Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite

"She touched the sand which coloured the landscape. She felt uneasy. For miles around, there was nothing but sky and sand with nothing in between no roads, no trees and no sign of people... just some strange shapes in the distance." In A Portal Home by Stella Kewley, Cassie Clemence never wanted to move away from the city and into an old house in the country. She's bored until she discovers a secret tunnel that leads to a strange land; Abrynthea. It’s under a curse by an evil witch, and only a magical orb and a crown can set everything right again.

The story premise is intriguing, and fantasy elements such as witches and dragons are great additions to the aesthetics of the world-building and plot. The clear prose and immersive narrative are a solid combination to engage the story's targeted readers. Curiosity often goes hand in hand with bravery for the young protagonists, particularly Cassie and Isobel who stood out more than the rest for me. They have enough room for growth and self-discovery as they face every obstacle to save and restore Abrynthea. I found the antagonist interestingly complex; she has reasons for the things she does and doesn't merely resort to pure villainy which easily adds depth to the storyline. Scenes of escaping from danger including skirmishes between characters are suspenseful and will keep readers on their toes. All in all, Stella Kewley's A Portal Home is an imaginative and enchanting contemporary fantasy novel.

·         Aimee Ann

·         May 25, 2021

Cassie moves into an old house in the country which she hates… 

until she discovers a secret tunnel when she rescues the cat, and a strange land that shouldn’t exist. 

When she returns, she feels that someone strange is hiding in the house, 

but she doesn’t know who and she doesn’t know where… 

until she finds a secret hiding place and another way into Abrynthea. 

She decides to go and explore, but she doesn’t get far before she is totally lost and stranded. 

Even her house has gone. As for Ingland, it doesn’t exist. 

Only Abrynthea exists, and it’s under a curse by an evil witch, and hidden deep beneath the sand. 

Only a magical orb can light a path for lost souls…  

but coupled with a crystal crown, its powers go far beyond. 

A Portal Home is a sensational book written by the exceptional and talented author S Kewley and wow what a stellar story! A Portal Home is a book I was keen to read ever since discovering it because I always love to find inspiring adventure/fantasy stories to read so when I discovered A Portal Home I thought ‘is this finally the perfect book?!’. Now that I have finished A Portal Home, I can happily write that yes, it is book lovers. A Portal Home is an incredible, well-developed children’s fantasy tale that will captivate young readers (and even adults!) from beginning to end. That is why I already recommend this book, however, if you need more convincing then continue to read to learn more about the wonderful A Portal Home!

A Portal Home is a fantasy adventure novel that will introduce the reader to the protagonist of the novel Cassie Clemence. Cassie is a young girl whose life has changed lately thanks to moving to the country and into an old home that she dislikes. It is here however that her adventure begins as one day when rescuing a cat, she discovers a secret tunnel that leads to a new, magical and strange land called Abrynthea. Cassie soon learns however that not all is right in Abrynthea as it is cursed by a witch so Cassie must help the land before it is too late and this book lovers is the premise of the wonderful A Portal Home!

The story of A Portal Home is a thrilling one thanks to the enthralling and action-packed moments as well as the unpredictable nature of the book that will have the readers turning the pages with haste from beginning to end. I love books that involve a journey because usually in these stories the character develops and grows as they overcome events and battles which in turn adds to the development of the character and explores life lessons throughout the book and that is most certainly the case with A Portal Home!

A Portal Home is a remarkable, fascinating, and addictive read that managed to entertain me from start to finish thanks to the unique premise of the story as well as the excellent literature courtesy of S Kewley. S Kewley is an incredibly talented author who clearly knows how to write unique but engaging stories. It was evident to me from the start that Kewley is a passionate writer who surely loves entertaining readers with her literature and putting a smile on readers’ faces! I loved this about the author, but what I loved the most about Kewley’s writing is her remarkable descriptions because they genuinely amazed me.

Overall A Portal Home is a marvellous, stellar, and supreme fantasy book that will entertain, delight as well as charm young readers and even adults! And so I, of course, have to award this book five stars! Be sure to have a read of the preview below book lovers; you won’t regret it!

Don S and TeamGolfwell 

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 February 2021

I liked this highly entertaining book.

I enjoyed reading "A Portal Home” by Stella Kewley and in my opinion, I felt this is a very well-done story, intriguing, thought-provoking, and a very entertaining mystical book of adventure, magic, and mystery.I also felt the author writes the story in a very descriptive manner and enjoyable manner. For example, here is a brief excerpt,

“They made their way over Tree Root Bridge, into Ulvania. It wasn’t the safest way, but it was the quickest way of getting there. The bridge was made from roots and wooden planks, and it wobbled a lot. It was the longest bridge in Abrynthea, and it overlooked a lake: the Lake of Sorrows. Some would avoid it because of the lady of the lake. It was believed that she would cause a mist to appear over the lake so that people in boats were unable to navigate. (Several people had drowned).

“In a short while, they reached the Wailing Woods, beyond the bridge. (They were given the name because of the eerie sounds that were heard.) They were really the Black Woods.

“The trees began to gently sway as a breeze passed through, and the birds were singing in the trees. Quye should have felt at ease but he didn’t. He felt uneasy and very aware. “What is it? What’s wrong?” asked Isobel, worried.

”In my view, I felt this is an exceptionally great book for children. The characters are remarkably interesting, and the vocabulary is perfect for children to help them learn to enjoy reading - something a child can benefit from for their entire life. I also felt the author has written this book with a high degree of readability for young readers so they don’t have to spend a lot of time looking up words and can easily fall into and be captivated by the magical land written in this story. It also gives children positive values, in my opinion.

I thought the author also writes dialogue very well and the story is written at an entertaining pace to keep the reader interested in the many mystical events as they occur in this wonderful fantasy.

I believe the writer is intelligent, imaginative, and highly talented. Very well done. Highly recommended!It was my pleasure to receive a free copy of this book but that does not in any way affect my opinions in this review of this exceptional book.