I loved this so much more than I was expecting to, to be honest! It was fast-paced and compelling and easy to read, I found I didn't really want to put it down. Surprised the author isn't a Melburnian, as the setting was spot ON, which added to my enjoyment a lot :) (and especially after the last book I read that was set in Melbourne and woefully inaccurate!) The fantasy stuff all made sense too, and was explained very well without getting bogged down in detail. Just enough for the reader to be able to follow without being overwhelmed. I loved the ending as well, and five seconds before writing thi review I just went and bought books two and three from Amazon. Woohoo, bring it!

This book was definitely a find for me. The characters were very realistic and believable, the plot was engaging and I never fund myself bored or skipping ahead at any point. Those are both good hallmarks for a well-done book. Another note is that I immensely enjoyed the descriptive nature of the settings in the book, I really felt like I was there!

I really enjoyed this book. Norse mythology new to me. I found the characters intriguing and entertaining. Looking forward to the next installment!

I did like this fantasy book. I liked the setting (especially now I know Melbourne better) and I liked the world-building of Midderguard. The plot was interesting enough and I liked how Alice was involved and how she was involved as well as how they juggle their real lives. I really loved that ending, that is the kind of cliffhanger I don't mind at the end of the book.

Unfortunately, I had to drop it a couple of stars for the scattered nature of the flashbacks and the characters. I liked Alice and I liked Toby, they felt far more fully fleshed out than any of the other characters. I really disliked how Stanor and his daughters all seemed to regard any questions from Alice, Toby or Jess so scornfully. They seemed to regard any questions as stupid and it was ridiculous, because there was no chance of any of the three of them knowing anything when they hadn't been told.

So, I did like this book but I don't think I'm going to be reading on in the series.

*Spoiler alert*

This was, unfortunately, pretty boring. 3 stars only because of mild creativity. I requested it on NetGalley thinking it was a YA fantasy, but it turns out to be more of a middle grade. The protagonist Alice is 14 years old, but the young teens act kind of weird, mainly the whole cousins having a mild crush on each other thing. One minute they think in family terms, then it switches to "crush" thoughts. I also found it confusing that the author tries to remake Norse mythology into her own story, but it was too mixed up. Then there's random characters that don't have a follow-up, like Alice's mom and her uncle-cousin Jonah. The ending left me wanting to know what happened to Toby and the Middengard people, but it was such a slow read for me (normally it would've taken two hours at most) that I don't think I'll be reading the rest of the series.

Left 3 star review on Goodreads

"The day Alice met the twins her life changed for ever. Not like the day she cut her hair off and hated it. Or the even the day her father told her she had to spend six months in Australia. No, this was a big change, a huge change - almost, you could say, an impossible one. Because it was the day she got mixed up in Middengard. The day she stepped into the prophecy. Not that she knew that. Not then."

Fifteen year-old Alice Morgan is sent to live with her rich relatives in Melbourne, but she feels very out of place and is homesick. She wishes that she could return to England to find out more about her mother’s disappearance years ago.

Alice goes for a walk and is drawn to Melbourne's Shrine of Remembrance, where she finds herself passing through the Heim Gate, which deposits her into Middengard. This is a realm hidden from the world of men and peopled by an ancient warrior race known as the Hilderinc. If things weren’t bad enough already, Alice discovers that her cousin Toby and her annoying friend Jess have followed her, putting their own lives in jeopardy as humans are forbidden to enter this realm.

She meets Stanor, the Gate Warden, and his warrior daughters, who are trying to get them to the safety of Skellstor. Alice learns to her astonishment that the pendant left to her by her mother is one of the Doom Stones. It is a powerful stones that is needed to protect both Middengard and the world of men from destructive forces.

Soon Alice, Toby and Jess become embroiled in a battle to help the Hilderinc defeat one of their own, a rebel intent on upsetting the balance of power.

Without giving too much away, this is a very interesting story. I really enjoyed the book and I look forward to reading the sequel.

The chapters swap between events past and present in both England and Australia. It’s well written and helps to bring to light what took place during her parents’ disappearances in different parts of the story. It is interesting to note that the folk lore relating to the Hilderinc is of Norse origin.

The plot is complex and the characters, though frustrating at times, are relatable and well developed.

Any reader who enjoys the likes of Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia or similar will enjoy this book.

This book by June Wilson deserves a well-deserved 4 stars.

I'm not sure why my review differs from the others currently up. I found the book to be full of cliches - portal into another world, the strange witch who lives alone on the mountain and sees into the future... Plus, the characters kept doing stupid things like running to a strange tent that pops out of nowhere because they might have good food. Really?

The first chapter sounded so good. I thought I'd like it. But the cliches and character stupidity ruined it for me. I didn't finish the book.

Magical book- fans of Harry Potter would like this book. Good for YA readers.