Title: Erift's Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest
Author: J.T. Tenera
Genre: YA Fantasy, RPG Fantasy, Coming of Age
Book Blurb:
Percy Jackson meets Harry Potter in this video game inspired, fantasy adventure. What would you do if you were given the chance to embark on a real life adventure? Would you take the plunge, or let it pass on to the next person? After traveling halfway across the globe with the promise of an exclusive video game event, Joseph Erift is pushed on a journey by a coffee-addicted professor that will forever change his life. He never thought magic could be real. That it was just an element found in fantasy stories and games. Airships and magic spells that create fire and slow time don't exist in the real world. However, if that were the case, then why is he seeing these things, and why are he and his best friend being sent on a quest to stop a vengeful young man from awakening an ancient power?
Erift's Journeys is a contemporary fantasy for ages 12+ with very mild language and fantasy violence. It features action and adventure, magic, and coming of age themes and is heavily inspired by RPG video games and anime. It follows a young protagonist overcoming incredible odds while meeting new friends during an unexpected trip that leads to a long road of self-discovery.
My Review:
Video gamer Joseph gets an invite to an actual adventure but will he accept or refuse? Joseph Erift and his best friend are avid gamers. When he receives an invite to an exclusive video game event, he travels thousands of miles to take part. Once he arrives, though, he discovers he’s about to play a video game, for real, not with a gaming system. It’s an adventure of a lifetime but the risks are even greater. Magic is real and he must stop someone from awakening an ancient power. Will Joseph and his best friend accept the challenge or will they leave it to some other gamer?
Erift's Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest is the ultimate in contemporary fantasy, perfect for gamers and anime fans. From the first page, I was sucked in. I connected with Joseph right away. He’s such a likable guy. He’s an everyday hero with honest reactions and the ability to overcome anything. The plot moves at a very quick pace with a bunch of characters to interact with. What impressed me most was the intricate world-building. J.T. Tenera takes the reader and plunges them inside the story through fast action, unexpected twists and turns, obstacles to overcome, descriptive narration and so much more. The writing is aimed at young adult fantasy readers yet there’s a sophistication that I appreciated. The more I read, the more I felt like I was in the middle of an RPG, only in word format instead of graphics. If you love YA fantasy, pick up Erift's Journeys: Secrets of The Sealed Forest. RPG gamers and anime readers, this is your next book to devour. Highly recommend!
My Rating: 5 stars
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Author Biography:
J.T. Tenera will fully admit that he never wanted to become an author when he was a child. Born March 10th, 1987, his dreams consisted of one thing; making video games when he grew up. However, a project in the 8th grade changed his mind. His class was tasked with writing and illustrating their own children's book. After receiving 110% on the project and being told by his teacher that he was talented in story telling, he started down a more creative path. Especially since he later learned that making video games was a lot more complicated than he thought as a child. Tenera originally published Erift's Journeys when he was a senior in high school. It was a proud moment seeing the story he dreamed about finished as a real book. However, it was all just for fun. He wouldn't realize his desire to take his writing to a professional level until 2019. Mostly self-taught, Tenera now works to bring his world to life for readers of all ages, all while doing his best to find time to game in between.
Social Media Links:
Website https://eriftsjourneys.com/
Reviewed by: Mrs. N