First off, I have not read the other books in this series, and while I was concerned that this might be an issue, it wasn't. The prologue covers enough ground to set up the basics about the story, and the rest isn't too hard to catch up with. Still, I do recommend starting this series from the beginning.

Alyx and Chase are one of the few chosen ones, who jump dimensions every month...and that since their 18th birthdays. The jumps are random, landing them in one of twelve possible dimensions. In this read, they land in Dimension 9 and are accompanied by their pet chimera, who thanks to the lack of magic in this dimension, appears to be a normal puppy. They immediately find themselves saving another version of Chase's best friend, Mason, as he tries to commit suicide...and that's where the adventure begins.

Although this is a book about dimension jumping and a race against an evil, who is trying to kill off the dimension jumpers, this novel one has an interesting sense of 'normality'. After saving Mason, Alyx and Chase enroll in a usual high school in attempt to help the boy (after loosing Mason in another dimension, Chase is determined to rescue him in this one). This sense of usualness gave an interesting contrast to the rest of the action and added a refreshing twist.

Alyx and Chase work well together and have a wonderful relationship. Their support and team work is inspiring, and even when they don't always agree, they manage to work things out. This is especially important as the several twists hit, and Chase discovers more than a small surprise or two about his own family and past.

It's clear that another book is on its way, and it will be interesting to see where things head next. I received a complimentary copy and enjoyed the mix of contemporary and scifi/fantasy. ( )

I won this book through a LibraryThing giveaway without realizing it was the third in a series (my bad). I went ahead and read it anyway and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author provided enough of the back history from volumes 1 and 2 that I easily made sense of what was going on. The story kept me engaged to the very end, but it does deal with some dark issues. I plan on reading the first two in the series now. A very riveting YA fantasy novel! ( )