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The Door Within #1
The Door Within
There is an unseen world of good and evil where nightmares are fought and hope is reborn. Enter The Door Within.
Aidan Thomas is miserable. Within two weeks, Aidan’s life is completely uprooted as his parents move the family across the country to care for his ailing grandfather. The quiet but imaginative Aidan is struggling with attending a new school and fitting in with a new group of friends. But when he begins having nightmares and eerie events occur around his neighborhood, Aidan finds himself drawn to his grandfather's basement—where he discovers three ancient scrolls and a mysterious invitation to another world.
No longer confined to the realm of his own imagination, Aidan embarks on an adventure where he discovers a long-fought war between good and evil. With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, Aidan faces Paragory, the eternal enemy with unfathomable power. Will Aidan be willing to risk everything and trust the unseen hand of the one true King?
Aidan Thomas is miserable. Within two weeks, Aidan’s life is completely uprooted as his parents move the family across the country to care for his ailing grandfather. The quiet but imaginative Aidan is struggling with attending a new school and fitting in with a new group of friends. But when he begins having nightmares and eerie events occur around his neighborhood, Aidan finds himself drawn to his grandfather's basement—where he discovers three ancient scrolls and a mysterious invitation to another world.
No longer confined to the realm of his own imagination, Aidan embarks on an adventure where he discovers a long-fought war between good and evil. With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, Aidan faces Paragory, the eternal enemy with unfathomable power. Will Aidan be willing to risk everything and trust the unseen hand of the one true King?
350 pages, Paperback
First published April 8, 2005
276 people are currently reading
14135 people want to read
About the author
Wayne Thomas Batson
51 books919 followersWayne Thomas Batson was born in Seabrook, MD in 1968. He had an adventurous childhood and adolescence that included: building forts in the woods, crabbing and crayfishing in bays, ponds, and bayous, playing lead guitar in a heavy metal band, and teaching tennis lessons at the local recreation center. He attended Gabriel DuVal Senior High School where he wrote for the school’s newspaper and literary magazine. He was voted “Most Talented” in his senior year, and wrote this for his Yearbook Senior Goal: “To become a published author.” Little did he know that God had even greater plans.
Wayne Thomas Batson has spent the last thirty years teaching Reading and English to Maryland middle school students. Wayne Thomas Batson lives in Eldersburg with his extraordinary wife of 26 years. His four adult children intermittently live at home whenever their unexpected adventures lead them.
Batson’s writing career began in 2005 with the publication of fantasy epic, The Door Within. Since then, The Door Within, The Final Storm, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire have all appeared on the CBA Young Adult Bestseller List, including #2 for The Final Storm Fall 2007. To date, Batson has penned or coauthored seventeen novels and has sold well over half a million copies.
Wayne Thomas Batson gives thanks to God for the abundant life he’s been given. He continues to write for the people he cares so deeply about because he believes that, on a deep level, we all long for another world and yearn to do something important.
Wayne Thomas Batson has spent the last thirty years teaching Reading and English to Maryland middle school students. Wayne Thomas Batson lives in Eldersburg with his extraordinary wife of 26 years. His four adult children intermittently live at home whenever their unexpected adventures lead them.
Batson’s writing career began in 2005 with the publication of fantasy epic, The Door Within. Since then, The Door Within, The Final Storm, Isle of Swords, and Isle of Fire have all appeared on the CBA Young Adult Bestseller List, including #2 for The Final Storm Fall 2007. To date, Batson has penned or coauthored seventeen novels and has sold well over half a million copies.
Wayne Thomas Batson gives thanks to God for the abundant life he’s been given. He continues to write for the people he cares so deeply about because he believes that, on a deep level, we all long for another world and yearn to do something important.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 603 reviews
July 1, 2008
Hi, Door Within Readers!
Wayne Thomas Batson here. I wanted to thank all of you who put Isle of Fire on your ToBeRead list. I'm honored to be worth your time.
Isle of Fire will release the first week of September. It is available for preorder on Amazon as well. In fact, if you preorder it on Amazon and email me to tell me you have ordered it, I'll send you a signed and personalized bookplate sticker for your new book.
email me at: [email protected]
Here's the official Isle of Fire blurb:
"A great explosion rocked the crowded harbor. Flaming debris screamed into the sky and then rained down into the burning water below. The ferocious blaze engulfed ship after ship expanding the circle of destruction in mere heartbeats. The fire rain had been unleashed."
As Cat's memory returns, he realizes that he has lived two very different lives: One as the son of the ruthless Bartholomew Thorne; the other as the recipient of friendship and kindness from Declan Ross and the crew of the Robert Bruce. Now Cat must choose whether to return to the ways of his notorious father and join the evil Merchant, or defy the Merchant and risk his life to save his friends.
The best-selling Isle of Swords adventure continues in Isle of Fire as ancient mariners rise from legend and cut an all-too-real swath of destruction across the Atlantic. The newly formed Wolf Fleet scours the Caribbean, hunting the pirates they once called comrades. And in the pitiless winds of a monstrous hurricane, whole fleets will be blasted apart and devoured.
Also, come visit me at www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com to find out about a very cool contest and many incredible announcements!
Wayne Thomas Batson here. I wanted to thank all of you who put Isle of Fire on your ToBeRead list. I'm honored to be worth your time.
Isle of Fire will release the first week of September. It is available for preorder on Amazon as well. In fact, if you preorder it on Amazon and email me to tell me you have ordered it, I'll send you a signed and personalized bookplate sticker for your new book.
email me at: [email protected]
Here's the official Isle of Fire blurb:
"A great explosion rocked the crowded harbor. Flaming debris screamed into the sky and then rained down into the burning water below. The ferocious blaze engulfed ship after ship expanding the circle of destruction in mere heartbeats. The fire rain had been unleashed."
