One Realm Beyond

By Donita K. Paul

Cantor D’Ahma waited his whole life for this day. Born with a gift to jump between worlds, the young realm walker is finally ready to leave his elderly mentor and accept his role as protector and defender of the realms.

But mere hours after he steps through his first portal, Cantor discovers that his job will be more dangerous and difficult than he ever imagined. The realms are plagued with crime and cruelty, and even members of the once-noble Realm Walkers Guild can no longer be trusted. To make matters worse, his first assignment—finding a dragon to assist him on his quest—has led him to Bridger, who is clearly inept and won’t leave him alone.

With the help of his new friends Bixby and Dukmee, Cantor must uncover the secrets of the corrupt guild before they become too powerful to be stopped. But his skills aren’t progressing as fast as he would like, and as he finds himself deeper and deeper in the guild’s layers of deceit, Cantor struggles to determine where his true allegiance lies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Jan 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9780310735830

Book preview

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ZONDERVAN

One Realm Beyond

Copyright © 2014 by Donita K. Paul

ePub Edition © December 2013: ISBN 978-0-310-73583-0

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

ISBN 978-0-310-73580-9

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by the publisher, nor does the publisher vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means — electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other — except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in association with the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. www.alivecommunications.com

Cover design: Kris Nelson

Cover illustration: Steve Rawlings

Interior design: David Conn

Printed in the United States of America

14 15 16 17 18 /DCI/ 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

CONTENTS

1. RAISING A RUCKUS

2. INITIATION

3. DRAGON REALM

4. A HORSE IS A HORSE, OF COURSE

5. FINE AND DANDY MEAL

6. SURPRISE GREETING

7. NICE TO MEET YOU

8. WHAT CAN WE DO?

9. GOING IN

10. MAKING PLANS

11. TRICKS AND DISGUISES

12. THE MEN IN THE BARRACKS

13. FRESH AIR, BUT WHERE?

14. MOVING A DRAGON

15. GET GOING

16. A WAY OUT

17. CLUTTER

18. ON HIS OWN

19. TROUBLE

20. THE FAIRE

21. ASTOUNDING

22. EQUIPPED

23. HOME

24. ASHES

25. INTRODUCTION TO GILEAD

26. SEEING BUT UNSEEN

27. THE SUN RISES

28. INTO THE CITY

29. PENNY LUNDER

30. MEETINGS IN BEAUTIFUL PLACES

31. SHINE LIGHT ON THE HIDDEN

32. ROUNDS

33. SANCTUARY

34. A HILL TO CLIMB

35. A SMALL THING

36. WHISPERING PENS AND WHISTLING ARROWS

37. TOTOBEE-RODOLOW

38. MEETING IN THE NIGHT

39. KERNFEUDAL

40. TROUBLE, DEEP

41. GATHERING FORCES

42. IN SHADOW INN

43. UNDERGROUND, OUT OF SIGHT

44. EXPLOSION

45. WHERE ARE THE FRIENDS?

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RAISING A RUCKUS

Cantor straddled the thick tree limb suspended less than three feet over his favorite fishing hole. He’d fished from this spot for more than eighteen years, from the time he could barely straddle the fat limb ’til now, when the tips of his sandals almost brushed the surface of the clear, cold water. He watched the small fish circling below him, waiting for the big one just as he had been taught. His fishing mentor, Odem, probably took him fishing here before he was out of diapers. Cantor wouldn’t want to share the limb now. Though the tree had grown with him over the years, he didn’t think the branch would hold the weight of two grown men. He wasn’t eager for a bath in the frigid water from the mountain’s runoff.

Still and patient, Cantor waited for the large carp he called Bully to rise and push the other fish out of the way. A sprinkle of thumb-sized chunks of bread floated on the water. One of the smaller guppies darted off to the side, and a huge, open mouth appeared under the surface. The fish snapped up a sodden crust.

Cantor hurled the stone in his hand. The rock thunked against the skull of his target. All the smaller fish deserted Bully, who floated on his side. With a grin, Cantor threw his leg over the limb and slipped into the knee-high water. He shivered in the icy snowmelt, grabbed his catch, and slogged to the shore.

Exposed roots riddled the steep bank, making irregular hand and foot holds. Cantor threw the fish onto the grass above his head and climbed out. Sitting cross-legged in the tall grass, he removed his sandals and put them on a rock to dry in the sun. He opened the pouch Ahma had sewn into his tunic and removed an undersized scabbard.

He’d owned this small, sharp knife since childhood. Odem had visited on his sixth birthday and, against Ahma’s protests, given the tool to him. Cantor’d thought himself very clever when he named the knife Slice, especially when Odem laughed in his loud bray that filled the tiny cabin. Ahma shook her head and fetched another piece of greenberry pie for him and Odem.

She’d caught Cantor that night picking his teeth with the blade. Boxing his ears, she told him if she caught him doing another stupid thing with that weapon, she’d take it away.

Cantor grinned as he applied Slice to the job of gutting the big carp. A couple of carrion birds landed in a tree nearby. Cantor nodded in their direction. I’ll leave you the tasty insides. I don’t suppose you would agree to peaceably share between yourselves.

