The Liminal

Book I: Daniel

Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban
260 Pages
Reviewed on 11/22/2022
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Nicholus Schroeder for Readers' Favorite

The Liminal: Book 1 by Michael Padjen is a young adult urban fantasy set primarily in modern-day Holly Springs, North Carolina. Callie, a fourteen-year-old girl, can travel into The Liminal, a space between worlds where all manner of creatures and realms exist. She can find the entrance to this wondrous place only in her dreams or through meditation. On one particular visit, she learns that The Liminal isn't all sunshine and rainbows after crossing paths with The Lady. Her life is soon turned upside down when her twin brother, Luca, is held captive in The Liminal by The Lady. As she endeavors to rescue her brother she learns that her grandfather, Mickey, has been to The Liminal as well, but his visits began over five decades ago. Past and present, along with the old and young, hold the key to saving Luca and unraveling the mysterious obsession The Lady has with Callie’s family.

The Liminal: Book 1 by Michael Padjen has an intriguing plot that constantly evolved and grew in complexity as the pages flipped. The switches between past and present were meaningful, and the sections set in the past filled in the missing pieces from the present while cranking up the impact of later present-time scenes. One particular twist raised the stakes and also created a greater sense of urgency in the final arc of the plot. The world inside The Liminal piqued my curiosity and I thought of it as fresh and new. Dialogue and descriptions were well-written and drove the plot forward effortlessly. The characters’ dialogue did a great job of humanizing them and I was pleased with the characters overall. To conclude, this is a book I recommend to readers in search of their next fun-to-read young adult urban fantasy.