The first book in the Wendel Wright Chronicles series. Fifteen-year-old Wendel Wright and his family are forced to move to an old house nestled into a deep forest on the Oregon Coast, after his father dies in a tragic accident. The old three-story home feels dark and unwelcoming on the moonless night of their arrival. The discovery of a magnificent but eerie old tree house, hidden deep in the … heart of the forest, is about to change Wendel’s life forever. The strange tree house is a portal that thrusts Wendel into the magnificent but dangerous parallel world of Mescalahem.
A group of Freedom Fighters, hiding in the mountains, discover Wendel wandering lost and take him in. He soon discovers that he has incredible but mostly uncontrollable powers in this new world. Once his powers begin to be manifested, many Freedom Fighters believe he was sent to rescue them from a growing tyranny threatening to engulf their world. But his new found friends are not the only ones who are aware of Wendel’s arrival on Mescalahem. An ancient evil is seeking to destroy young Wendel before he can discover who he really is and fulfill his destiny.
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Wendel Wright is a force to be reckoned with. A truly elemental force, in fact. Not exactly the sort of kid you want to mess with.
His mother Emily and his sister Abby aren’t exactly people you want to have opposing you, either.
None of which stops the master from trying to bend Wendel to his service and hunt down his mother and sister.
Wendel has other ideas. It’s safe to presume his mother and sister do, too.
There’s a major battle in the offing. Who’s going to win? It’s kind of like the loser in that battle – remains to be seen.
Portal to Mescalahem is an amazing YA fantasy about a teenage boy, who discovers a tree house while exploring the forest with his friends one afternoon. Unexplained incidents and occurrences surrounding the haunted house have the boys fleeing for their lives, while something or someone beckons Wendel back into the woods for one-more-visit. The pull and the attraction, eventually become too great for him to resist. I highly recommend this coming of age fantasy to anyone who loves a great sci-fi with tons of twists and turns.
A great read full of adventure and surprises. I loved the thought of using a treehouse as a portal to another world. Every childs – and possibly some adults – dream! The way the author developed the characters as they faced challenges and trials was done really well. I loved the scene descriptions too. Really brought the reader into the book and kept me turning the pages to find out how Wendel and his crew fare.
I enjoyed the book as an adult, but will be reading it to my neice as well. Think she’s going to love it!
Portal to Mescalahem by Larry Forkner is a highly entertaining story that draws its readers in from the first page. It was impossible to put down and once finished, left me wanting more. Fortunately, there’s a lot more to be had as this is just the first book in a series of six.
This story had all the right elements for a strong fantasy book, from its intriguing beginning to its captivating characters, intelligent dialogue, vivid settings and well-paced scenes.
As a writer, Forkner is a masterful story-teller. The novel keeps the reader engaged from beginning to end and one cannot help but become invested in the lives of Wendell, his young sister, Abby, their mother, Emily and all the other characters.
It is a fantastic first book in a great series that I intend on reading. It may be geared to young adults, but this is a book anyone would enjoy reading.
Finally, the book is well-written and well-edited. Book-store worthy!
Excellent world building, a complex set of characters and a plot with a fair number of twists make this book a page turner. Wendel and his family all become more than what they were on Earth and though I can predict some outcomes in the sequels, I really don’t see a satisfactory conclusion between choosing between which world they will end up in at the end of the series. Both worlds have their fascinations.
This book is a fun read that you can’t put down. It is full of well written characters. Wendel is a courageous young man who quickly became my favorite. The author created an interesting new world. I loved the idea of the tree house being a portal. Portal to Mescalahem is definitely worth the read.
An amazing journey. Characters that are well drawn inhabit an amazing world. Great read that catches your attention in the first chapter and does not let go.
Such a wonderful read. I loved the portal in time. The whole aspect of the story flowed so well together. I loved that Larry gave Abby and big brother she could admire. Wendel was such a courageous kid.
This was well worth reading indeed.
A very entertaining fantasy drama with many memorable characters. I really like Wendel and his little sister Abby. The story starts out as a YA adventure but gradually develops into a more complex level. A group of people gifted with supernatural powers are captured and trapped in Mescalahem by the Master, a dangerous, insane man obsessed with power. These gifted individuals aren’t exactly united as some of them have evil intentions, and the fact that the Master has control over his captives’ telepathy or vision abilities make it even harder for them to escape. There isn’t much violence or grotesque image in the book, and it’s perfect to share it with friends and family.