The bigger of the two mountain crows spread his wings and threatened the smaller, cawing and crowding the other bird off the limb.

Cantor shook his head. Yeah, I didn’t think so.

He pulled a thin string of gut from the innards. With it in his hand, he aimed at the bird and snapped his fingers. The filament wrapped around the large scavenger’s beak. The string would work loose after the smaller bird had a chance at Cantor’s fishy offering.

He finished his chore and strung the fish on a switch cut from the longleaf tree. Cleaning his blade in the sandy soil, he heard the gentle whoosh of a portal opening. With a casual air he did not feel, he put the knife in its scabbard and the scabbard in his pouch.

Where was Tom? At the cabin with Ahma? He’d last seen his mentor’s furry companion sunning himself on the front stoop. But Tom could be a stealthy canine, quiet like a cat sneaking up on a mouse. More often than not, Cantor played the part of the mouse.

With a searching look at the surrounding trees, he propped the switch on his shoulder, the large carp dangling behind him. He angled away from the portal as if it didn’t make the hairs on the back of his neck tingle, as if it didn’t give off the scent of new horizons, adventure, and intrigue, as if he hadn’t a thought in his head about diving through.

Anyone watching would think he had only the intention of taking his catch home to dear Ahma for their dinner. Except Tom, of course. Tom had an uncanny sense of knowing what he planned. And Cantor had just used his talent to enhance his aim, not bothering to disguise the burst of energy. That ripple would be detected by any other being familiar with Primen’s gifts. Tom would have felt it.

Cantor made himself wait until the distance to the portal had shortened considerably. With a final, nonchalant inspection of the surrounding meadow, Cantor hauled in a deep breath, dropped the fish, and bolted toward the gaping hole in space. His heart quickened when he saw it was a horizontal portal. Vertical openings presented a shaft, which required scrambling up or plunging down to enter another plane.

If he’d outsmarted Tom, he was in for some fun. He pumped his legs harder.

The distinct sound of leathery wings unfolding caught his ear. He fought back a grin and redoubled the speed of his dash to freedom. The dragon on course to intercept him roared a warning. Accepting the challenge, Cantor pushed his muscles with all his might. If he could reach the portal first, he could dive and roll. The dragon in flight would have to land and squeeze through.

Cantor kept his eye on the opening. On the other side, he could see a street with people hurrying to and fro. A rush of air above him warned him just in time. He ducked and avoided the clutching claws of a brilliantly colored mor dragon as it swooped to catch him. The small, powerful beast was slightly larger than a full-grown cow. Cantor glanced up to see him dip one wing and neatly turn, barely losing momentum as he came back for another pass. Cantor refocused on the portal. Fifteen more feet.

The dragon dropped from the sky, approaching his target face on. He skimmed the high grass and rose to thud against Cantor’s chest with his own. The impact knocked Cantor down and pushed the air out of his lungs. He remained on the ground, staring up at the blue sky. Dragging air in with rasping, choking sounds, he rolled to his side and curled up to facilitate at least one life-sustaining breath.

The dragon landed and approached. Cantor would have liked to fake death, be still enough to confuse the beast stalking him, and get the better of the interfering animal. But he concentrated instead on breathing, pulling air in and pushing air out.

The dragon’s clawed foot rested on his shoulder, then with a pinch, he forced Cantor to roll onto his back.

In spite of the spasms racking his chest, Cantor recognized the wicked gleam in his tormentor’s eyes. The beast all but crowed with glee at having downed his prey. With a hop, the dragon sat on Cantor’s chest.

Oomph, Cantor managed to choke out, Get off!

The dragon’s lips curled up at the ends in the terrifying smile only a dragon can produce. Patience, Cantor. Why is it that when you are days from being allowed through the portals on your own, you still persist in trying for a rogue adventure? Ahma is very close to granting your walker status.

Get off, Tom! Cantor tried shifting his weight enough to tilt his body and dump the dragon.

A whoosh of air signaled the closing of the portal. The dragon winked, and his snout narrowed and grew a thick, short coat of fur. Pointed horns became floppy ears. Drool dripped from a much smaller mouth than had blown hot air on Cantor a moment before. The pressure on Cantor’s chest eased as the mor dragon’s body slimmed into the body of a dog. The reptilian tail changed last. Cantor couldn’t see it wagging, but since Tom was pleased with himself, it most definitely was.

I hate it when you do that!

Tom swiped his face with a pink doggy tongue and jumped off. Cantor sat, pulled up his knees, and buried his head between them, still breathing with ragged gasps.

When he finally could talk without discomfort, he looked up at Tom and grinned. I almost made it.

You didn’t.

You completely missed me on the first pass.

I was toying with you. Establishing false confidence.

Cantor stood and brushed off his clothing. Yeah, sure. I believe that.

He walked back to the dropped fish with Tom dogging his steps. You really think Ahma is ready to let me out on my own?

"I know she thinks you think you are ready to be out on your own."

Now, see, Tom, that’s what I don’t understand. How do you know what she’s thinking? I have no idea whether I’m going to be blessed apprentice or cursed knave each day. He snorted. Each moment.

