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Arliss has noticed an antique, yellow Volkswagen following her. When she tells the librarian, they both think it is odd, but the car drives away. That night, the three men who were riding in the vehicle carefully search Arliss’ house while she sleeps. Feeling the intrusion, Arliss stirs and goes outside. On a hill, she spots four armored men on horseback. The men draw axes and attempt to kidnap Arliss. Out of the darkness, the VW roars to life, and the three men inside put themselves in harm’s way to protect Arliss. Once they drive the horsemen away, they quickly rush Arliss out of the house to a pond. Before Arliss can make sense of the situation, one of the men pulls a silver cord, and Arliss is swept through the pond and into an entirely different world. Here, she is heir to a throne coveted by Urage. Urage seeks to get revenge for his mother’s death and take over as emperor of all Eartheart. Utilizing soldiers created from necromancy, Urage chases Arliss through the land. Arliss eludes Urage and claims the throne. She marches on Urage’s keep and demands his surrender. Knowing their forces are at a disadvantage, Arliss devises a plan to sneak into the keep and confront Urage. However, Urage is waiting for them with a surprise of his own.
Mallek’s fantasy novel can be read as a standalone adventure. This should appeal to readers who have been worn out by the multi-volume series that have dominated the genre for decades. As is the case with many fantasy offerings, this book shows the clear influence of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. The characters forming an alliance and venturing into danger to destroy a growing evil is the basic formula for many of these books. However, the work that seems most related to Mallek’s book and likely reflects the greatest impact on Mallek’s writing would be Ursula K. Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. Stylistically, they have many commonalities. Both deal with the journey of a young person swept into a vortex of powerful forces. Also, most fantasy books relish the action and adventure part of the story. They include epic battles of master warriors facing magic, monsters, and other equally skilled and feared warriors. Both Mallek and Le Guin offer adventure through danger across fantasy lands, yet they do so by emphasizing the characters and the journey over the combat and action scenes.
Mallek offers fantasy lovers a lot to like. Not only does the story move at a good pace, but the characters are interesting, and the peril feels immediate. Also, parents and caregivers who worry about what they put into the hands of young readers can feel comfortable offering this to middle and high school readers. Mallek’s tone, subject matter, and inclusion of adult themes and/or frightening scenes are much closer to a book like The Hobbit or even Brian Jacques’ Redwall than anything on offer by George R.R. Martin or even Brandon Sanderson. There are some grammatical errors and plot turns that may dampen the experience for some. However, most readers, especially younger ones just entering the genre, will find this book pairs well with their expectations.