As Cat's memory returns, he realizes that he has lived two very different lives: One as the son of the ruthless Bartholomew Thorne; the other as the recipient of friendship and kindness from Declan Ross and the crew of the Robert Bruce. Now Cat must choose whether to return to the ways of his notorious father and join the evil Merchant, or defy the Merchant and risk his life to save his friends.
The best-selling Isle of Swords adventure continues in Isle of Fire as ancient mariners rise from legend and cut an all-too-real swath of destruction across the Atlantic. The newly formed Wolf Fleet scours the Caribbean, hunting the pirates they once called comrades. And in the pitiless winds of a monstrous hurricane, whole fleets will be blasted apart and devoured.
Also, come visit me at www.enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com to find out about a very cool contest and many incredible announcements!
December 25, 2009
Okay. No offense to the author, but this book was not as good as it could have been. I love Christian fiction as a rule, but this was...well, it wasn't Tolkien-Lewis standard. The symbolism was a little heavy. No, that was a lie. It was akin to being thwacked over the head with a hard-cover Bible. In my mind, there are two pieces of advice that every allegory writer must have:
A) Plot (and writing!) that's good quality separate from the Biblical references. Case in point: The Chronicles of Narnia. If you aren't Christian, you can read the books with enjoyment. If the only redeeming feature of your book is the Christian allegory, you've got a problem.
B)Be subtle! If you have a symbol in your text, you don't have to change your tone completely to point it out. If someone doesn't get it, that's okay. If they do note the symbol, that's good. But we're going for subliminal, here.
The Door Within Trilogy (again, no offense meant, and I'm trying to be tactful)has neither of these. It's more likely to scare off non-Christians than draw them in. It almost scared me off. So my suggestion is: worry less about everybody getting the symbols and worry more about writing a book that people will enjoy.
This review is pretty much the same for all the books in this series.
A) Plot (and writing!) that's good quality separate from the Biblical references. Case in point: The Chronicles of Narnia. If you aren't Christian, you can read the books with enjoyment. If the only redeeming feature of your book is the Christian allegory, you've got a problem.
B)Be subtle! If you have a symbol in your text, you don't have to change your tone completely to point it out. If someone doesn't get it, that's okay. If they do note the symbol, that's good. But we're going for subliminal, here.
The Door Within Trilogy (again, no offense meant, and I'm trying to be tactful)has neither of these. It's more likely to scare off non-Christians than draw them in. It almost scared me off. So my suggestion is: worry less about everybody getting the symbols and worry more about writing a book that people will enjoy.
This review is pretty much the same for all the books in this series.
December 30, 2021
3 stars/wouldn’t re-read/probably wouldn’t recommend
So you know when the world and plot of a book have such potential, and then the entire book just kinda... flops?
Yeah.
That's what we've got going in this book.
Things I Loved:
1) The end. It literally destroyed me emotionally
2) Farix. (That's his name, right?...) I want to be a weapon!
3) The world!!! The entire world of the Door Within is soooo cool. I just wish... well, I'll get to that later.
4) NOCK AND BOLT!!!!!!
Things I Liked:
1) The Grimwalk. Sooo creepy.
2) The plot. It had a pretty nice arc to it.
Things I Disliked:
1) Little unrealistic things: No one, and I mean no one, can get as good as Aiden did in one week. It is physically impossible. I don't care what world we're in. That's just not possible. And okay, it's not that big of a deal as it didn't have a huge effect on the plot, but it did mess with the feeling of realism and grittiness in the story.
Things I Hated:
1) I feel terrible for putting it like this, but basically everything. I'm never reading this book again, and here's why: The writing style literally sounds like a 3rd grader. The dialogue is clunky, the thoughts are clunky, everything was too boxy and awkward sounding to be at all enjoyable to read. I thought I would gag at multiple points at how awful the writing was. And I feel so savage for saying this, but it's the literal truth. The writing was so. bad.
2) The character development was pretty much non-existent for every single character except for Aiden. And honestly, Aiden was flat the entire time too. The only area he experienced growth in was swordplay. He literally had the most knightly character about him the whole time, never improved, never fell. And the one time he made a bad decision, it literally didn't even have an adverse effect because then there was grace. He never suffered consequences and he never suffered losses that actually effected me.
3) I can't even with this. Normally, when characters die, I feel like crying. You know what happened when literally everyone died? I sat there numbly staring at the page wondering how on earth an author could write about that many deaths and not even make me feel emotion. Just... how?
So after that long angry rant...
I can't decide. The writing is beyond bad, but the plot and the world are enchanting and gripping and enthralling and excuse me while I get a thesaurus so I can add more words that mean the same thing! To sum things up, read this book. You will hate it, but honestly? The eternal truths hiding beneath the awful writing make it completely worth it. So push through, and I promise it will be kind of worth your time in the end.
So you know when the world and plot of a book have such potential, and then the entire book just kinda... flops?
Yeah.
That's what we've got going in this book.
Things I Loved:
1) The end. It literally destroyed me emotionally
2) Farix. (That's his name, right?...) I want to be a weapon!
3) The world!!! The entire world of the Door Within is soooo cool. I just wish... well, I'll get to that later.
4) NOCK AND BOLT!!!!!!
Things I Liked:
1) The Grimwalk. Sooo creepy.
2) The plot. It had a pretty nice arc to it.
Things I Disliked:
1) Little unrealistic things: No one, and I mean no one, can get as good as Aiden did in one week. It is physically impossible. I don't care what world we're in. That's just not possible. And okay, it's not that big of a deal as it didn't have a huge effect on the plot, but it did mess with the feeling of realism and grittiness in the story.
Things I Hated:
1) I feel terrible for putting it like this, but basically everything. I'm never reading this book again, and here's why: The writing style literally sounds like a 3rd grader. The dialogue is clunky, the thoughts are clunky, everything was too boxy and awkward sounding to be at all enjoyable to read. I thought I would gag at multiple points at how awful the writing was. And I feel so savage for saying this, but it's the literal truth. The writing was so. bad.