The dog considered the young man for a minute before answering. Ahma blames her rheumatism. But I think it has more to do with how the planes are shifting. When too many of them slide in the same direction, she feels off-kilter.

Cantor nodded, observing clouds drifting in from the western horizon. She knows things before they happen. How is that? She won’t teach me the skill.

Tom responded with a bark of laughter. She’s been a realm walker a very long time. I think you must grow old to acquire that skill.

Too bad not many realm walkers grow old. Odem and Ahma are the oldest, aren’t they?

Some on the guild council claim to be older than Odem and Ahma, but there is no way to prove that.

They climbed a steep hill and paused at the rise to catch their breath. Cantor looked over at Tom and noticed his tongue hanging out as he panted.

What are you grinning about, boy?

Your long, wet, dangling, very pink tongue. Poor Tom. It must be deeply humiliating to lose your dignity whenever you’re hot.

I don’t keep my dignity on my face, but in my heart. Why is it you allow years of instruction given to you by Ahma and myself to drift from your mind like a dandelion seed on a breeze?

Cantor shrugged, which reminded him of the big fish on the long stick over his shoulder. Let’s go give this to Ahma.

He started down the hill with Tom trotting beside him, head held high and tail swaying behind. A squirrel ran for the nearest tree and scrambled to a safe branch. Its indignant chatter railed them as they passed. Tom lifted his chin, gave the small animal a direct look, and let out a bark. The squirrel stopped its noise long enough to scamper up to a higher limb, then resumed its scold.

Before you lose your words altogether, said Cantor, tell me why you think Ahma is on the verge of letting me go.

Because Odem is there. They have their heads together and are sniggering over some scheme. Woof . . .. . . . . . bother! When they last parted, Odem said he woof — blast! — would return for your initiation.

So you think that’s now? Cantor couldn’t help the enthusiasm taking over his voice.

Tom’s yes sounded more like a yap, but it was good enough for Cantor.

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INITIATION

Odem’s donkey, Nahzy, dozed in the shade of the blackamore tree. Tom deserted Cantor to wake his old mor dragon friend. He tore down the hill, displaying dog-like enthusiasm. As a dragon, Tom exhibited more decorum. Cantor waved a greeting as Nahzy lifted his head and let out a lazy bray with a yawn.

The door to the cabin stood open. Two calico kittens, one black-and-white and one tabby, basked in the sun on the worn stoop. Cantor stopped at the well, drew up the bucket, and splashed his face, rubbed his hands a bit in the water, and then rinsed the dirt off his fish.

He glanced over his shoulder, wondering if Tom were right. Could Ahma and Odem be plotting his initiation? Cantor didn’t even know what the initiation involved. As long as he didn’t have to write a report, he’d be okay.

Oral questions didn’t bother him. Ahma said he’d been gifted with a tinker’s tongue and fingers. Sometimes that was a compliment and sometimes . . . it was not. He explained things well, could persuade all but Ahma and Odem to let him have his way.

The physical performance tasks didn’t challenge him either. For intricate movement, his nimble fingers could twist and poke and maneuver almost any gadget into working properly. As for agility in games and athletic skills, he could outrun, outjump, outflip, twist, or tumble any animal he’d ever met.

He’d do all right as long as he didn’t have to pick up a pen. The skinny little implements made him nervous. If he walked into a room, he knew where pens and pencils hid in drawers or behind cupboard doors. A bit of charcoal from the fire didn’t bother him unless someone had made a mark with the black lump. And a paintbrush was just a paintbrush unless someone had strayed from merely whitewashing walls and wrote on the faded siding.

Ahma said he was touched in the head. He laughed to himself. Sometimes she regarded his state of mind favorably, and sometimes, not.

Sitting on the stone wall of the well, he studied the house. He’d seen grander houses in the village, but Ahma always said grander houses required more work. He’d seen drawn pictures of cities and their impressive buildings. His life with Ahma had not included visits to very large cities, but he’d done realm walking with both Ahma and Odem to other planes and towns of various sizes.

The guild held council in Gilead, the largest city on Dairine. He would have liked to have some familiarity with that metropolis. He’d see it soon and on his own.

Would he approach the guild leaders before or after the initiation? If he passed the initiation, would he go straight to Effram to seek out his dragon companion?

Ahma and Odem kept tight lips when it came to the guild. Every year they talked less about the people in charge of all realm walkers. At least, they didn’t openly discuss them. Cantor felt the tension rise when the topic skittered around the room and disappeared again.

He rubbed his palms over his trousers, picked up the fish, and headed toward the open door. In that humble abode lurked his future. Adventure. Excitement. He was ready, once he got past this initiation. Ignoring a prick of conscience, he paused just outside the doorway to listen, quietly standing and observing.

Ahma and Odem sat at the table. A large empty bowl sat to the side of Odem’s elbow. He tipped a tankard of melonwater to his lips, then set the beverage down.

