Portal of Tears reminds me of why I started reading fantasy… the quests, the magic, the frightening monsters. And don’t forget the complex protagonist and unexpected hero… many times the same character. Combine these elements with inventive details (riding a turtle shell at the bottom of the ocean, what!?!?) and I declare Portal of Tears an excellent weekend read. It’s particularly impressive because this is the week before finals for me!
Young Trisha is quite adept at magic and her of strong Soulblaze, the inner-well she can pull her power from, This is proven at the Hearth Day ceremony, which young people participate in. But she is untested and a sudden illness in those close to her send her through the shimmer to the land of the Fey. Centuries have passed since the great war between the humans and the ones beyond the veil, one that pushed the Shimmering far from the concerns of the humans. Now there is an enemy… an enemy that will be revealed.
Readers may ask what makes this one middle grade or YA… I was thinking about it while reading. There is a bit less grim than in his other works and several of the main characters are teens coming of age. I’d say while that audience will definitely be interested, this over-40 dude totally enjoyed it because it took me back to those quest-filled epics of my youth. But I have to tell you that Matthews’s great writing is there: his attention to details and that wild imagination that will put new twists on every page.
4 out of 5 stars
Thank you to the author for a copy for review.
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