Good Morning, book nerds!
Welcome to my stop along Michael Scott Clifton’s THE OPEN PORTAL tour! This first action-packed installment in the Conquest of the Veil series kept me reading late into the night and I’d love to hear your thoughts on this paranormal fantasy! Scroll down to check out my THE OPEN PORTAL review and enter for a chance to win YOUR very own signed copy or ebook so that we can chat about this new series!
THE OPEN PORTAL by Michael Scott Clifton
Title & Author: THE OPEN PORTAL by Michael Scott Clifton
Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal/Magical Realism
Release Date: May 1, 2019
Publisher: Book Liftoff
Series Details: Book 1 in the Conquest of the Veil series
Page Count: 337 pages
Scroll down for the giveaway!
But with dreams, there can also be nightmares
Lonely and plain-featured, Mona Parker is just another faceless teenager at Spring Hill High School. One day she runs afoul of Lady Anne Golightly, a beautiful and arrogant classmate who turns Mona’s colorless life into a hellish existence. Bullied relentlessly and with nowhere to turn, Mona considers suicide. One night, Thaddeus Finkle, her guardian angel, appears. He offers her a way out—swap lives with another.
The choice seems easy, and Mona takes the angel up on his offer. She awakens on Meredith, a parallel world of Earth where magic has replaced technology. Mona discovers she is Alexandria, a woman of breathtaking beauty, and the daughter of a Duke complete with servants and riches.
Then she discovers the price of her bargain.
Trapped behind the Veil, an impenetrable curtain of magic, the Duchy of Wheel is the last major province still unconquered by Marlinda, the creator of the enchanted barrier. Known as the Dark Queen, Marlinda’s cruelty includes a singular fondness for melding men, women, and children, with animals…and she has special plans for Alexandria.
Tal, the Prince and Heir of the Empire of Meredith, burns with an intense hatred for Marlinda and her minions. The Dark Queen’s raiders regularly cross the Veil to prey upon the helpless citizens living near the magical boundary. Despite an elaborate system of Watch Towers along the enchanted barrier, it is impossible for the Empire to stop all the raids. Desperate to protect his people, Tal takes dangerous risks to prevent these attacks. Banished to a remote garrison for his reckless behavior, while on a routine patrol, Tal leads an elite unit that happens upon a group of raiders—one whose leader possesses the means for opening a way through the Veil.
Thus begins the conquest of the Veil.
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Thank you so much to Book Liftoff, LSBBT, and the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
As you can surmise from the book’s synopsis and trailer, there’s a lot going on in Clifton’s newest fantasy series. Toggling (initially) between the magic-filled world of Meredith and present-day East Texas, we’re quickly introduced to two worlds that seemingly shouldn’t intersect. But thanks to a trio of POVs, we quickly see how Mona’s world of bullying, harassment, and fear easily parallels the battle-plagued planet of Meredith. 
And when given the opportunity to leave her grim world behind in order to save thousands of lives in another, it’s easy to see why she leaps at the chance.
After deciding to leave the familiar behind, Mona awakes as Alexandria DeChane Duvailer, the stunning daughter of the Duke of Wheel. Immediately she is given everything she feels she lacked in her former world: beauty, attention, and parental love. But all is not what it seems in the land of Meredith, and our heroine soon faces the problems with stepping into another person’s shoes — no matter how glamorous they might be. In addition to sorting out the people in Alex’s life, Mona also has to challenge her natural instincts in favor of Alex’s established mannerisms. Facing this loss of identity, Mona learns that this “gift” from her guardian angel will come at a cost.
“Remember what lies within you is far greater than what lies on the outside. Trust your heart, Mona, and it will guide you through the doubts and dangers to come…”
Watching the timid and soft-spoken Mona transform into a powerful and game-changing Alex was my favorite part of this fantasy novel. Getting to know Mona first, experiencing her pain, and learning her heart, provided a perfect portal into the vast world of Meredith. We’re able to take in the experience through her eyes, and delve into the deeper mystery of the Veil. Coupled with the other two POVs (Prince Tal and Razor’s), which depict a gruesome (and detailed) battle and backstory into the two dueling armies, Clifton makes it clear that we’ve just begun to unearth the secrets of Meredith.
And while only an introductory novel, The Open Portal, feels like it already has decades-worth of history behind it. There’s so many ways the sequel could go, and I personally can’t wait to see what’s to become of Alex, Tell, Tal, and the Veil.
All quotes were taken from an advanced ecopy and may not match the final release.
Michael Scott Clifton, a public educator for over thirty-eight years as a teacher, coach, and administrator, currently lives in Mount Pleasant, 
Texas with his wife, Melanie and family cat, Sadie. An avid gardener, reader, and movie junkie, he enjoys all kinds of book and movie genres. His books contain aspects of all the genres he enjoys…action, adventure, magic, fantasy, and romance. His fantasy novel, The Janus Witch, received a 5-Star review from the prestigious Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews, and he has been a finalist in a number of short story contests with Edges of Gray winning first place in the Texas Authors Contest. Professional credits include articles published in the Texas Study of Secondary Education Magazine. Clifton’s latest book, The Open Portal, launches the fantasy book series, Conquest of the Veil. In addition, look for the YA novel, Edison Jones and the Anti-Grav Elevator, to be released soon. He is available public speaking.
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FOUR WINNERS: One Winner will get a Signed copy of OPEN PORTAL, Three Winners will get an ecopy!!
MAY 14-24, 2019
(Print copy U.S. only!)
Enter Here!
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
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5/14/19 |
Guest Post |
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5/14/19 |
Character Interview |
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5/14/19 |
BONUS Post |
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5/15/19 |
Review |
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5/15/19 |
Review |
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5/16/19 |
Excerpt |
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5/17/19 |
Review |
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5/18/19 |
Scrapbook Page |
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5/19/19 |
Review |
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5/20/19 |
Review |
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5/20/19 |
Review |
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5/21/19 |
Excerpt |
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5/22/19 |
Review |
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5/22/19 |
Review |
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5/23/19 |
Review |
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5/23/19 |
Review |
Blog tour services provided by:
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This sounds like a fun read, great review!!!
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