Rise of the Wyrm Lord by Wayne Thomas Batson

Imprisoned in the fortress of Paragor, Antoinette Reed still tries desperately to convince Kearn that Paragor’s promises are empty. Meanwhile, Aidan loans the Scrolls to Robby in hopes that they will convince him that The Realm is real and that King Eliam is the one to follow. But Robby is not easy to convince. In The Realm, Kaliam readies Alleble for the assault by Paragor’s forces that is sure to come, bringing all of those loyal to King Eliam under the protection of the city’s walls. But with the ancient Wyrm Lord and the Seven Sleepers on Pearagor’s side, will the walls of Alleble be enough to with stand the storm?


“The Final Storm” brings together the best characters from the two previous books and introduces us to still more. Each of the three travelers from the Mirror Realm—Robby, Antoinette, and Aidan—have their own strengths and weaknesses keeping them from becoming copies of each other. The Glimpses too are clearly defined. While the characters retain their boisterous natures from previous books, the looming war tempers them making this my favorite of the trilogy.


Amid the darkness of war, there is hope. Beneath the shadows of ruin, there is life. These concepts and more are a foundation to this story of Alleble’s great stand against the evil of Paragor. I love the way Batson illustrates the fact that though evil times will come, there is only one place to put our trust—In the King of kings. He will see to it that the evil will be used for good, no matter how bleak things may be. “The Final Storm” reminds us all that the end is only the beginning. Teenagers will love this gripping conclusion to the Door Within trilogy.

As soon as I finished the first book in the series, I was anxiously anticipating getting the second. I’ll admit I had my doubts…being a newer fan to the fantasy genre, I wasn’t sure how a female would work in the stereotypical “male spot” of protagonist, so profoundly common throughout the genre. Again, I will admit to you that I was surprised by how well it played out. In real life, gender shouldn’t/doesn’t make a difference. Historically, though, as a general rule in literature, there are very few female adventurous heroes. Batson’s Antoinette was a hard-edged, willing hero, made ready for her quest by quick wit and an already-established area of expertise. The story wasn’t about a girl who became a heroine, it was about a heroine who was committed to honoring her word to the end.

The thing that I enjoyed most about the book was that while there were many characters returning to the pages, the story was incredibly different from The Door Within. Different people groups were introduced, and with them, their cultures, each to be appreciated for their individuality and revered for their traditions. I felt that this aspect of the book lent itself to the idea that God sees no colors and values each of his children the same; each one of us should be appreciate for who we are in God’s great creation, not judged by the insignificant traits that make us different.

Additionally, the awakening of mind-boggling monsters that need to be thwarted also made for great reading. The characters’ struggle to wrap their heads around what was once thought to be legend, but what turns out to be truth is reminiscent of situations that all of us have faced in life: while no one in our lifetimes have had to face anything like the Wyrm Lord, most of us have struggled with the realization of truth. It was easy to identify with the characters as they began to piece together the truth of what they were up against.

I think this book could play a very large role in the life of girls. There is never any inkling of the “I’m just a girl…I can’t do that” mentality that can bind so many young women. It is empowering. If this book were to end up in the hands of a girl who needs an example of a strong, faithful, ready-for-action young lady, it could make a life-long difference to her…Antoinette is the kind of character who can be looked up in that regard.

Age recommendations:
Children reading the book alone: 11 years
Children reading with a parent: 9 years

Faith affirming/spiritual message (1-10):
10 – Not only is this book written with action and adventure, it has great examples of a spectrum of spiritual principles.

Overall Rating (1-10 scale):
9 – This book is a page turner that has many obvious lessons that the targeted age group need to experience.

Would you find this in my personal library?
ABSOLUTELY! It has a permanent place in my bookshelf.

Would you find this in my classroom library?
Yes. It is a great that could possibly empower young ladies to reach beyond what they thing they’re capable of.