2) The character development was pretty much non-existent for every single character except for Aiden. And honestly, Aiden was flat the entire time too. The only area he experienced growth in was swordplay. He literally had the most knightly character about him the whole time, never improved, never fell. And the one time he made a bad decision, it literally didn't even have an adverse effect because then there was grace. He never suffered consequences and he never suffered losses that actually effected me.
3) I can't even with this. Normally, when characters die, I feel like crying. You know what happened when literally everyone died? I sat there numbly staring at the page wondering how on earth an author could write about that many deaths and not even make me feel emotion. Just... how?
So after that long angry rant...
I can't decide. The writing is beyond bad, but the plot and the world are enchanting and gripping and enthralling and excuse me while I get a thesaurus so I can add more words that mean the same thing! To sum things up, read this book. You will hate it, but honestly? The eternal truths hiding beneath the awful writing make it completely worth it. So push through, and I promise it will be kind of worth your time in the end.
March 11, 2025
4.5 stars... I really enjoyed the story, but there were one or two parts where the mentions of blood were a little ick... not super bad, just icky...
Characters:
Aiden is such a relatable guy. He hates that he had to move, he's creeped out by these strange dreams he's having, he talks to inanimate objects....yeah, he felt very real. His struggles, his fears, and I enjoyed watching him grow over the course of the book!
Gwen was a sweetie!
And I loved all the other characters! Especially the captain! (Listen to the audiobook so I'm not sure how to spell the names.🤣)
Themes:
That if God has called us to something, then His calling is never wrong. We are never alone, and we are called to share the love of Christ with all people!
Language:
N/A
Romance:
Aiden has a crush on a character.
Violence/Gore:
There are battles, fights, deadly storms, risky escapes, and terrifying creatures...like I said, a few mentions of blood that are icky...nothing too detailed, just Aiden looking at a fallen soldier and noting the blood and it was slightly bleh...I'm pretty sensitive to that sort of thing though.
Magic:
N/A, it's a portal fantasy but more like in a spiritual warfare sense. That was really cool, actually.
Overall:
This was really cool! Those who believe can travel through the door within and there they find a kingdom where Glimpses live...which are like our spirits in a sense. There is a battle raging in the kingdom as the prince (not a real prince, just a traitor who calls himself such) tries to steal the kingdom from the King...the One True King!
Super intense! Super cool!
Recommend for ages 13+ because of the slightly icky blood scenes.
Characters:
Aiden is such a relatable guy. He hates that he had to move, he's creeped out by these strange dreams he's having, he talks to inanimate objects....yeah, he felt very real. His struggles, his fears, and I enjoyed watching him grow over the course of the book!
Gwen was a sweetie!
And I loved all the other characters! Especially the captain! (Listen to the audiobook so I'm not sure how to spell the names.🤣)
Themes:
That if God has called us to something, then His calling is never wrong. We are never alone, and we are called to share the love of Christ with all people!
Language:
N/A
Romance:
Aiden has a crush on a character.
Violence/Gore:
There are battles, fights, deadly storms, risky escapes, and terrifying creatures...like I said, a few mentions of blood that are icky...nothing too detailed, just Aiden looking at a fallen soldier and noting the blood and it was slightly bleh...I'm pretty sensitive to that sort of thing though.
Magic:
N/A, it's a portal fantasy but more like in a spiritual warfare sense. That was really cool, actually.
Overall:
This was really cool! Those who believe can travel through the door within and there they find a kingdom where Glimpses live...which are like our spirits in a sense. There is a battle raging in the kingdom as the prince (not a real prince, just a traitor who calls himself such) tries to steal the kingdom from the King...the One True King!
Super intense! Super cool!
Recommend for ages 13+ because of the slightly icky blood scenes.
February 2, 2016
Well. Wow. I thought I would like this book, but I didn't expect to enjoy it that much! Sure, it doesn't beat books like Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia, but it was really enjoyable! If I had to describe this book as if it were a person, I would say it was perky, fun, and intriguing.
The Good
There were soooo many unique ideas in this story! Fantasy books can have a lot of clichés, and of course this one has some, but there are plenty of unique ideas that help offset that. Moonrascals are awesome (can I please have one?), Falon was AMAZINGLY AWESOME (), and I loved the idea of Glimpses. Lantern spiders, mortiwraith poison... I felt like there was a lot in this story that I hadn't seen before.
The world and the characters were really intriguing, too. Eyes flashing colors, Mallik with his Mjolnir-like hammer, Bolt and Nock... Captain Valithor was really cool, as were many of the other characters.
I loved how funny this book was! It was tense, but light, mostly because it's middle grade-ish instead of YA. It was a great relief from a lot of those fantasy books that are more focused on world and fighting and suspense and death and romance and such.
The Bad
Some of the characters could have used a little more development, and a few places were pretty predictable. But if you're look for a light, fun read, this is it.
The Ugly
Nothing truly bad here, mostly minor violence.
Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book, and had fun reading it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go read Winter. ;)
The Good
There were soooo many unique ideas in this story! Fantasy books can have a lot of clichés, and of course this one has some, but there are plenty of unique ideas that help offset that. Moonrascals are awesome (can I please have one?), Falon was AMAZINGLY AWESOME (), and I loved the idea of Glimpses. Lantern spiders, mortiwraith poison... I felt like there was a lot in this story that I hadn't seen before.
The world and the characters were really intriguing, too. Eyes flashing colors, Mallik with his Mjolnir-like hammer, Bolt and Nock... Captain Valithor was really cool, as were many of the other characters.
I loved how funny this book was! It was tense, but light, mostly because it's middle grade-ish instead of YA. It was a great relief from a lot of those fantasy books that are more focused on world and fighting and suspense and death and romance and such.
The Bad
Some of the characters could have used a little more development, and a few places were pretty predictable. But if you're look for a light, fun read, this is it.
The Ugly
Nothing truly bad here, mostly minor violence.
