Three ancient scrolls beckon high school student, Aidan Thomas to enter a realm of knights, kings and unusual creatures, but he must rely on instinct and his latest athletic ability to deal with the terror, tempest and treason offered by this new world.

This is the story of Aidan, a rather emotional 15-year-old boy who finds some old scrolls in his grandfather's basement that lead him to The Realm, a fantastical land of knights, unicorns, and dragons. I spent much of the book with a nagging sense of deja vu. About halfway through I realized that this story was more or less The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe sans talking animals. It was all there: the Other Land discovered by a child but disbelieved by all their elders except for the old man who owned the house; the semi-medieval setting; and the heavy Christian allegory, without which the story doesn't make a whole lot of sense (if you don't recognize King Eliam as Jesus right away, you'll spend much of the book wondering how he can be responsible for so many things he's not present for). And despite its thickness, it also is unquestionably a children's book. The characters are simple, the action is straightforward, and there are even potential vocabulary words in italics (portcullis, gauntlet, etc.). However, I'm looking at it through adult eyes. I'm sure this would be a very enjoyable book for a child, and it is in fact quite reminiscent of some of my favorite books from my youth. The description is very detailed without dragging, most of the characters are charmingly written, and the story is fun. I'm curious to see how the rest of the trilogy plays out. ( )

It was boring. ( )

The Door Within explores several important themes, including the struggle of good against evil, how an individual can make an impact with the help of the One True King, and finding hope in the knowledge that one is never alone.

Wayne Thomas Batson’s effective use of allegory makes the message clear without overpowering the story. A good amount of humor is also present throughout the novel, including Captain Valithor’s bellowed insults and Aidan’s phantom army, although it tends to be geared more toward younger readers.

Some characters are better developed than others, but overall they make the book enjoyable to read. The creativity shown in the different fantasy creatures of the Realm, as well as the various settings, also add to the book’s interest.

Summary: Aiden Thomas, thoroughly unhappy about moving away from his best friend, finds adventure in the appearance of ancient scrolls. These scrolls tell a story that leads him to cross over to the Mirror Realm, which he discovers is closely linked to his own world. Sent on a mission to aid the kingdom of Alleble, Aidan must find the courage to overcome some of his greatest fears. ( )

The great author Wayne Thomas Batson wrote this enchanting, breathtaking book named The Door Within.
While captivating the reader, the book spins a web to a well thought out world.

In this book we find Aidan, a frustrated 15-year-old boy who has reluctantly moved to a different state with his parents to take care of his sick grandpa. He soon finds a way into a whole new world… Alleble.
Aidan must train to become the twelfth knight of Alleble and defeat the evil Paragor.