T. J. Smith’s ‘A World Away’ (The Quest of Dan Clay, Book 1)

‘A World Away’, is Book one in a Trilogy by T. J. Smith.

Back Cover:

“To avert a potential underworld mutiny of horrific proportions, these fifty insurrectionists were relocated through a portal from the pit of hell to the dark Eldritch Forest of another world, parallel to our own. Upon their banishment, the condemned were transformed into half-man and half-serpent creatures.

Thirteen years ago, William Clay—then a mere child—disappeared from a nearby forest, never to be seen again. Only recently, his younger brother, Dan, acquired information on the forest fables from a questionable source. After analyzing fact and legend, Dan suspects that his brother may have fallen through the portal into the parallel world and is being held captive by the fifty fiends. Join Dan and three friends as they embark on an out-of-this-world journey where they are hunted by savage beasts along the footpath to a demonic castle.

The protagonist, Dan Clay is everything a hero shouldn’t be. He’s picked on and mercilessly bullied and publicly harassed in school. However we find out that Dan always wasn’t this way - this retreat into a shell was caused by the mysterious disappearance of his elder brother Willian thirteen years prior.

A faithful Catholic family, the Clays haven’t really recovered from the loss of William. Then suddenly Dan lands himself in a place where he seems to discover the truth of the matter - a parallel world; full of fiends so ruthless that hell wasn’t enough to hold them.

It is to this world that Dan to must journey & we see him and his three friends battle mystical and evil creatures in the dark forest in their quest to reach the castle where William is suspected to be help captive by the fiends.

It’s a dangerous and life threatening journey and it makes for an interesting ride for the reader.

T. J. Smith does a great job in bringing the parallel world alive and skillfully weaving a story of faith, morals & character - and all in a very refreshingly Catholic light.

If you’re stuck for gift ideas this Christmas for young adults or lovers of sci-fi action, this may well be an excellent choice!

[Will review 'The Harrowing Escape'; the second book in the trilogy shortly. Book three is scheduled for release early 2010.]