Overall, I really, really enjoyed this book, and had fun reading it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I must go read Winter. ;)
January 20, 2011
When I first found out about The Door Within Trilogy while I was working at the local bookstore a couple years ago, I have to admit, it didn't grab my attention. For some odd reason, which I can't even recall now, I thought it might be a little too juvenile for me. Boy, I don't think I'll ever judge a book so quickly again. Being the Christian fantasy fan that I am, I finally got the books from the library and from page one I was completely hooked. The entire trilogy had me reading almost non-stop and when I'd finished, I had to buy my own set to read again. I don't think any fiction series has impacted me like The Door Within. I read the trilogy to my youngest brother who is not a big fan of fiction. In the beginning, I more or less forced him to sit down and listen, but soon he was coming to me, begging me to read more. Even now, months later, he still talks to me about different scenes in the book. Like me, he was deeply affected by the story.
One of my favorite aspects of the trilogy is the characters and their growth. They are so endearing and diverse, and you really feel for them and their struggles. The allegorical and spiritual parts of the books are amazing. Once you finish, you have a deep sense of longing to be a knight for the one true King, to stand firm in what is right no matter the cost, and grow in your faith. The books are a wonderful example of friendship, sacrifice, faith, and growth. There is also a perfect amount of humor that had me and my brother laughing out loud numerous times. I recommend The Door Within to anyone of any age who enjoys a good adventure story with a great message woven in. And they are excellent read aloud books.
One of my favorite aspects of the trilogy is the characters and their growth. They are so endearing and diverse, and you really feel for them and their struggles. The allegorical and spiritual parts of the books are amazing. Once you finish, you have a deep sense of longing to be a knight for the one true King, to stand firm in what is right no matter the cost, and grow in your faith. The books are a wonderful example of friendship, sacrifice, faith, and growth. There is also a perfect amount of humor that had me and my brother laughing out loud numerous times. I recommend The Door Within to anyone of any age who enjoys a good adventure story with a great message woven in. And they are excellent read aloud books.
December 5, 2008
Upset with his family’s sudden move across the country, Aidan Thomas is friendless and bored. He seeks out adventure by exploring his new home which takes him to the dark and creepy basement. He finds dusty boxes of old toys, stacks of newspapers from the 1950s, and an old radio. It all seems to be a typical basement until a blue light grows out of the darkness leaving three clay pots in its wake. Inside them, Aidan finds three ancient scrolls.
He takes his newfound treasure to his room and begins to read a story about a knight who betrayed his king. He also reads a poem that ends: Believe and enter. Achan tries to talk to his parents about his discovery, but they’re too busy at first, then they don’t believe him, assuring their son it is nothing but a story. But Aidan’s grandfather believes and encourages Aidan to trust in his own heart. That night, Aidan reads the poem again, decides to believe, and enters The Door Within.
He is whisked into a medieval land of dragons, knights, and castles and discovers that the kingdom is in danger. A group of knights are getting ready to travel to Mitheguard, a city that has not yet taken a side in the battle for good and evil. They’ve only been waiting for the king to choose a twelfth knight, and Aidan is informed that the king has. Aidan.
The Door Within is a fun allegorical tale that takes a regular kid into a medieval world where good and evil are struggling to win the faith of a kingdom, one soul at a time. I enjoyed the way Wayne Thomas Batson connected the real world with The Realm inside the door. Very creative and fun. Two thumbs up. Recommended.
He takes his newfound treasure to his room and begins to read a story about a knight who betrayed his king. He also reads a poem that ends: Believe and enter. Achan tries to talk to his parents about his discovery, but they’re too busy at first, then they don’t believe him, assuring their son it is nothing but a story. But Aidan’s grandfather believes and encourages Aidan to trust in his own heart. That night, Aidan reads the poem again, decides to believe, and enters The Door Within.
He is whisked into a medieval land of dragons, knights, and castles and discovers that the kingdom is in danger. A group of knights are getting ready to travel to Mitheguard, a city that has not yet taken a side in the battle for good and evil. They’ve only been waiting for the king to choose a twelfth knight, and Aidan is informed that the king has. Aidan.
The Door Within is a fun allegorical tale that takes a regular kid into a medieval world where good and evil are struggling to win the faith of a kingdom, one soul at a time. I enjoyed the way Wayne Thomas Batson connected the real world with The Realm inside the door. Very creative and fun. Two thumbs up. Recommended.
December 5, 2020
2.5 stars. I love his later works, but this one is definitely not my favorite.
August 5, 2011
I wanted to like this book. I did. Unfortunately, I thought it continued to illustrate the problems with the Christian fiction publishing industry. It was not so much the story I had a problem with, but the prose was less than stellar, and the character development wasn't up to snuff. Repeatedly I found myself puzzled by character decisions that seemed to make no sense. I didn't get the wonder I was obviously supposed to get by having a boy stumble into a magical world. Nothing actually happens in the first hundred pages and Batson breaks the cardinal rule of fiction, which is: don't info-dump your backstory. Yet we're treated to the entire backstory in two entire chapters in a row where the author is literally telling us everything that happened. Big no-no. So I missed the wonder of this book; but I wish I hadn't. As I say, I really wanted to like this book. Younger kids will probably enjoy it anyway.
April 1, 2021
If you mixed together "The Chronicles of Narnia" and "The Underland Chronicles" and added dragons, you'd have this series. And WOW did this book mean a lot to me as a kid. 😂 Is it perfect? No. But it was something very special at a time when I needed it, and it's nice to revisit every once in a while. ❤️
July 10, 2022
My review of the entire trilogy:
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/0...
http://rwlreviews.blogspot.com/2014/0...
April 19, 2016
Several years ago, a friend recommended The Door Within to me. I decided to pick it up at the library, and was smart enough to get the consecutive books as well. From the first chapter, I was hooked. I read the entire trilogy in a few days and couldn’t put the series down. Since then, I’ve read several of Wayne Thomas Batson’s other books and loved them.
