Teenaged fortune hunter Zev Porter is tired of taking on dull jobs (like saving cats from trees) and craves adventure. A mysterious job posting with instructions to simply survive listening to a story answers Zev’s wish, leading him to a decrepit manor, a cagey old storyteller, and much more adventure than he bargained for. When Zev wakes up in the middle of the tale, he discovers he must save the story in order to bring magic back to his own world. Soon, Zev and a trio of magical beings—elf twins Ethra and Letha, along with the doglike creature, Tyre—find themselves jumping from story to story at a dizzying pace. Their attempts to revive imagination come with a price, as the team catches the attention of the sinister Shadow Dwellers and Zev’s own inner darkness awakens.

Each of the five stories Zev and his friends join as part of their larger mission features a new world and genre, ranging from medieval quest to Victorian murder mystery. In FROM SHADOWS, author R.E. Journeys excels at whisking the reader from one action-packed scene to another, giving the protagonists few opportunities to rest or reflect before they face the next danger. Though a bit clunky and disorienting at times, the whirlwind pace creates the sensation of being plopped into the middle of dream. The multiple plots and crowded cast leave Zev and the other lead characters somewhat underdeveloped, especially as they often take the role of sidekicks when entering a new tale. However, because he lacks a detailed backstory or understanding of the world he’s been thrust into, he provides a semi-blank slate so that readers can become the protagonist themselves. Zev’s history remains a mystery throughout the novel—and will hopefully be explored in the next installment of the series—yet his sarcasm, resourcefulness, and bravery make him a fun narrator.

Journeys also explores the impact stories have on our creativity, dreams, and imagination. The Shadow Dweller King’s mission of making everyone uninspired in order to eliminate differences, and therefore conflict, creates an interesting opposition. Teen readers will likely relate to the struggle between creativity and conformity, as well as the corruption that can accompany both. By the end of FROM SHADOWS, it remains to be seen just how much traveling into others’ stories has changed our heroes, and whether they can live with that cost.

Fans of adventure-focused fantasy will enjoy FROM SHADOWS’ action-packed plot, set in multiple mystical worlds.

~Cameron Gillespie for IndieReader