The Open Portal: Review and Giveaway

THE OPEN PORTAL

Conquest of the Veil #1

by

MICHAEL SCOTT CLIFTON

Genre: Fantasy / Paranormal / Magical Realism Publisher: Book Liftoff Publication Date: May 1, 2019

Number of Pages: 337 pages SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY! 

But with dreams, there can also be nightmares Lonely and plain-featured, Mona Parker is just another faceless teenager at Spring Hill High School. One day she runs afoul of Lady Anne Golightly, a beautiful and arrogant classmate who turns Mona’s colorless life into a hellish existence. Bullied relentlessly and with nowhere to turn, Mona considers suicide. One night, Thaddeus Finkle, her guardian angel, appears. He offers her a way out—swap lives with another.

The choice seems easy, and Mona takes the angel up on his offer. She awakens on Meredith, a parallel world of Earth where magic has replaced technology. Mona discovers she is Alexandria, a woman of breathtaking beauty, and the daughter of a Duke complete with servants and riches. Then she discovers the price of her bargain. Trapped behind the Veil, an impenetrable curtain of magic, the Duchy of Wheel is the last major province still unconquered by Marlinda, the creator of the enchanted barrier. Known as the Dark Queen, Marlinda’s cruelty includes a singular fondness for melding men, women, and children, with animals…and she has special plans for Alexandria. Tal, the Prince and Heir of the Empire of Meredith, burns with an intense hatred for Marlinda and her minions. The Dark Queen’s raiders regularly cross the Veil to prey upon the helpless citizens living near the magical boundary. Despite an elaborate system of Watch Towers along the enchanted barrier, it is impossible for the Empire to stop all the raids. Desperate to protect his people, Tal takes dangerous risks to prevent these attacks. Banished to a remote garrison for his reckless behavior, while on a routine patrol, Tal leads an elite unit that happens upon a group of raiders—one whose leader possesses the means for opening a way through the Veil. Thus begins the conquest of the Veil.

"The Open Portal is packed full of action from the time it begins in our mundane world, to when it jumps to another. It has all the elements of a good fantasy: a cruel queen; a frustrated prince; and beautiful girl with a pure heart. There are brave boys, werewolves, white priests, and watchtowers. I can't wait for the saga to continue." -- Abookanight

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The Open Portal is a fantasy that definitely takes you by surprise! It's set in modern day, but also has a parallel dimension that is set in another time with ogres and magical creatures, and a world filled with magic. A world that any ordinary girl would wish to be a part of. 

I enjoyed how complex The Open Portal was. It's definitely a story you need to pay attention to as it follows a few different POV's and each of them has very important parts to play and stories to tell. The characters are intriguing and each fundamentally different from each other. I adored Mona, she begins the story as a little shy and insecure and blossoms into something more confident and bold. 

When I finished The Open Portal all I wanted was to read more. I feel like Clifton has cleverly crafted such an extraordinary world and is building up to something truly spectacular. I can't wait to see where Clifton takes this story next, and to see what becomes of Mona/Alexandria and to discover more of what her purpose is in this alternate world.

The Open Portal reminds me a lot like The Chronicles of Narnia, only in the sense that Mona literally walks through a veil and enters a magical world, but unique as well, as the story is unlike anything I have read before. I know that Clifton has something huge in mind for this story and I can't wait to see the revelation. 

Another thing I thoroughly enjoyed about the book was the art work. It surprised me at first as I don't often see drawings in YA or fantasy novels. But it was also quite refreshing. It was nice to read something and see the picture that corresponded with the scene. 

I definitely recommend this book for any fantasy and alternate dimension fans out there! 

My rating; 4/5

Michael Scott Clifton, a public educator for over thirty-eight years as a teacher, coach, and administrator, currently lives in Mount Pleasant, Texas with his wife, Melanie and family cat, Sadie. An avid gardener, reader, and movie junkie, he enjoys all kinds of book and movie genres. His books contain aspects of all the genres he enjoys...action, adventure, magic, fantasy, and romance. His fantasy novel, The Janus Witch, received a 5-Star review from the prestigious Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, and he has been a finalist in a number of short story contests with Edges of Gray winning first place in the Texas Authors Contest. Professional credits include articles published in the Texas Study of Secondary Education Magazine. Clifton’s latest book, The Open Portal, launches the fantasy book series, Conquest of the Veil. In addition, look for the YA novel, Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator, to be released soon. He is available public speaking.

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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

FOUR WINNERS! One Signed Copy Winner, Three eBook Copy Winners

MAY 14-24, 2019

(Print copy U.S. Only)

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