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Submitted by Cellusnow 
(Oct 06, 2009)The great author Wayne Thomas Batson wrote this enchanting, breathtaking book named The Door Within.
While captivating the reader, the book spins a web to a well thought out world.
In this book we find Aidan, a frustrated 15-year-old boy who has reluctantly moved to a different state with his parents to take care of his sick grandpa. He soon finds a way into a whole new world… Alleble.
Aidan must train to become the twelfth knight of Alleble and defeat the evil Paragor.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy.
Submitted by RienTakhid
(Mar 15, 2009)When Aidan Thomas and his family have to move halfway across the country to care for his aging grandfather, the disgruntled teenager knows that life will never be the same. What he doesn’t know is exactly how different life will be. The discovery in the basement of mysterious scrolls with a fascinating but unfinished story leads Aidan to seek the Door Within and travel to a world of noble knights and fair maidens. In The Realm, he learns more of the story found in the scrolls and faces the choice that will define his life forever—follow King Eliam or Paragor the Usurper.
Some of the characters are rather broadly drawn so that they seem rather exaggerated and thus unrealistic, but they are delightful nonetheless. Captain Valithor, Sentinel of Alleble, employs hilarious adjectives as he urges those in his charge to work harder. One fun thing about the characthers is the way their build and temperaments tend to mirror their weapons. Archer brothers Nock and Bolt are slight and quick, while hammer-wielding Mallik is built like a rock.
In this adventurous tale full of truth and treachery, rambunctious and hilarious characters, Aidan learns what it means to never be alone. Though written for Junior High and early High Schoolers, the story contains enough depth to satisfy an older reader while remaining simple enough for children many years younger. “The Door Within” is sure to delight any reader of adventure and fantasy.
Submitted by Nate Turton
(Aug 10, 2008)The Door Within was seemingly written with two large goals in mind: the first would be to absolutely enthrall young readers with action, adventure, and the ever-deepening courage of someone their own age. Many young people have thought “wouldn’t it have been cool to be a knight” or to turn from everything you’ve ever known to an adventure that few believed was real; this books tells that story. The second goal was to challenge the reader to truly examine what they believe in by drawing age-appropriate parallels between the main character and the reader. This goal was readily accomplished, as well, as the main character, Aidan, is real enough and each of us could identify with the various aspects of his personality.
While reading the book, I found it very difficult not to compare it with The Hobbit and The Chronicles of Narnia. As this book falls into the same genre as those two, I was pleased to say that while this relationship was easy to see, it stands alone and cannot be confused with either. As I was related to one of my student’s parents, “it is a great book that is kind of a hybrid between the two; it takes the elements of each that make them great and creates a new work that you must force yourself to put down.” I had one parent tell me that she and her daughter were reading the book before bedtime. When the child left the room, she confessed to reading ahead after her daughter was in bed. She had even gone to the bookstore and purchased the Rise of the Wyrm Lord and The Final Storm and was not going to feel bad about reading ahead, even if she had to do it in secret.
Regarding the spiritual nature of the book, I can say that there is definitely a good message about using the gifts that one has been given for the benefit of mankind. Throughout the book, there are countless occurrences of self-sacrifice and other spiritually-sound happenings. When I turned the final page, I was saddened that it was over, but excited about what was to come. That sense, too, is aligned with a person’s spiritual journey through real life. The book is incredibly well-written by an author who is not afraid to write outside the box.
Age recommendations:
Children reading the book alone: 11 years
Children reading with a parent: 9 years
Faith affirming/spiritual message (1-10):
9 – The book seems to be written with the intention of challenging the reader to examine his beliefs.
Overall Rating (1-10 scale):
9 – Lots of action, lots of intense self-examination by the protagonist makes for a read that is difficult to set aside.
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 good piece of literature that might help a struggling young person through life’s ever-present difficulties.
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