Between the two old realm walkers, objects from the room floated. Cantor recognized the loose configuration of the nine planes represented by spoons, a couple of knotted napkins, a saltshaker, a ball of string, and woodchips from the kindling box. Of course, in reality, the planes looked more like floating pancakes, suspended over one another in a lopsided, shifting column.

Every planetary system in the galaxy was grouped in individual stacks. At times, columns came within pitching distance of one another. Well, not really. When Cantor was younger, he believed everything Odem told him, but he soon learned to discern when the man stretched a fact out of shape for a bit of fun.

The tales of two columns of planes being shuffled together like two halves of a deck of cards were just legends based on imagination, not truth. The ancient myth of one plane sliding out of its column, traveling through space, and integrating with another was also suspect. The only reason anyone lent these tales credence was Primen. Everyone knew Primen could do impossible things. If He were involved, then mountains might pick up their skirts and dance to the seashore.

Some facts stood on their own: Each plane held a realm. Each realm operated independently of its neighbors. Gravity kept them from floating away from each other, but didn’t keep them at a predictable, precise distance.

Many years before, Cantor had seen the plane of Alius when his realm and the other had drifted dangerously close. The other realm looked like a pale, mottled yellow disk floating high in the blue sky.

Odem told him that once, in ancient times, Alius and Dairine had collided. They’d bounced, and each floated out of the other’s domain.

Odem had cleared his throat and looked Cantor in the eye, the signal that what he was about to say held great importance. The terror in the minds of the people far outreached the authentic threat of the situation. Some of our people ran to the other side of the plane and jumped off.

Couldn’t the guild do something? Aren’t they in charge of organizing the powerful and defending the weak?

At the time of the discussion, Odem had wagged his head in disgust as he tried to explain.

"The guild had less power back then. Chomountain the Wise was wise. He walked among the people on every plane. Then he disappeared with no one to replace him. He took over from Avamountain. The Age of Ava was tranquil. Dargamountain passed his mantle down to Ava. And before Darga was Sentarmountain. The Age of Sentar was prosperous.

Cantor sought to impress his mentor. What about Ladomountain? Didn’t he come before Darga?

Odem scowled at Cantor. Of course, he did. Between Darga and Sentar, I’m glad to see you’re paying attention. I wasn’t able to trick you.

The old man rubbed his palms over the thick material of his trousers. But we’re talking about power. Without the check of the right hand of Primen, the guild is powerful beyond common sense. If they’ve grabbed the power, they took it from someone. Who?

He cocked an eyebrow in Cantor’s direction. Is it coincidence that no action has been attributed to the old wizard for many, many years? Some say Chomountain is dying.

That was the last time Odem talked openly about the guild. For the last several years, both Ahma and Odem had refused to talk of the guild or the missing wizard. As far as Cantor knew, kind and just Chomountain remained elusive. And from the worry etched on his mentors’ brows, he discerned that the guild became ever more a concern. When he asked questions now, Ahma warned him it was better not to talk about those who had the power to harm.

So here he stood, reduced to eavesdropping to glean information. Odem gestured at the model floating over the table. Ahma, you can see, can you not, that Richra and Derson are edging too close?

Ahma nodded.

Cantor watched, enrapt, as two spoons lost their bearings, slid sideways, and crashed together. They fell, knocking the saltshaker out of the way. Before the three planes stabilized, the woodchip representing Alius began to spin. Slowly, then with more speed, the plane tilted one way and then to the opposite side.

Ahma gasped. The worst I’ve ever seen, Odem. Can we alter the course of Richra and Derson?

Perhaps. Odem allowed his replica of the planes to collapse. The items clattered as they fell onto the table.

Cantor took a step into the room. Will I be allowed to help?

Odem jerked around, then stood to come pound Cantor on the back. There you are. Today’s the day. By the time you put your head on the pillow tonight, you’ll be an official initiate.

And then I’ll be eligible to help, right?

Odem put his large hand on Cantor’s head and rubbed. Cantor tried to duck, but Odem snagged him in a headlock and continued to torture his scalp.

Ahma! Pull this brute off of me.

The old lady cackled and winked, causing Odem to release Cantor. The old man backed up until he was stuck to the wooden doorframe behind him. He gave Ahma an accusatory look. Cantor slid past and rested one hip against the table. Ahma picked up one of the forks and jabbed his side. Move. No manners! Did Enid the Cow raise you?

Cantor straightened and tossed his impudent grin at Ahma and then Odem, who still stood pinned to the entryway.

Thank you, Ahma. With a bow, Cantor presented the fish to the old lady who stood for grandmother, as well as mentor, in his life. Our dinner.

And the only reason I helped you escape that old reprobate. Didn’t want you to drop our meal. She nodded at Odem, and he stepped away from the door.

Odem shivered as if shaking his body free of the force that had bound him. Not by word or expression did he show any annoyance at Ahma’s prank. He sank into his wooden chair and fingered the utensils he’d used as a model for the problems he’d observed.

The kittens poured through the opening and circled Ahma’s legs. She shooed them away, then with the same dismissive voice she ordered Cantor to bathe.

You smell like fish and sweat and river sludge. I’ll not have you at my table, reeking. Especially tonight.

