"Nothing will ever rescue you from the doom you have chosen."
Today's title, Wayne Thomas Batson's The Door Within, is the first in a trilogy about knights, honor, and the fulfillment of an ancient prophecy. When his family moves across the country to take care of his grandfather over the summer, Aidan thinks that life couldn't get any worse. Not only will he be stuck with an irritating old man for who knows how long, he won't be able to spend any time with his best friend, Robby. In terms of entertainment, the new house is an absolute desert...until Aidan discovers three mysterious scrolls in Grampin's basement, is called into a kingdom straight from a fairy tale, and sets out on a journey to save countless lives. This summer is going to be far more interesting than Aidan could ever have imagined.
This is one of the more interesting children's books I've read. Aidan is your average, video-game-playing teen, but he's facing an army of unimaginable evil with the help of only eleven other knights. Alleble, a benign kingdom ruled by King Eliam, is locked in constant battle with the ruthless kingdom of Paragory, ruled by Prince Paragor. Paragor holds an ancient grudge against King Eliam, and is determined to take Alleble no matter the cost. It is Aidan's job, as one of twelve knights, to convince a nearby kingdom to ally with Alleble in the war. What Aidan doesn't realize is that one of his companions is not all that he seems...and that there is more at stake here than the allegiance of a kingdom. If he fails, the fate of someone he loves is on the line.
The characters in The Door Within are all relatable and undergo some serious development. Every character is unique and dynamic, and the culture of The Realm, where this story takes place, is well-developed. The Realm is populated by Glimpses, pale-skinned twins of the people in our world, and everything they do is tied to what their twin does in our world, and vice versa. In this tale we meet Kaliam, Aidan's primary guide and eventual confidante; Nock and Bolt, two brothers who are the best archers in The Realm; Mallik, a heavyset man who wields an enormous war hammer; Lady Merewen, a former Paragory knight; and Gwenne, the beautiful swordsmaiden who greets Aidan when he arrives. Together these knights must face terrible dangers on their quest to save others, and it affects each of them in profound ways.
One of the common issues with children's fantasy books is the writing style: sentences may be crafted in strange ways, dialogue may be stilted, and words may be capitalized for no apparent reason. This book contains a few instances of this, though not many. The Door Within is well-written, but the language may be a little shallow for older readers. The writing style is rather like a cross of regular YA narration and an attempt at the fantastical style, which fits Aidan rather well. Also, for those who don't know medieval terms for the parts of armor or various training equipment, Batson provides the names in easy-to-spot italics on the first mentioning.
Parents may be interested in the fact that The Door Within is an allegory for the Bible; however, there is no preaching. If you aren't familiar with the Bible, you probably won't even notice this. Characters speak highly of King Eliam and trust him to guide them when times get dark. There is no swearing in this book, although there is plenty of good-natured name-calling. These are knights, so there is death and battle, but nothing is terribly graphic.
I would recommend The Door Within to anyone looking for a fantasy tale about trust, hope, self-worth, and the triumph of good over evil. It's definitely a children's book, but adults willing to look past the writing style will find themselves pleasantly surprised. Out of five stars, The Door Within is worthy of four. Anyone looking for a fantasy adventure with uplifting themes should find themselves enjoying this book immensely.
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