Kevin Martinez and the Crimson Knights

The writing style reminded me a lot of the Percy Jackson books. Anyone who has read those books, will right away love this book. The writing flows easily, and is a very pleasant story line overall. Would love to be able and read more from this author.

this was a lot of fun to read, it had what I looked forward to a young adult novel, the characters were great and it was a fun read.

When you have a series title like Kevin Martinez and the Crimson Knights, it brings up thoughts of smash hits like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson (which is a lot to live up to). M.A. Torres’ first book in the series, A Game of Mirrors, does not disappoint.

The main character Kevin is sent to another world (Derathiel) through a mirror when he is forced to enter a haunted house by his bullies. The story is reminiscent of a Dungeons and Dragons adventure come to life. Instead of having athletic heroes with useful abilities, this is a quest for a bunch of nerds. Between the storytelling, the plotline, and the unique characters the feeling while reading is akin to being brought into a movie adventure (instead of simply reading a book). They used to simply role-play parts in fantasy adventure quest, now they are living it (better them than me haha).

The inclusion of weapons with histories and names in this story (Flameclaw, Tombstone….) was a unique twist that reminded me a lot of other famous weapons like Excalibur. It was comical to see the various pop culture references in the book. I was constantly laughing while reading this book.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series (coming out in December 2020), Rise of the Whiteface Order. This series is marketed as a read for a younger audience, but readers of any age should enjoy this without any issue.

NOTE: I received a free e-ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. This did not affect the content of my review in any way.

My name is Kevin, and I was transported through a mirror to a medieval world of Derathiel along with our school bully. Zander was anxious to go home, but I was willing to stay and help Ser Jey defend the queen against Raven and his growing army. Jey said Raven has already sent lieutenants through the mirror, so our world is also in danger. I'm clearly a nerd, but people from our world might actually have special abilities here. Jey has a flaming sword; I wonder what weapon might choose me. After returning home, I'm now going back to Derathiel with two of my best friends, Matthew and Jake. It's hard to believe we'll make a difference in the war, but we're determined to try.

I chose this book from a Net Galley email based on the book's description. Much of the plot was fairly predictable which made the events easy to follow. A prophecy spoke of a warrior from another world coming to save everyone, and this character's identity wasn't revealed until the end. It wasn't a surprise. Kevin's quick willingness to join a battle, in a world he never knew existed, was unexpected, since the alternative was to return to the safety of his own world. I also didn't anticipate characters coming and going through the portal so frequently. Kevin needed to balance saving Derathiel with spending more time with his own family; mom's orders. The plot included the bully, but I was trying to figure out how he fit into future events. He had no interest in returning to Derathiel, so I wasn't sure why the author had him make the trip in the first place. Kevin tried being nice to him, so it's unclear if the kindness will have any effect. We'll see if the sequel sheds more light on this character. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot, as I await the arrival of book two.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a lot of fun to read. I loved how the author was able to incorporate creepy elements into the story so well like when they were telling the story of how Jey got into Derathiel in the first place, I also loved reading about the characters and their struggles, mental and physical. One thing I didn't enjoy as much was how the bullies seemed painfully cliched, like when they were first talking to the boys in the cafeteria in the first chapter. Aside from the one issue, I had lots of fun reading this, and I loved how the author did such a great job with the setting and description in the book, and how they pulled you into the character's world like the mirror pulled the characters into Derathiel.

This was honestly a very well-written book that any age group can enjoy!

Kevin Martinez has real problems in his life. He and his friends are getting bullied on a daily basis, the girl of his dreams is probably in a relationship with someone popular, and his mom is struggling to make ends meet. But when he accidentally ends up at another realm after a scare-dare gone wrong, he finds out that not all heroes are born strong and brave - some become so when the need arises. And Kevin considers the possible danger the strange new world is in - along with his own back home - a very strong need indeed.

I loved this book so much! It had it all! Magic, and chosen heroes, and dark powers! Fight scenes and humor and camaraderie. And it also had some parts that were really scary and set the story apart from your typical kid literature. I swear, I nearly screamed at the basement scene.

It even had the classic school bully, but with several hints that we might get a redemption arc on the guy. (I hope I'm right on this, I mean, I was right about Jey and the prophecy part, and I really had to stop reading to calm my ugly sobbing even when I knew it was coming)

All in all, the story has great potential to become an amazing series. Even when some parts were obvious, there were others that really had me shocked, and that was a delight.

P.S.: I should have posted this review sooner, back when the author had asked for reviews to be posted and promised the second book as a reward (that's how desperate to see what's coming next I am!), but adult life just couldn't let me have the time...
P.P.S.: Jake dear, please forget about Maria Harris, and jump on the Jake-Ana ship with me! She's a better match for you, anyway!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***