In The Door Within , teenager Aidan Thomas is frustrated with his parent’s decision to move the family halfway across the country. He misses his best friend and isn’t exactly thrilled to be living with his crazy grandfather. Soon Aidan finds an ancient scroll in his grandfather’s basement…and finds himself transported to a magical world filled with knights, dragons, and castles. Oh, yeah, and a power-hungry man with ambitions to take over the kingdom.
The Door Within is just plain ol’ fun to read. It’s a great mix of adventure, sword fights, betrayal, friendship, suspense, and comic relief. Sure, the silly antics and witty banter can feel a bit cheesy at times, but in a good way.
But beneath the action and humor lies spiritual truth. The Door Within is an allegory in the same vein as C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (one of my all-time favorite books). I love how the book reminds us to have faith even we can’t see God and it’s hard to know for certain He’s there. The characters frequently remind each other that when it seems like the battle can’t be won, they’re “never alone”.
I love that reminder.
I’ve read the entire trilogy multiple times, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves allegorical fantasy or just a fun, imaginative adventure. Oh–and it’s also one of those rare cases where each book is even better than the last.
(Review originally found on my blog)
In The Door Within , teenager Aidan Thomas is frustrated with his parent’s decision to move the family halfway across the country. He misses his best friend and isn’t exactly thrilled to be living with his crazy grandfather. Soon Aidan finds an ancient scroll in his grandfather’s basement…and finds himself transported to a magical world filled with knights, dragons, and castles. Oh, yeah, and a power-hungry man with ambitions to take over the kingdom.
The Door Within is just plain ol’ fun to read. It’s a great mix of adventure, sword fights, betrayal, friendship, suspense, and comic relief. Sure, the silly antics and witty banter can feel a bit cheesy at times, but in a good way.
But beneath the action and humor lies spiritual truth. The Door Within is an allegory in the same vein as C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (one of my all-time favorite books). I love how the book reminds us to have faith even we can’t see God and it’s hard to know for certain He’s there. The characters frequently remind each other that when it seems like the battle can’t be won, they’re “never alone”.
I love that reminder.
I’ve read the entire trilogy multiple times, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves allegorical fantasy or just a fun, imaginative adventure. Oh–and it’s also one of those rare cases where each book is even better than the last.
(Review originally found on my blog)
not-going-to-finish
April 11, 2023It was going fast but the writing was so painful and the allegory so blatant that I will do myself a favor and give up while I'm ahead.
April 25, 2009
Derived. "Revenge of the Nerds" meets "The Hobbit."
A good if hardly original concept, but Batson should have worked harder (though he claims it took him thirteen years) making it his own work. Reads like a dashed off ripoff of Christian classic fantasy with too much Narnia, Middle Earth overlap.
Reminds you why J. R. R. Tolkien hated allegory. Speaking of whom, Tolkien would be angered (as he was with C. S. Lewis) at the way Batson misused mythology. Specifically, the insertion of unicorns as horse substitutes just to give the story an "other" flavor but without regard to the history and mythology of unicorns is exactly what drove Tolkien up the wall about Lewis's sloppy mixing and matching of myths in Narnia. And Batson is no Lewis. (To learn more, read Tolkein's "On Fairy-Stories" in The Tolkien Reader.
Having his short, pudgy hero transformed into a sword-wielding hero in a week pushes even the credibility of the teen nerds who seem to be the target audience.
Batson researched Medieval technology and terminology but seems unaware of his gaffs in time and travel (is that why he substituted unicorns for the horses who would have died attempting the travel feats chronicled?), not to mention having too dense a population in too small a world.
Not sure I'd read the follow-on novels.
A good if hardly original concept, but Batson should have worked harder (though he claims it took him thirteen years) making it his own work. Reads like a dashed off ripoff of Christian classic fantasy with too much Narnia, Middle Earth overlap.
Reminds you why J. R. R. Tolkien hated allegory. Speaking of whom, Tolkien would be angered (as he was with C. S. Lewis) at the way Batson misused mythology. Specifically, the insertion of unicorns as horse substitutes just to give the story an "other" flavor but without regard to the history and mythology of unicorns is exactly what drove Tolkien up the wall about Lewis's sloppy mixing and matching of myths in Narnia. And Batson is no Lewis. (To learn more, read Tolkein's "On Fairy-Stories" in The Tolkien Reader.
Having his short, pudgy hero transformed into a sword-wielding hero in a week pushes even the credibility of the teen nerds who seem to be the target audience.
Batson researched Medieval technology and terminology but seems unaware of his gaffs in time and travel (is that why he substituted unicorns for the horses who would have died attempting the travel feats chronicled?), not to mention having too dense a population in too small a world.
Not sure I'd read the follow-on novels.
February 28, 2025
*4.5*
Um...Wow! This was so interesting! I read a book that was similar in aesthetic last summer, but this one is soooo much better. There was a clear allegory, a powerful story, strong characters, and a great promise of the sequels to come.
Aidan was a complex character. I thought his longing for his friend in the real world was odd, but there was a point for it. And the connections between the real world on the fantasy one was amazing. Some of the points were heartbreaking, but so sweet. I want to read the rest of the books soon, but we'll see. This is an excellent book for boys 10-11+. Though I did enjoy it myself.
Content: violence (major plot line, but up to sqemidetailed), very light magic (lies within the people and world, not so much in powers)
Um...Wow! This was so interesting! I read a book that was similar in aesthetic last summer, but this one is soooo much better. There was a clear allegory, a powerful story, strong characters, and a great promise of the sequels to come.
Aidan was a complex character. I thought his longing for his friend in the real world was odd, but there was a point for it. And the connections between the real world on the fantasy one was amazing. Some of the points were heartbreaking, but so sweet. I want to read the rest of the books soon, but we'll see. This is an excellent book for boys 10-11+. Though I did enjoy it myself.
