“Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex” by Lynne Howard

• 01/19/2023
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Dylan Dover: Into the Vortex

Lynne Howard
The Conrad Press (2022)
ISBN: 978-1914913983
Reviewed by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views (01/06)

In the world today there are so many young adult fantasy stories to choose from that it gets to the point where one gets a bit bored assuming they are getting the same-old-thing. I am here to tell you that Lynne Howard’s debut novel, Dylan Dover, Into the Vortex, is not the same-old-thing and it should not be missed. It is an excellent story giving us a new supernatural hero, actually more than one, and it gives the reader an adventure and characters that are truly likeable, which is not always the case.

Dylan is a very normal 12-year-old, or so he thinks. He goes to school, loves his pets and his adoptive parents, and gets picked on by the older kids. One day, as he is running away from some of those bullies, Dylan falls into a vortex that sends him to a parallel universe. In this new place, a very confused boy finds his real parents, a twin brother named Remy, and a new friend named Thea. He also finds out that he is actually a warlock who belongs in this new world. In addition to all of this, Dylan finds pure evil in the form of Balthazar, who will do anything to make sure that Dylan does not discover anymore of the truth around his background and his place in this new universe.

What follows is a great adventure as the newly reunited brothers and their friend Thea try to unravel the mystery of the twins’ birth and why they were separated and one sent to the human world. It is such a fun story to read and will leave you clamoring for the next in the series as the end will leave you with many unanswered questions regarding the boys and their prophecy (yes, of course, there is a prophecy).

Ms. Howard has given us all an extremely well-written and fun story with wonderful characters that, as I said before, are actually likeable as opposed to so many characters in young adult books that you just, dare I say it, don’t like at all. She has taken all that is good about the fantasy genre and written an interesting and fun new adventure that I am sure will be a hit with many, adults and children alike.

If you are a fan of Harry Potter… or Percy Jackson… or even Narnia… then I guarantee you will enjoy our new hero, Dylan, and his friends. I highly recommend this book.  5 stars!!