Christian Review Magazine Issue 2 - Jan/Feb 2015 | Page 76

BOOK REVIEW T he King is a fantasy / adventure / coming of age novel written in first person account. The second in a series of books, it follows The Door, which chronicles a struggling, misunderstood young woman's journey to The Seventh Dimension. Title: SEVENTH DIMENSION: THE KING Author: Lorilyn Roberts Rating: Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure Released by: Roberts Court Reporters Reviewed by: Leah St John Release Date: Available Now 76 > CHRISTIAN REVIEW The Door followed the story of 15 year old High School student Shale Snyder from modern day Atlanta, GA. With an accident from her past ever-haunting her, and her mother's recent marriage to a man Shale barely knows, she is feeling more alone than ever. After being suspended from school, she finds a portal in a forest near her apartment, and is transported to a beautiful yet strange place where talking animals reside, which oddly enough resembles her favorite childhood book. From there, she embarks on a journey in early 1’st century Israel, in which she encounters a handsome young man, her long gone father, and a mysterious man who is called the “king”. The King is written as a sort of parallel storyline to The Door, but if one hasn’t read The Door, The King could still be read and its story understood. The main character in The King, a 17 year old named Daniel, played a somewhat significant part in The Door. Though some of his story is explained in that book, the reader gets a deeper glimpse into his personal journey to and within The Seventh Dimension in The King. The story goes something like this; A 17 year old non-practicing Jew from modern times is mysteriously transported to 1’st century Israel, at a time of great unrest in Jerusalem. There, he soon discovers he can read others thoughts telepathically. During his travels and various occupations, Daniel finds himself meeting historical figures, fighting evil supernatural forces, falling in love, and witnessing miracles. He also crosses paths with Yeshua, a man who many believe is the long awaited Messiah. At first Daniel is skeptical, but he eventually discovers a longing to want to learn more about this man. The King is a Y/A fantasy book, which I would highly recommend to 13-17 year olds. It is well written, and throughout the course of the story there are several surprising twists and turns. The King is an engaging and entertaining read and Lorilyn Roberts proves herself again as an imaginative and creative storyteller. This book, unlike The Door, ends on a cliffhanger. The next book in the series, The Castle (which I am looking forward to) is set to be released Spring 2015, and is also said to end on a cliffhanger. There will be a total of four books in the series.