Content: violence (major plot line, but up to sqemidetailed), very light magic (lies within the people and world, not so much in powers)
April 23, 2012
This was one of the first “modern” fantasy books I ever read, so naturally, it has a special place in my heart. I grew up on the Lord of the Rings and Narnia, but I didn’t discover the wonderful world of newer fantasy out there until a friend gave me The Door Within as a birthday present several years ago.
And I was hooked.
The story: It’s been two weeks since they moved to Colorado to look after Grampin, and Aidan Thomas just wants to go back to Maryland. He left his best friend behind, and he’s not looking forward to trying to fit into a new school. With no friends and nowhere to go, Aidan’s expecting the most boring summer of his life. That is, until he finds three ancient scrolls in Grampin’s basement – scrolls that summon him to a different world. A world at war.
Aidan finds himself caught up in the conflict between the knights of Alleble and the evil knights of Paragory. Chosen as the Twelfth Knight on an important mission, Aidan takes a crash course in knightliness through a week long boot camp under the intimidating Captain Valithor. Faced with enemy knights, dragons, and the strange creatures and customs of a strange world, Aidan’s found a little more adventure than he anticipated!
My thoughts:
In The Door Within, Wayne Thomas Batson pens a great novel full of adventure, excitement, and "fantastical" creatures. I was sucked in from the first page. Great characters including the archer twins Nock and Bolt, the hammer wielding Mallik, and the swordmaiden Gwenne – not to mention the inimitable Captain Valithor – simply beg you to read more!
Add to that the mysteries of the Realm and the Glimpses who live there, a great plot full of imaginative twists and turns, battles that you can practically see, and the fearsome depths of Falon’s Labyrinth and you’ve got a winner! Recommended to any fan of fantasy ages 10+.
And I was hooked.
The story: It’s been two weeks since they moved to Colorado to look after Grampin, and Aidan Thomas just wants to go back to Maryland. He left his best friend behind, and he’s not looking forward to trying to fit into a new school. With no friends and nowhere to go, Aidan’s expecting the most boring summer of his life. That is, until he finds three ancient scrolls in Grampin’s basement – scrolls that summon him to a different world. A world at war.
Aidan finds himself caught up in the conflict between the knights of Alleble and the evil knights of Paragory. Chosen as the Twelfth Knight on an important mission, Aidan takes a crash course in knightliness through a week long boot camp under the intimidating Captain Valithor. Faced with enemy knights, dragons, and the strange creatures and customs of a strange world, Aidan’s found a little more adventure than he anticipated!
My thoughts:
In The Door Within, Wayne Thomas Batson pens a great novel full of adventure, excitement, and "fantastical" creatures. I was sucked in from the first page. Great characters including the archer twins Nock and Bolt, the hammer wielding Mallik, and the swordmaiden Gwenne – not to mention the inimitable Captain Valithor – simply beg you to read more!
Add to that the mysteries of the Realm and the Glimpses who live there, a great plot full of imaginative twists and turns, battles that you can practically see, and the fearsome depths of Falon’s Labyrinth and you’ve got a winner! Recommended to any fan of fantasy ages 10+.
November 22, 2015
It’s utterly fascinating how every fantasy series I read is so completely different from the next. There are so many varied takes on Christian allegories/fantasies, I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this genre!
The Door Within was even better than I imagined! –A fantastic tale! My mind is whirling with the in-depth storyline, and the new concepts introduced in this fantasy. I totally fell in love with Aiden’s story, and the Glimpses, and the whole adventure! I must admit though, the serpent-like creature named Falon, grossed me out a little… if you know anything about me… yeah, I don’t prefer things like that. However, the overall story made up for that. Totally different. Totally fresh and new. Though kind of in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia, what with a secret, fantasy world amidst our own.
The Door Within series can be for a wide range of ages. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think my little siblings would enjoy it too… eleven and thirteen.
This was just an incredible story… I’m so shocked… and then fascinated… and I can’t wait for The Rise of the Wyrm Lord!!
The Door Within was even better than I imagined! –A fantastic tale! My mind is whirling with the in-depth storyline, and the new concepts introduced in this fantasy. I totally fell in love with Aiden’s story, and the Glimpses, and the whole adventure! I must admit though, the serpent-like creature named Falon, grossed me out a little… if you know anything about me… yeah, I don’t prefer things like that. However, the overall story made up for that. Totally different. Totally fresh and new. Though kind of in the tradition of The Chronicles of Narnia, what with a secret, fantasy world amidst our own.
The Door Within series can be for a wide range of ages. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I think my little siblings would enjoy it too… eleven and thirteen.
This was just an incredible story… I’m so shocked… and then fascinated… and I can’t wait for The Rise of the Wyrm Lord!!
April 24, 2009
This was a good fantasy action adventure young adult novel. Some of the situations stretched believability just a bit, but I put that down to the intended audience's attention span and naivety. The story is a Christian allegory, done very well. It's almost as good as The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander.
April 6, 2014
Saw this trilogy recommended by a friend on Facebook, and it struck my interest. It was very readable, and could be enjoyed by both adults and children at a sixth grade reading level and above. It's Christian fantasy, comparable to the Chronicles of Narnia, and is also an allegory of the battle between God's forces and those of darkness, and the struggle for those who have not decided --- in some ways it reminded me of "Pilgrim's Progress". Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
did-not-finish
January 27, 2023It just didn't hook me. The writing isn't great.
Gave the audiobook 25%, then DNFed it. No rating.
Curse of the Spider King is still on my TBR list.
Gave the audiobook 25%, then DNFed it. No rating.
Curse of the Spider King is still on my TBR list.
November 7, 2009
Wow. This book is great. Enough battles and peril to satisfy the adventure-lover, enough secrets to satisfy the mystery-lover, and enough coolness to satisfy the... well, cool-lover!
All around great. Granted, some might see it as "just another fantasy book", but it most certainly has characteristics that distinguish it from others in its genre.