Cantor bobbed her another fancy bow and ran out the door.

Ahma followed and stopped in the entryway to holler. Brainless boy, come back and get clean clothes!

Cantor stopped in his tracks, then ran backward to the cabin. He kissed Ahma’s cheek as he passed her to enter, and then again, when he left with a wad of clean clothes under his arm.

The soap!

He backed up and grabbed a bar beside the front door where a bucket sat ready for washing hands. He winked at Ahma and cartwheeled, using the hand that did not hold soap and clothing.

She grinned. He’ll never grow up.

Cantor twirled in place to give his Ahma a jaunty bow.

Right. Odem’s chortle garbled the words, but Cantor understood him. And that’s what will make him good at his job. Energy, pluck, quick on his feet and in his mind. He’ll lead the council in a merry jig.

Cantor did a last cartwheel, but refrained from continuing. His feet now trod over slippery shale on the hill beside the cabin. But he was pleased. He’d worked hard for Ahma’s smile. Playing the clown often pulled her out of grumpiness when nothing else would.

Odem was more amenable. But his approving words were a balm to Cantor’s doubts. Many times he thought that the ordinary existence he lived did little to guarantee success in his fated profession. But Odem thought highly of what few skills he had. Perhaps he would be an acclaimed realm walker. He’d see soon enough if he was fool or knight. One could not fake being a realm walker.

Cantor took off at a faster pace, eager to finish this chore and get back to a fine fish dinner, more talk of the planes, the initiation, and perhaps an invitation to accompany Odem on his journey to set things right between Richra and Derson.

He did his cleansing in the tepid flow of water from an underground spring that fell from the rocks into a pool deep enough to dive into and wide enough to provide a decent swim. The water from the depths of the plane was warm, unlike the snow run-off in the lake.

He soaped up, rinsed off, and soaped up again. Following the second dive to the bottom to remove every bubble clinging to his skin, he hauled himself out and shook his head. Water splattered the bushes around him. He looked for a towel and realized he’d forgotten to bring one.

Grinning, he pulled on his shirt first, then wrangled the rest of his clothes over his damp skin. He plowed his fingers through his wet hair, taming the curls only marginally. A yellow songbird landed on a branch, tilted its head, and let out a trilling whistle ending with what sounded like a hiccup. It repeated its performance several times.

I hear you. Cantor leaned back with his hands at his hips, puckered his mouth slightly to whistle, and echoed the yellow bird’s song.

The bird hopped about the branches, twittering in excitement. It stopped to sing again. Cantor obliged with a reply.

I’ve got to go now, bird. Ahma is fixing dinner and tonight is a special — he held up a finger — "make that a very special night."

He went out of his way to pass through the edge of the forest where he gathered a variety of greens and herbs. Ahma loved fresh greens in a huge bowl of salad. He hoped his old mentor would be in a good mood for the initiation. He plucked sweet tamaron from a vine. The tiny purple buds would spice up the vinaigrette. Another favorite for Ahma.

Perhaps the initiation would be easy, and Ahma would not growl and grumble over all the wasted years she spent educating him. The smell of fried fish and maizy bread wafted from the cabin. Odem played his fiddle. Ahma sang with a pure voice for one so old.

The fiddling stopped as soon as Cantor crossed the threshold.

There he is, said Odem. Let’s eat.

You ate a bowl of soup in the middle of the afternoon. Ahma shook her stirring spoon at her guest. A blob of thick gravy splatted on Odem’s faded green shirt. Ahma reached over and swiped at the spot with a rag. You shouldn’t be hungry for hours yet.

Not hungry, dear woman. Craving the taste of your delicious meal on this old deprived tongue.

Deprived tongue? She scoffed. You’ve a depraved mind, I’m thinking.

Cantor crossed the room, threw his dirty clothes into his bed closet, and then gave Ahma the produce he had gathered. The words aren’t the same, Ahma. Depraved means he commits evil deeds involving blatant turpitude.

Ahma squinted at him. I never taught you the word turpitude. Where are you coming up with words I didn’t introduce you to? Have you been down to the village on your own? You know that’s dangerous.

Before he could remind her of the books Odem left with him, she continued. She addressed the kittens climbing the dog Tom and sliding down his sides as he lay on his blanket in a corner. This Cantor thinks he’s smart. Time he went out into the world to learn how ignorant he really is. I’m hoping he lives through the disappointment of only having a mediocre mind, a limited talent, and no possible means of advancing his lowly life on his own.

Cantor sighed. So his role tonight was scoundrel and knave, not beloved sent by Primen to give her life purpose.

Although the meal smelled and tasted wonderful, Cantor found it difficult to eat with his usual gusto. When would the initiation begin? How long would it take? If he flubbed an answer, would he get a second chance?

He tried to think of a calm night sky filled with stars and distant platters floating in space. Soon he would be traveling to the planes alone. No Ahma to chaperone. No Odem to pull him out of an interesting exploration. Perhaps a mission assigned just to him. He’d helped Odem on several occasions when the old realm walker tackled a problem on some other plane. But in those cases, he’d helped by carrying knapsacks, setting up a camp, and fixing meals.

