it combines fantasy with reality. I was drawn in by the unique storyline and stayed for the compelling characters.

[Nichole Galle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god, I can't believe this a debut? The prose, the pacing, the characters, the plot, EVERYTHING. Hansen does an amazing job blending genres between POV characters to create an astounding mix of low and high fantasy. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I screamed in rage, all the great markings of an excellent read! I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.

If you like super meta and layered stuff, or if you're a writer and want to feel guilty but also happy, pick up this book asap!

[Superwrongfoot · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Abandoned Realm
Brittany Hansen
-1 cause nothing gets 10/10
-1 It's hard to get into
-1 I don't feel like listening to this
-2 I SHOULD DNF this
-1 It skirts it's own rules by not being clear about when they create new characters
Notes
-A really cool idea just didn't do it for me in the end.
-The audiobook is badly recorded and doesn't sound good at all
Started 5/5/2024
Finished 14/5/2024