For instance, there is an unlikely connection between Earth and The Realm... but I won't spoil that for you. :-D Also, there is a good dose of Biblical allegory, enough to inspire and appeal to Christian readers, yet not so much that the books would be termed "preachy" by most non-Christians. It would still be a marvelous book even without these themes.
This is also a welcome addition to the book world because, by almost all standards, it is clean. I have tried many other fantasy tales and been sorely disappointed by inappropriate words and references.
This book is emotional, as well. Beloved characters die, yet even in those times, there is hope...
I will mention that its main downside would be, in my opinion, the fact that there were a grammar issues that I found distracting. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the plot and characters so much that I still am giving this book all five stars.
Dragons, knights, sieges, tornadoes, mazes, traitors and lantern spiders. Find all this and more... if you choose to enter the door within.
All around great. Granted, some might see it as "just another fantasy book", but it most certainly has characteristics that distinguish it from others in its genre.
For instance, there is an unlikely connection between Earth and The Realm... but I won't spoil that for you. :-D Also, there is a good dose of Biblical allegory, enough to inspire and appeal to Christian readers, yet not so much that the books would be termed "preachy" by most non-Christians. It would still be a marvelous book even without these themes.
This is also a welcome addition to the book world because, by almost all standards, it is clean. I have tried many other fantasy tales and been sorely disappointed by inappropriate words and references.
This book is emotional, as well. Beloved characters die, yet even in those times, there is hope...
I will mention that its main downside would be, in my opinion, the fact that there were a grammar issues that I found distracting. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the plot and characters so much that I still am giving this book all five stars.
Dragons, knights, sieges, tornadoes, mazes, traitors and lantern spiders. Find all this and more... if you choose to enter the door within.
January 6, 2010
A lot of folks seem to really like this, but I...really don't. It's pretty predictable, nothing's very well developed (including the main character, which is a big no-no in my view), the Christian imagery is so overt as to be distracting, the writing feels dumbed down, and...well, I guess that's it. In the end I found I just didn't care. I will certainly not be reading the rest of the books in this series.
December 20, 2015
Think book contained too many cliches to keep me interested.
(Read full review here.)
http://sutorinohana.blogspot.com/2015...
(Contains content advisory.)
(Read full review here.)
http://sutorinohana.blogspot.com/2015...
(Contains content advisory.)
February 3, 2025
Much adventure to be drawn from this. I cried 2 times
July 9, 2017
I got this book quite a while ago when I was looking for some good middle grade fantasy adventure to read and saw the very high reviews for this trilogy. This was not a book for me. For those who aren’t aware (as I was not) Batson is a Christian author who publishes books with strong Christian themes to them. In general I don’t have issue with that but this book was incredibly poorly written and written at a very basic reading level (short sentences and simple words). It’s like it was written for small children but then deals with the subject of war, evil, and faith. It’s too violent for small children and too simply written for middle grade readers.
When I started the book I thought it was okay. There’s some creative ideas in here but in general it’s a pretty basic and overdone story for the fantasy genre. The plot was this...unhappy boy finds a way into a fantasy world where he becomes a great knight and saves the day. Then suddenly finds himself back home but is a better person for his adventures. Yawn….read that plot a million times before.
The difference is that in the magical world of Alleble Aiden becomes a Knight to the one true King (do you smell religion here?). The one true King will provide for his followers in times of need even though he has no clear form. He also values kindness over violence and if you (for example) lay down your sword in front of an enemy instead of attack them everything will go your way because the one true King is all knowing and sees you and helps you. There is a lot of preachiness about faith in the one true power throughout the book which always bothers me because it allows characters to fall back on The King and his power rather than allow them to empower themselves.
Okay preachiness aside let’s talk Aiden’s character for a second. Aiden is an incredibly whiny and selfish middle aged child. His parents move to help take care of his ailing Grandpa and all he can do is whine and complain. Yes, kids complain but in general if raised properly kids are also smart, helpful, and caring...they are not one dimensional people. I don’t know how Aiden’s parents managed to raise such a selfish brat, but my 10 year old son is a lot more understanding and helpful than Aiden ever is. In fact most kids I have dealt with are.
Okay next the story. When Aiden gets to Alleble he is immediately in trouble only to be saved by cute fuzzy creatures and a dragon; I was down with that, it’s a fun start to the story. Then he ends up joining with the King’s Knights and starts his training as a knight because The King knows Aiden is destined for great things. Within a week Aiden (who is described as overweight, out of shape and lazy earlier in the book) is able to best some of the grown-up knights with his sword skill. Ummm….what? That makes no sense. Way to show kids that you can be lazy slobs and then if The King believes in you you suddenly become a kick-butt hero...I guess it is a fantasy.
The story pretty much goes downhill from there. There is a woman knight named Gwenne, who of course is the only knight to be kidnapped and in need of rescue after her womanly tenderness gets her caught by the enemy while rescuing a child. She was the only woman character in the whole book. Definitely no good female role models here….
Overall this was an absolutely awful book. From the overly simplistic jerky writing and the predictable plot to the preachy tones and poor excuse for a hero. Faith is overly preached and there are no good adult or female role models. It was a awful struggle me to finish this very basic easy-to-read book. This is awful. I would recommend staying far away from this book.
If you are looking for an amazing middle grade fantasy check out the Harry Potter series, the Percy Jackson series, the Ranger’s Apprentice series, the Unwanteds series, the Map to Everywhere series, the Wings of Fire series, the Saavy series, the Magesterium series, or any number of wonderful Middle Grade fantasy series out there.
When I started the book I thought it was okay. There’s some creative ideas in here but in general it’s a pretty basic and overdone story for the fantasy genre. The plot was this...unhappy boy finds a way into a fantasy world where he becomes a great knight and saves the day. Then suddenly finds himself back home but is a better person for his adventures. Yawn….read that plot a million times before.