Now, son! Odem’s voice boomed in the small cabin. It is time to commence your initiation.

Ahma rose from the table. Let me clear off all this clutter first.

Cantor clenched his jaw. That would delay them another hour while the old lady put every blessed object, after being scrubbed and polished, in its right place. Suppressing a sigh, he rose to help. Maybe nurturing a better mood in his mentor would hasten the beginning of his initiation.

Nah, Odem said. The boy’s waited long enough. Don’t exasperate the youth.

Ahma muttered but sat down again. She folded her hands on the tabletop

Reviews for One Realm Beyond

[dlynch-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One Realm Beyond (Realm Walkers) by Donita K. PaulCantor D Ahma was born with the gift to walk between worlds. He has been training his whole life and is finally on his first Realm Walker assignment alone to find his dragon. While on his mission, Cantor discovers that the Realm Walkers Guild has become corrupt. With the help of new friends, they need to discover a way to uncover the deceit.I love Donita K. Paul DragonKeeper Series. When I saw that she had a book out to a new series, I had to read it. Once again, she is off to a successful start. One Realm Beyond was a delightful fantasy for all ages. I can see this book in school libraries and having many book reports written about it.I really like the dragon, Bridger. He is good comic relief throughout the novel. His quirky personality makes him very likable. I also, enjoy Bixby. It will be interesting to see how her relationship with Cantor progresses in the Realm Walkers Series.If you love fantasies and dragons, One Realm Beyond is for you. Complimentary copy provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[aagbay-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ever since I was young, I have been fascinated by fantasy stories of all types. I ate through and devoured series after series as that sat on my table. Since then, I have moved on past some of those old childhood series and onto newer and more mature books. However, One Realm Beyond, the first book the the Realm Walkers series by Donita K. Paul, was a return to those past memories, albeit a short one.Being the first book in what seems to be a much larger series, Paul laid the foundations of her world for the rest of the books to follow. Everything takes place in a universe sort of like the one in Marvel comic books or the Pendragon series: you have individual worlds, or planes in this book, with their own inhabitants and lives. Yet there are portals and gateways between the worlds that allow for travel from one place to another. The Realm Walkers are a special set of people who have the talent to see the portals and travel between worlds. On top of this, dragons and magic inhabit certain worlds, adding another layer on fantasy. This combination of magic, dragons, and multiple worlds will be perfect for younger readers getting in on the fantasy genre. It's not too crazy, yet it combines many of the interesting pieces from other series and creates its own feeling.The plot itself is also something that I found very, very interesting. Cantor, a young and budding Realm Walker has just started out on his new life traveling between worlds. He immediately runs into a dragon, named Bridger, who determines that they will be partners in their journey. Now, despite Bridger's amazing gifts of shape-shifting, the two do not get along to well and things actually get pretty funny. Later, the pair run into a girl named Bixby, who has her own mysterious talents and is beginning her own journey as a prospective Realm Walker. The rest of the book follows the three of them, and some new companions, as they try to unravel the corruption within the governing body of Realm Walkers.Whats I found interesting was the key role that corruption the officials played in story. For the most part, younger fantasy books, you find very black-and-white stories: a clear battle between the "good" guys and the "evil" bad guys. The evil witch, the tyrannical leader, etc. are often the main antagonists in these stories. But the idea of corruption is something I've never seen and that has really intrigued me.I did have a problem with "picturing" some of the scenes and the characters, especially the dragons, but this problem could stem from being a much older reader than the intended audience, but I still feel like Paul could have done a little bit better job. There was a lack of clear description at some points and a sort of vague picture of what the dragons look like. It often felt like the dragons in the book were more like humans, and I often had trouble trying to understand how they actually look like. For younger kids, I see this as a good way to give them the ability to create their own personal interpretation further than the stereotypical dragon.One Realm Beyond is a really good introductory series for young readers getting into fantasy. It mashes up some of the most interesting concepts that I loved in my favorite series and a kid. Paul has done a good job creating an interesting world that is full of potential. But it will need a little more work on the part of the reader to really get the full experience.

[weeturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Reposted from my regional library website, original date Mar 08, 2017)As an avid fantasy reader I find it easy to bump into things that I've seen before, but I enjoyed this read. I picked it up by chance (February's "Blind Date With a Book") and found the characters to be enjoyably quirky, and what might normally come off to me as juvenile (I am an adult reading this) or silly, was pulled off rather well. My only gripe is that as a part of a trilogy, it sort of assumes that I'm going to read the rest of them so the story does not progress as far as I suspect it could, but there is a sort of resolution and it does end at a point where an end seems suitable. (Personally, I would like to see more single book fantasies but this seems to be the formula now).On a side note, if I put my academic hat on there are some religious and possibly Christian parallels in the story. I suppose some people might be annoyed by that but I personally didn't find it obtrusive or anything, and it fits with the story this far.I didn't intend to read more than the one book from the start, but might continue later when the mood strikes me. I would recommend it.

[melodym1995 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What was the most compelling part?

