Links of the Two Worlds

By Samantha Hopper

Indie author, 2020

Rise of the Royals, Book 1

Genre: Fiction/Fantasy (ages 7 to 18)

Note: We received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away…

Oh, wait. That’s already been done.

Hmmm. How ‘bout : It was a dark and stormy night…?

Dufus Awards

Alright, alright. What we’re really after here is something more original, says I, Kimber the Magnificent. Something like The Dufus of the Decade Awards. And I have a nominee. (You knew that, right?) Lemme explain:

“Well, I’ll be et fer a tater!” chirped one of us the other day when she was cleaning out a bunch of old emails. She came across a Review Request dated Shortly After the Discovery of Fire. From an indie author. It got overlooked somehow.  Probably when we were out firing up the fire. Anywho, one of us who shall remain nameless read it and went: Oops!   (Hi, Mom.)

So we downloaded the book, Links of the Two Worlds, and a hundred years or so later, here we are with a review. (Better late than never. Hi again, Mom!) The title makes sense later, as does the subtitle. Here’s the 4-1-1:

Every little event will change your life. Whether it be for better or for worse is for you to decide.

Lindsay

Fourteen year-old Lindsay “Lin” Pratt has a fever. Or… something. Something that seems weird. Her family is part of a tent-dwelling tribe called Minniemoms. They’re thumb-sized folks who use their magical abilities to help plants grow.

Nathen

Nathen Krolav is an Upperlander. A chief’s son. Upperlanders kill plants and animals for no real reason. Upperlanders are also “giants,” at least to Minniemoms.  

Then Lindsay and Nathen discover magical powers they didn’t know they had. Lindsay can change Nathen into a Minniemom. And he can change her into an Upperlander.

Meanwhile, Upperlanders and Minniemoms are on a collision course to the Ackon River. And what’s up with those bright flashes of light? Can Nathen and Lin work together, discover their true identities, and save their tribes before it’s too late?

Delightful

This story is delightful. It crackles with energy and effervescence. Charming and witty, Links of the Two Worlds is a little Alice in Wonderland. A little Romeo and Juliet. A little Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. It’s fresh and original. No rehashed, rewarmed leftovers here. At less than 100 pages, you can easily read it in an afternoon, preferably in front of a crackling fire with a hot cuppa. It’s just fun.

Note that the story starts a bit slowly but picks up steam quickly. The POV sometimes shifts suddenly and abruptly. So you might want to buckle up to avoid whiplash.

Bonus Points:

Links of the Two Worlds avoids the subtle-as-a-ton-of-bricks “issues” lecturing that saturates so many books these days. You know the drill. All you want is a good story with a decent plot and credible characters. After a few chapters, however, the author just can’t resist beating you over the head with their pet cause du juor. Or they start in with Pecksniffian political sermonizing. Gag me with cat nip. (If we want that, we’ll tune into the News, thank you very much.)

So good job on keeping the story a story instead of a sermon. Talk about a breath of fresh air. 

Kimber: Remember that Dufus of the Decade Award? Hi, Mom!

Our Rating: 3.5