The difference is that in the magical world of Alleble Aiden becomes a Knight to the one true King (do you smell religion here?). The one true King will provide for his followers in times of need even though he has no clear form. He also values kindness over violence and if you (for example) lay down your sword in front of an enemy instead of attack them everything will go your way because the one true King is all knowing and sees you and helps you. There is a lot of preachiness about faith in the one true power throughout the book which always bothers me because it allows characters to fall back on The King and his power rather than allow them to empower themselves.
Okay preachiness aside let’s talk Aiden’s character for a second. Aiden is an incredibly whiny and selfish middle aged child. His parents move to help take care of his ailing Grandpa and all he can do is whine and complain. Yes, kids complain but in general if raised properly kids are also smart, helpful, and caring...they are not one dimensional people. I don’t know how Aiden’s parents managed to raise such a selfish brat, but my 10 year old son is a lot more understanding and helpful than Aiden ever is. In fact most kids I have dealt with are.
Okay next the story. When Aiden gets to Alleble he is immediately in trouble only to be saved by cute fuzzy creatures and a dragon; I was down with that, it’s a fun start to the story. Then he ends up joining with the King’s Knights and starts his training as a knight because The King knows Aiden is destined for great things. Within a week Aiden (who is described as overweight, out of shape and lazy earlier in the book) is able to best some of the grown-up knights with his sword skill. Ummm….what? That makes no sense. Way to show kids that you can be lazy slobs and then if The King believes in you you suddenly become a kick-butt hero...I guess it is a fantasy.
The story pretty much goes downhill from there. There is a woman knight named Gwenne, who of course is the only knight to be kidnapped and in need of rescue after her womanly tenderness gets her caught by the enemy while rescuing a child. She was the only woman character in the whole book. Definitely no good female role models here….
Overall this was an absolutely awful book. From the overly simplistic jerky writing and the predictable plot to the preachy tones and poor excuse for a hero. Faith is overly preached and there are no good adult or female role models. It was a awful struggle me to finish this very basic easy-to-read book. This is awful. I would recommend staying far away from this book.
If you are looking for an amazing middle grade fantasy check out the Harry Potter series, the Percy Jackson series, the Ranger’s Apprentice series, the Unwanteds series, the Map to Everywhere series, the Wings of Fire series, the Saavy series, the Magesterium series, or any number of wonderful Middle Grade fantasy series out there.
January 5, 2016
I don't exactly remember adding this to my to-read list a couple of years ago, but it wasn't the hidden gem I thought it might turn out as. The writing is stilted and overwrought and the story is kind of clumsy. I know this is targeted towards youth but other series like The Ruins of Gorlan or books like The Neverending Story are targeted the same way and better written. I don't know why it is this way; the edition I read included "lost chapters" at the end, which were a set of longer original beginning chapters the author had to condense. Normally that kind of editing makes the writing better, especially in the beginning which a lot of authors handle awkwardly, but it seems in this case it didn't. So this book doesn't work exceptionally well as a story, especially since so many things seem to just happen arbitrarily.
The smoothness and believable causality of the story flow may have been a casualty of the author's deliberately making this allegorical. I didn't realize when I started the book that it was intentionally Christian allegory, but you can't really miss it. It becomes painfully obvious even before the character Rucifel shows up. I really think allegory is much better when it happens naturally and bubbles up through an author's subconscious into something which becomes obvious only in retrospect (like The Native Star and its oil, er, whatever-you-call-it).
So, to sum up: not the worst thing I've ever read, and your kids might enjoy it if they were hard up for better material, but generally not worth the time.
The smoothness and believable causality of the story flow may have been a casualty of the author's deliberately making this allegorical. I didn't realize when I started the book that it was intentionally Christian allegory, but you can't really miss it. It becomes painfully obvious even before the character Rucifel shows up. I really think allegory is much better when it happens naturally and bubbles up through an author's subconscious into something which becomes obvious only in retrospect (like The Native Star and its oil, er, whatever-you-call-it).
So, to sum up: not the worst thing I've ever read, and your kids might enjoy it if they were hard up for better material, but generally not worth the time.
October 19, 2014
The book “The Door Within” was an outstanding book. The book starts off with a teenage boy named Aiden Thomas who is the short, plump, and unpopular. Everything changes for Aidan when his grandpa becomes sick because his family has to move to Colorado to take care of him. Aidan is miserable because he misses his friends, is lonely, and bored trying to find something to do. He decides to explore his grandpa's basement. He finds three old scrolls that tell a story of two kingdoms, Alleble and Paragory. Paragory was named after its evil ruler Paragor. Paragor has attacked Alleble and is fighting to get rule over The Realm. The story sounds so real to Aiden that he begins to think that The Realm and the kingdoms do exist. Aiden tells his father, but he doesn’t believe the scrolls and calls them myths, however, his grandpa says that the kingdoms are real, and believing in it will open a door to The Realm. As Aidan reads the scroll’s last line which says,” Believe and enter”, he gets into Alleble. Once he’s in Alleble he decides that he will follow the King of Alleble, but not Paragor because he is mischievous. The King of Alleble chooses Aiden to become a part of a special group of warriors who defend the land of Alleble. Aidan is trained by Captain Valithor and is told to go to the kingdom of Mithegard and persuade there king not to form an alliance with Paragor.
February 2, 2010
I really had high hopes for this book. I kept seeing this book at the library and finally decided to check it out. It is the first of a trilogy. Well, I have to say I was very disappointed in it. It just was very slow to me. Not much going on. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and I thought it had too much back story and not enough of the story in the present. I wanted it to get on with it. Also the main character is suppose to be a teenager, but as I read it, it is hard to invision him any older then 10. Oh well. Lets just say, I won't be rushing out to read the other two.
August 6, 2021
My son and I read this book and aspects of it reminded me of Narnia as well as Tolkien. My son really enjoyed it and asked to read book two. A solid read aloud for fantasy lovers with nothing majorly inappropriate for the elementary reader.
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