When Cantor and Bridger meet, I automatically adored Bridger. He was funny, clever, and unique from the other dragons. When Cantor balked against him I was a little upset, so one of the aspects that kept me going in this book was watching Cantor warm up to Bridger. I really wanted to know if he would officially name Bridger as his constant, which means they're together forever.

Were you disappointed at all?

Not really. I thought I was going to be upset at one point when a random guy came up and said "oh if you need a place to hide here's this inn and the guy hates the guard so you're good." All I could think was really Donita? you couldn't make that any more subtle? But in the end it was just a piece of fluff or something because they never go to the inn.

Rate it 1-5, 5 being the best
4
Additional comments
Religion Rant:
I liked this book enough. It wasn't a huge page turner for me, I'm just a really fast reader most of the time. I've read other books by Donita K. Paul and I liked them a lot when I was younger so I knew this book would be decent. However, I got hit right in the childhood with this book and something I saw on the back.
I was reading the back, and it was all cool. Dragons, different planes, evil guild of wizards and lots of magic. What more could you want? I was skimming the useless (At least for me) information on the bottom and saw what genres it was listed under. When I saw religion and Christian I was a little confused. This didn't seem like it had anything to do with religion. I became a little hesitant but decided I'd read it either way anyway so I might as well wait and see for myself.
The book itself has nothing to do with Christianity directly. There is no reference to Jesus, God or the 12 disciples. The religious theme is actually quite subtle and honestly if I hadn't seen it on the back of the book I never would have thought about it. I've read plenty of books with a God like character, someone the characters look to for guidance and help. I never give this much thought though because, unlike God, they usually show up in a corporeal form of some sort. The same is true of this novel, with a man, probably equivalent to an angel in Christianity, sent to help the adventurers fight against evil.
The evil is in the form of the Realm Walker Guild. Only 3 of the 99 members still walk in the light and with Primen, the God character of this book. The evil Realm Walkers are corrupting people every way they turn and are fighting in Primen's name but are not following His ideals, in reality. This is akin to terrorists, fighting in their God's name. I never thought I could relate a fantasy book to real life. It's crazy.
Being only marginally religious, I'm happy to say the presence of religion in books does not bother me, even after I realized the books were allowing me to agree with Christian ideals in a way that I thought was cool and rateable. Which is weird considering they almost always have dragons in them, and who can relate to dragons?
The whole religion thing hit me right in the childhood because I'm forced to reanalyze all of the books I've read in my youth with religion in it, especially the monotheistic ones. Paul did this in another series I read by her, as well. I understand it and accept it, but I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out. I actually like it. I think it's cool. Especially when there is some God smiting happening, which hasn't happened in this series yet, but I'll get my hopes up.
Everything Else:
The book had lots of action in it, but I have a few problems with the progression of the book. There are some places where it seems like whole sections of the plot just magically happened and they don't talk about it. One paragraph: Hey let's go to the barn. End of chapter. Beginning of chapter: So we went to the barn.... and I'm just like what? You did? And I didn't get to go? Oh so now you're going to fill me in. I think this is just a stupid writing style. I would have much rather been there in the barn. There wasn't actually a barn..I just made that up.
I thought the transitions between characters, mainly Bixby and Cantor, were decent except for a few places where I was reading and I didn't even realize it had switched to a new character until about a paragraph in. This might have been because I was distracted for a moment by the TV or my mother, but still it was kind of weird.
My predictions for this series is that:
1. Cantor and Bixby hook up
B. Cantor and Bridger become permanent constants
3. There's some serious prophecy junk going on
4. Cantor is the boy who lived...wait that's Harry Potter. He's the one to rule them all? I think that's LOTR. Anyway I think he's going to become king or lead wizard of the guild. It'll be great.

[clarkcj_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great book a little confusing at first. But once it got into the 2nd chapter. It was amazing full of action, and the way the book was wondered made me feel like I was there taking part of the adventure as a realm walker.

[mshooker · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book will be on my classroom shelf! I have also recommended it to my school's media specialist. The action and adventure of this book was topped of with a positive message. I will be looking for the second [Realm Walker] book.

[shabacus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although ostensibly teen fiction, One Realm Beyond read, in both writing style and subject matter, more like a mid grade YA novel. The characters were genial and probably easy to relate to, but their personalities had little depth.In fact, lack of depth is the way I would characterize the book in general. Clocking in at more than 400 pages, the book certainly had the real estate for some solid world building and characterization. But beyond the initial concept of the realms and planes, and a bit of information on the Realm Walkers Guild, there was nothing to really distinguish this book from any other cookie-cutter fantasy universe.Dialogue was stilted and unrealistic. Far too much was told instead of shown, most egregiously the Evil of some of the characters. We learn that the current Guild is Evil, that they have strayed from the true path, but rarely are we shown why that is the case... outside of the climaxes clumsy, mustache-twirling villainy.The Christian theology behind the book is readily apparent. The characters occasionally digress into preachiness, and there are a few scenes that make it apparent that "Primen Worship" is a simple reskin of Christianity. There is a clear emphasis on the idea of a personal relationship with God, and government (here in the form of the Realm Walkers Guild) is held up as prone to corruption, excess and vice. The characters are essentially being encouraged to rebel against the government in the name of God, which makes me wonder what the author believes about our current government.On the whole this was not a bad little book, but the writing style and lack of development do not encourage me to pick up the other two volumes when they are released.

