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Oh my friends! If you loved Tolkien’s books, or any other novel about wars between the forces of light and those of darkness, you will LOVE S.L. Dooley’s Portal Slayer: Beneath the Shadows. Keep reading for more on the book, my thoughts on it, and a cool giveaway you can enter!
Welcome to the Blog Tour for Portal Slayer: Beneath the Shadows by S.L. Dooley, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Darkness comes in many forms.
Raelyn is about to encounter them all. Hidden away in the Schade Catacombs, a single portal remains in Alnok. And, pushed to near defeat, Cosyn has unleashed all his forces, taking Earth to the brink of a world war. Raelyn, in the midst of her own debilitating doubt, finds a new ally. But when no one will follow, she strikes out on her own, determined to reach the catacombs and close the portal. Only then can she finally return home. In the far north, her mentor and guide Kade, wounded and desperate, leads a band of soldiers, also on a path to the catacombs. As an impenetrable darkness falls on the realm of Alnok and Earth’s annihilation seems inevitable, Raelyn finds nothing is what it seems. Her calling, her newfound skills, even her reason for being in Alnok are shrouded in uncertainty. But she must uncover the light in the darkness of Alnok, and her own heart, to locate and destroy Cosyn’s last link to Earth. If she fails, she will have no home to return to.PURCHASE LINKS: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound | BookBub
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
S.L. Dooley is a fantasy author looking for a neverending story to go boldly through the wardrobe into another adventure. She’s a wife and mother of two grown kids. She lives in Texas where she collects old books and new journals.
Connect with S.L. by visiting sldooley.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.
TOUR GIVEAWAY
(1) winner will receive a copy of the Realms of the Periferie trilogy, tea, and a mug!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight December 12, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on December 19, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE https://widget.gleamjs.io/e.js
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
My impressions
A Quest.
With perilous pitfalls and dangers ahead. Unseen, and perhaps unrecognized, enemies. And a Cord, a fellowship, divided.
Moving between two realms, Raelyn struggles to lead her small band to meet another of their group, with a quest to close the portal (the plye) that exists between the two worlds. For an enemy, Cosyn, has marshaled all his forces to destroy Earth Apparent, Raelyn’s home–where her brother and father still are. Cosyn is wicked, deceitful, and cruel–he’ll remind readers of the leader of earth’s fallen angels, who seeks only to steal and kill and destroy. And Cosyn needs that portal to be open in order to do that.
Raelyn thinks that she’s the last person who should be leading others on a quest, which is really a war, with the two sides basically being those of Light (Raelyn’s, Kade’s, Joshua’s, Jinny’s, and her brother Peter’s side–as well as Arkonai’s, the True Light) and those of darkness (Cosyn’s. And all those who follow him, whether they’ve been revealed yet or not.). Oh, and I should also mention–dragons. Giants. Water sprites.
Raelyn’s personal quest is to follow Arkonai and his words, and to lead those in her care faithfully. Regardless of her own private doubts, regarding her fitness to lead, her ability to encourage those who follow, and the failures both in her past and her present. Both she, and Kade, leading another group to meet Raelyn’s, are desperately in need of hope as they strive to fulfill their purposes. But there is One who will stand by them and help them, even in their darkest hours.
This surge of power did not come from anything within. This was Arkonai, shining through him only after Kade had made room. “Remember this moment,” Kade said…”The darkness we will encounter will be like nothing you have experienced…The catacombs are not only guarded, they contain every vile form of Cosyn’s twisted imagination. But this”–Kade gestured around the boat, allowing his light to spill from his palms–“escapes what he believe to be even his best-laid plans. This light, in many forms, is accessible to all.”
Portal Slayer: Beneath the Shadows
Raelyn, Kade, and their friends (the Cord of the Periferie) will need all of Arkonai’s gifts, given to them, to prevail against Cosyn and those allied with him. But they have powerful weapons none of the enemies possess: worship. Love. And something else: the gifts and callings that were given to each one of them, individually.
What a wonderful book–and allegory! The Cord’s Quest is clear. But the way isn’t always. Each of them has (like we do!) to walk step by step in faith, trusting in the Word and the goodness of Arkonai (or for us, God) to bring them to the end of the quest, and to defeat the enemies. It is hard. Challenging. It may feel impossible at times. Will the forces of good win? You’ll have to read Portal Slayer: Beneath the Shadows to find out!
Enjoy! –Wren
Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
finchnwren 