The Key to the Demon’s Gate: The Cross-Roads Travelers Book 1, is a fantasy fiction written by Daniel M Quilter.
Henry was a typical teenager, worried about typical teenage things like which movie to 
see, or how to keep his secret attraction to his childhood friend Alana a secret, especially now she was dating Karl, one of the school’s most popular boys who also happened to be, at one time, a close friend of his. The day of his Seventeenth birthday marked a transition like no other, he, Alana, and Karl had planned to visit the movies, but an earthquake struck, one which changed the very fabric of their world, literally. Washed away they find themselves amidst the ocean of a strange world. Henry is able to catch only a single glimpse of Alana as she is spirited away in a large ship. When next he wakes he finds himself on a strange land, rescued by a boy his own age known by Ace. Henry thought magic was a fiction found only in films, but the people of this island awaken something within him, christen him a wizard who bears part of a demon’s soul. Henry finds himself the wielder of untold power, a power he doesn’t yet understand, and must learn to master should he hope to rescue Alana. But those brought to this world have all been touched by the demon, they all possess a unique gift, and in a world such as this, strife with conflict, there are those who would seek to use the naive youngsters to their advantage. Worse still, they learn their appearance here was a result of a demon being transferred to their own world where it will lay dormant for a single year. In that time, they must discover the means to stop it, or all will be lost, this world and theirs.
Daniel M Quilter has a charming narrative voice, well-suited to this type of tale. He masterfully weaves images of events and descriptions to stimulate the reader’s imagination. His style is suitable for both young adults and adults, bridging the gap between ages seamlessly in an interesting and well-designed tale. The developing relationships between the characters are engrossing, with supporting characters that are as interesting, and developed, as the protagonists. I am a lover of fantasy, and this book reminded me in so many ways of such stories I read as a teenager, a time when magic and peril were all-encompassing as I retreated to my room and lost myself in the pages of an adventure, journeying alongside the characters. Such a feeling of nostalgia is hard to achieve, yet was reborn within these pages. This is certainly one series I intend to give my full attention.
Book link:
Published to coincide with release date as I received an ARC
K.J's Athenaeum 