[jonathan21-2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC from publisher via Netgallery.Most of the books I have read from Netgallery have been my first experience with those Authors.This is not one of those times.I was a very happy person when I got approved for this book.As you can see from my rating I enjoyed it.I enjoyed most of the characters except Cantor D'Ahma.I just found him to be very boring to be honest.I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good fantasy book.

[courtney_chance-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

4.5 Stars

One Realm Beyond is not the normal kind of book I read. I have never been one to read Fantasy. I haven't even read Throne of Glass, which has been on my TBR pile forever. The cover of this novel is what made me want to request this book. I think that is just a BEAUTIFUL cover.



I have been putting One Realm Beyond off for a while now. It's hard to read a book when your going in with "it's fantasy I'm not going to like it" So one day I pulled my big girl pants on and decided to open this book up..



WOW, Why Hadn't I done this sooner???? This book is so fun and action packed I didn't even have time to wrap my head around everything going on! I am so picky when it comes to world building and character development, but Donita K. Paul nailed it all!

So we have two Realms, in these realms we have people who can realm jump. Not everyone is a realm jumper let me just get that out there. Well they realm jump for the greater good (helping people out etc). Cantor has been studying his WHOLE life to be a realm walker. When he is finally done and passes everything he is sent off to find his Dragon.



OMG Bridger.... This Dragon here. Guys this dragon is unlike any creature you will have ever read about. I swear if I could have a pet dragon it would be Bridger. This Dragon (Yes seriously A Dragon) almost had me pee my pants from all the laughing I was doing. I loved it!

This book like I said before is unlike anything I have read. If you are into High Fantasy or want to check some fantasy out, I highly recommend it

[rayleighann · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Synopsis:

“Cantor D’Ahma waited his whole life for this day. Born with a gift to jump between worlds, the young realm walker is finally ready to leave his elderly mentor and accept his role as protector and defender of the realms. But mere hours after he steps through his first portal, Cantor discovers that his job will be more dangerous and difficult than he ever imagined. The realms are plagued with crime and cruelty, and even members of the once-noble Realm Walkers Guild can no longer be trusted. To make matters worse, his first assignment—finding a dragon to assist him on his quest—has led him to Bridger, who is clearly inept and won’t leave him alone. With the help of his new friends Bixby and Dukmee, Cantor must uncover the secrets of the corrupt guild before they become too powerful to be stopped. But his skills aren’t progressing as fast as he would like, and as he finds himself deeper and deeper in the guild’s layers of deceit, Cantor struggles to determine where his true allegiance lies.”

My Review:

Before I write what I thought about the content of this book, I will say that the cover is gorgeous! The cover is actually what hooked me into reading it, I had decided I was going to review it before I read the synopsis…..

Okay, now that this has been said, the book itself was kind of slow in my opinion. It took almost half the book before anything “bad” happened. Yes, there were some challenging dilemmas in the beginning, but nothing of consequence happened, making everything look really easy. Everything also happened really fast (I don’t know how I can say the book was too slow and too fast, but I just did, so, hopefully you know what I mean….). I also didn’t like that I would be reading one chapter and then the next chapter was taking place over a month later without any warning, that left a lot of confusion on my part.

However, the characters made up for the loss of conflict. I loved each and every one of the characters, as well as their personalities. The detail was also great and I could easily picture what was going on. Even though the book is kind of slow, it is a good story, and I will most likely read book 2 when it comes out. I do recommend it to fantasy lovers, as well as my friends.

Thanks for reading!

“I received this book from Book Look Bloggers for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are my own.”

[destinyisntfree · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this through the BookLook Bloggers Program in exchange for a fair and honest review.

First, let me say that for a book published by a Christian Imprint, I was thoroughly impressed with the fact that the religious aspects in this book were so subtle that, if you did not know to look for them, you would have believed it to be mainstream young adult fantasy fiction. For a lot of people, that is really a good thing.

I was impressed with how well thought out and well written this novel was. I had never heard of the author before but the cover art sucked me in and the description was enough to catch my attention. I mean, really, look at that cover. Isn't that just an awesome cover that makes you want to know what is in the pages?

Cantor's Journey was one that if you think about it enough, can be mirrored in each of our own hearts. The journey to find our way, to learn who we are as we grow up and become the people we are supposed to be. It is a journey that each and every one of us makes, young and old alike, to becoming the people we are intended to be and live the life that the universe has in store for us. I don't think we ever finish that journey until the day we stop breathing.

If you want to know more, pick up the book and give it a read. I really cannot pinpoint much negative about it, except that it was a little slow starting and took me 3 days to finish completely because the beginning just didn't seem to catch on fast enough. Overall, though it was enjoyable and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for our friends.

[Audrey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book was great! For Christian fantasy, it doesn't come across as preachy, but it still has lots of truth , humor, and adventure all mixed together.