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Pub date: May 16, 2023
ISBN: Paperback 978-1-63988-835-1 / Hardcover 978-1-63988-841-2
Price: $16.99 trade paperback, $24.99 hardcover
Navratil makes his debut in the fantasy genre with this wonderfully entertaining story of love, family, courage, and self-realization. Thirty-something Nathaniel is just an ordinary guy except for one thing: he is a Page-Walker, a person who has the ability to enter the pages of books and live through their characters’ adventures. While sorting out the estate after his grandmother’s death, Nathanial comes across his grandfather’s unfinished manuscript, The Seventeen Towers, whose pages call him for help. But entering an unfinished story is a dangerous business. Nathaniel must choose between becoming a hero and remaining a coward. The first-person narrative puts readers directly into Nathaniel’s mind, unraveling his self-doubts, insecurities, and fears. Throughout the narrative, Nathaniel demonstrates personal growth as he explores love, loss, the power of familial bonds, and what it really means to be a hero. Though the idea of page-walking is nothing new in the genre, Navratil’s engrossing storytelling combined with his grasp on the plotting keeps the tension taut. Complex and relevant themes are in plenty, including substance abuse, addiction issues, exploitation, manipulation, and overcoming toxicity. Both the bleakness of the Seventeen Towered Castle and the menacing fury of Terry lend fantastical feel to the setting. A deeply engrossing and thoroughly entertaining fantasy.
***
Categories: Fanatsy
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