Reviewed by Saifunnissa Hassam for Readers' Favorite

David R. Beshears’ riveting The Serpent's Keep Trilogy consists of three novels. Jake (Jacob) Quigley is the principal character. In Book One: Serpent's Keep, Jake inherits his uncle Tobias Quigley’s estate and mansion in the village of Serpent’s Keep. Tobias is presumed dead when he doesn’t return from his exploratory trip to the Outland, a mysterious outlying area that is mostly unknown. Jake inherits his uncle’s incomplete quest in the Outland to find six artifacts that are important to protect Serpent’s Keep and Earth from a mysterious people, the Rhetani, from an alternate universe. Meara Gyles, with her practical knowledge and expertise in exploring the Outland, becomes his guide. The dangerous and life-threatening quests take Jake to other worlds through interdimensional gateways in the Outland. Serpent's Keep ends on a dramatic cliff-hanger, as Jake closes the Serpent’s Keep Gateway, sealing off Earth from the Rhetani. The gripping action and suspense continue in Book Two: The Six Temples. The Rhetani try to enter Earth through new interdimensional passages. Aldwyn, the Ancient Guardian of the original Gateway web, tells Jake he is the only one who can stop the Rhetani’s attempts to build a new Gateway web. The story twists and turns as Jack sets in motion a profound change in the Outland. Ancient temples, once a part of the Outland, reappear. The dramatic story continues in Book Three: The Outland.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this spellbinding, magical, and suspenseful fantasy epic for its unique and intrepid characters and its evocative and atmospheric worldbuilding. I particularly liked how Jake's development and key secondary characters are woven into the three novels, with the ever-present backdrop of the haunting and mysterious Outland. I liked Jack’s courage, his keen observations, and his attention to detail as he figures out Tobias’ quest. His actions sprang vividly to life through the descriptions of settings and dialogues. I followed the story through multiple twists and turns as Jake remains central to the books. The story was enriched by key secondary characters, including the courageous and smart guide Meara Gyles, as well as the perceptive and insightful Brother Peter of the Serpent’s Keep Temple. I enjoyed how other characters are integrated into the story, including dragons, the Rhetani, and the intriguing figure of Uncle Tobias. I greatly enjoyed Book Three: The Outland with its complex new Outland, which is constantly evolving, and the shifting of different dimensions of time and space. I highly recommend David R. Beshears’ The Serpent's Keep Trilogy to YA readers, as well as readers who enjoy sci-fi and fantasy mysteries and adventures.