The Door to Inferna

by Rishab Borah

Overview

On a winter break from school that should have been nothing but goofing around with his best friends, teenager Khioneus Nevula soon realizes his recent peculiar dreams and visions are cries of help from the strange, mystical, parallel world of Elkloria, whose inhabitants need his special powers to survive. Adopted from unknown parentage, he has always been marked as different by his purple eyes. Now he begins to understand who he really is, and what he must do: open the door to Inferna to save the people of Elkloria. In the mystical land of Elkloria, he meets his twin sister, a proficient mage, a slightly mad scientist, and a princess. In this land, Khioneus is a prince, and he finds himself and his new friends caught in a war between the inhabitants of Elkloria and an ancient and powerful evil.

THE DOOR TO INFERNA, Rishab Borah’s debut novel, is a middle-grade story (ages 11-16) that creates a fantasy world as fully realized as those of Rick Riordan or Tamora Pierce. Elkloria draws on Borah’s interest in mythology, science, and linguistics as well as the imaginative lands he and his friends once inhabited in play—open to all to explore.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941110966
Publisher:	Three Rooms Press
Publication date:	10/20/2020
Pages:	236
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	11 - 16 Years

About the Author

Sixteen-year-old debut author Rishab Borah began creating the world of “Elkloria” at age 11. In its creation, he drew from his many interests including a passion for science, linguistics, programming, and art. He ­currently lives with his parents in the Silicon Valley, California area.

Editorial Reviews

Borah shines, imagining an elaborate universe filled with a variety of creatures, and creating an associated vocabulary.” —School Library Journal

“The imagery is vivid and elaborate . . . . A complex debut that shows promise.” —Kirkus Reviews

"Really enjoyed this book! Great storyline, great characters." Kathy's Book Reviews

“The story is told first-hand with very enjoyable touches, sometimes humorous, other times conveying the urgency of facing an ancient corrupting power.” —Cynthia Parkhill, Santa Rosa Library

"100% recommend[ed] for middle grade readers. Totally age appropriate, good descriptive language, easy to picture scenery, and a moderately diverse group of friends make this a great fantasy read for the age group." —One Reading Nurse

"Escape into a gorgeous world crafted by a passionate, intelligent, imaginative wordsmith. This is no debut. It's a magnificent feast of the imagination. This adventure moves at light speed and is brimming with mythology, science, magic, fantasy, teenage angst, and heart. Follow Khi, Nessa, Metara, and Max on a journey that will leave you breathless long after the last page." —Mark Pelletier, Book Talk

“Rishab Borah's brisk, inventive storytelling channels a coming-of-age tale that dazzles like lightning.” Alvaro Zinos-Amaro, author, When the Blue Shift Comes

From the Publisher

08/28/2020

Gr 6–8—Fourteen-year-old Khaioneus Nevula is starting to question his sanity. He frequently experiences prophetic dreams featuring a girl with a long blue braid. Then he observes a fanged face in the moon, encounters a fairy, and sees a face in his bathtub. Finally, following voices that impel him to make his way into the nearby woods, Khai, who has vampire-pale skin and purple eyes, activates a portal and finds himself on Pyrhithya, a planet in another universe. Here he learns Pyrhithya is his home planet, and he had been placed on Earth with adoptive parents for his safety. He is reunited with his birth family, including twin sister Nessa, and given remedial schooling in wizardry. As the plot progresses, Khai uncovers who he is and the role he plays in the coming showdown between good and evil. While the young author shows promise, this ambitious fantasy, written when he was 13, reveals a lack of sophistication in language, plotting, and pacing. The author is much more comfortable telling the story than showing, and the characters, while interesting (Khai's sister, Nessa, is a delightfully snarky girl who frequently channels Hermoine Granger), need fuller development and more complex emotions. One major character comes out as gay, a storyline that deserves more substance as well. World-building is where Borah shines, imagining an elaborate universe filled with a variety of creatures, and creating an associated vocabulary. VERDICT While this author bears watching, there are better fantasy purchases for a library's budget.—Nancy Nadig, Penn Manor Sch. Dist., Lancaster, PA

School Library Journal

2020-07-28
One moment Khioneus Nevula is enjoying his winter break and the next he is thrown into the world of Elkloria, all while being hunted by the Triskén.

Will Khi learn to harness his magical powers in time to save himself and the Kingdom of Neurazia? Khi has always felt different because he is adopted—and has purple eyes. His life on Earth is short-lived, however, when he comes across a portal in the forest and is suddenly transported to the planet of Pyrhithya in a different universe. There, he learns that he is the Prince of Neurazia. What follows is an adventure in which Khi learns about his past, his legacy, and his birth family, all while caught up in a race to save himself and the kingdom from the dreaded Triskén. The imagery is vivid and elaborate enough that readers can visualize everything distinctly, but stilted dialogue weakens the text. The detailed worldbuilding, which includes a multitude of new terms, can feel overwhelming to track and remember, negatively affecting the pace of the story. Khi’s occasional frustration in having to quickly learn about his new world will mirror the experience of some readers. Before being transported, Khi has pale skin and brown hair; in the fantasy universe, characters have a range of skin tones and hair colors not found on Earth.

A complex debut that shows promise. (Fantasy. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews