The Chrysalis Key

I can not express enough about the plot. The plot is so interesting that you will find yourself gasping everytime you find something new. Thank you so much netgalley providing an arc!
I really like the worldbuilding, and how the author can create a world that has the capability of making us vicariously live through it. I feel like the introduction was a bit too slow-paced for me. The characters are fairly interesting.
Henceforth, it was quite a good read.

I really enjoyed this book! The world building was done really well and the characters were engaging. I really related to them as I myself was in senior high school in 1999 and could recall familiar behaviours from schoolmates. The first book of any series has the tough job of setting the scene and explaining the inner working of their world/magic in a way that's intriguing to the reader and I feel the author has done a very good job that here. I found the pace of the book relevant to the scenes in the story which adds to the readers understanding of the character's mood, thoughts and feelings in the given situation. There are a couple of supporting characters that could warrant their own spinoff story in my opinion (Clementine!) And my absolute fav part of this book is that its set in QLD Australia during 1999; The references made to the 90s were very nostalgic and made me smile.
I also want to point out that having read plenty of sci fi/fantasy genre books - the antagonists are often referred to as the "Dark One" or the "Shadow" or "Chaos" and it’s difficult to feel any sense of danger or unease from them. That’s not the case for here, kudos to the author for not falling into that lazy trap - she actually defines the antagonist and the revulsion I felt when first introduced to him was real. This made for great reading!
Highly recommend this book, it’s fun, its engaging, not too dark, not too light, I found it to be just right. Look forward to the next book in series.

This book was soooo good. It is absolutely gripping, the writing, the descriptions, the characters and the stpryline itself is so rich and wonderful that I havent been able to stop thinking about it since finishing it, nor did I want it to end. I have never wanted to jump into teh pages of a book and live the story as much as I did with this book, I loved it

Netgalley free book for review. Wow that was whacked out and definitely went places I wasn’t expecting which is nice. It was a wild ride. Younger self would have loved it. It’s not quite a five star rating though even with my middlegrade/teen more generous rating applied, but again probably cause I’m an adult reader. Younger me might not have cared so much.

Here’s what I found that I didn’t like so much—and again this is all nitpicking probably. I thought the pacing was a bit weird and the way things happened in the story line didn’t make as much sense to me. Some people show up once or twice and just vanish (they might come up in later books?) and I kept thinking Mr White Cat might show up again but it never did, which I feel is a bit of a loss. 🤷‍♀️

For as many places as we got to the world felt a bit small. The school’s barely described at all and we only get to a handful of other places/houses. This will probably be expanded on in future books but I would have liked more world building.

Also heaven help you if you’re a younger sibling in this book, you’re pretty much doomed.

I’ll probably try the next book as well, whenever that’s scheduled for release…..

Book reviewed through Netgalley
I wish I had more time with this title, I guess I'll just have to try to convince the library to buy it won't I?
I think the description of Harry Potter meets Breakfast Club is pretty accurate!
The writing is superb and not too dense for younger readers.
My only complaint would be that the cover is a little... dated feeling? It might not attract the right age group.

A huge thank you to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and of course E.P. Bali for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.

This was such a fun ride. The magic and world-building in this book were both fantastic and I enjoyed seeing the world build on itself. This is a great book for those who liked Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, or Pendragon.

While it may not have been my favorite story- purely me and nothing else- I can see why many people will love this world and this book. Can’t wait to see where this goes.

Another multiple point of view book, which I love! The characters in this book were very well thought out and fleshed out. I really felt genuine connection to each and every one of them. The world this was set in was described so wonderfully. I found myself not wanting to put it down because I just had to know what was going on with each person. I loved watching each of their strengths play out in this wonderful book!

Thank you NetGalley, author E.P. Bali and the publishing company BooksGoSocial for providing an ARC of The Chrysalis Key for me to read and review. I really enjoyed reading the book and look forward to the next in the series collectively known as The Travellers. If you like Fantasy, Magic, Ensemble Cast, and Adventure, this book is for you!
The story is told from the perspective of the characters, mostly from the main protagonist Henry and his high school friends Aiden, Hugh, Melanie, and Julia. There are also chapters where other side characters are narrating like Deagon and Beatrice but those are relatively few. The main cast is the high schoolers and they were together because they were all doing morning detention. They weren't friends in the beginning, but when a mysterious group of magical beings led by the Red General took over their high school and started kidnapping children, the gang of kids decided to run away from the danger. Henry leads the group through a magical door and it leads them into a magical world where the adventure begins.
I like that each chapter has a corresponding drawing/sketch to foreshadow the contents of that chapter, and I really like the amount of art that's in this book. It makes it a fun reading experience, as well as help guide the reader in visualizing the story setting. I also liked reading the chapters from the different character's perspectives because the reader gets to really understand what the character is like. There is a relatively large cast so it took a while to remember who each character was and what their priorities or motivations were, but once you get the hang of it, the narration is very interesting.
As for the story and the fictional world itself, I really liked getting a glimpse of Chrysalis and I hope the next book will spend more time there. Also, many other locations and the mysterious White Lady were introduced and I want to know more about it! I think this book made the Chrysalis universe very intriguing and I can't wait to read what's next!

This is a young adult portal fantasy and is the first in a new series.

Our main characters are a group of 16/17 year in Brisbane in 1999. One of them is given a mysterious key and the next day some strange men appear, kill the headmaster at their school and threatened the students that this key must be found. Our group run, and end up using the key to open a door into another world.

There's powers being awakened, trying to stay one step ahead of the bad guys (and defeat them) while flipping between worlds and a school of magic to be found. There is alot happening in this book and it is quite chunky for the first in a series!

It is firmly YA unlike a lot of other fantasy series which skews towards a more NA target, although there are a couple of references which seem less appropriate for a younger audience

I really enjoyed this - there's a lot of world building and establishing all the characters, along with their abilities and where they're each going. So a lot to digest, but still feels like a complete story while leaving you wanting more.

I bought it after finishing the ARC, looking forward to the next book!

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley #netgalley

Facebook kept me up till 2:00 a.m. reading I couldn't put it down!

AHHHHHHHHHHH

You need to read this book. It's been a LONG time since I read something that actually kept me on the edge of my seat, obsessively reading because I could NEVER figure out the plot twists.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.***

If Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and The Breakfast Club had a love child, this book would be it. Absolutely magnificent! I could not put this book down! I was so sad when it ended! It has been a long time since a fantasy novel has taken me in its grasp! I seriously could not get enough of this book! I’m so excited for the rest of the series to come! The characters are well written, and the world-building is fantastic! I was always sucked into the story and forgot I was even reading. I thoroughly enjoyed the 1999 time setting and the fact that there was no romance needed to make this book interesting. There was always something happening and plot twists to keep you on your toes! I want to buy a physical copy of this book just to have it on my shelf.

The Chrysalis Key is about a group of five kids who have gone about living their normal lives when, oddly enough, they all end up in detention for various reasons. Suddenly they find themselves thrust into a world of magick, creepy beings, and a magickal school that will leave you on the edge of your seat. From odd family drama, friendships that will last a lifetime, to the front lines of magickal spells and curses...this book seems to have it all.

There were constant plot twists and eerie scenes that left me quite literally gripping my kindle. I am so incredibly happy with this book! I cannot express enough how much i have enjoyed this novel! Definitely 5/5 stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for an action-packed, magical read! This book will not let you down! Fast, fun and gripping! I look forward to when the rest of the series comes out! They will definitely be at the top of my TBR when they come out!

The Chrysalis Key is a fantastic YA story about a group of teens who after finding a key, go through a door to another world. There they find the Chrysalis school. While I found the first quarter of the book kind of slow, I think that was because it focused a lot on the character Henry who I did not really get into. Once we start spending time with Hugh, Mel, Aiden, and Julia, things really pick up. The Chrysalis school and the teachers and people around it are really great. Each character brought something special and different to the plot. I especially enjoyed Mel and Hugh who have to really work and train their powers. I think Aiden and his fascination with the dark school is going to be a big storyline and I can't wait to spend more time at that place. This has so much potential. I can't wait for book 2.

In the summer of 1999 in the unassuming Brisbane town of Breakfast Creek, five teenagers find themselves up against a demonic General of Darkness.

Henry, Melanie, Julia, Hugh and Aiden never expected their detention to result in the execution of their school principal.

All of a sudden they are on the run from a demonic General with a penchant for collecting children.

Chrysalis school has slept for 50 years. But now she’s ready to awaken.

The course of their lives is going to change forever.

An eye catching cover that immediately caught my attention. Wow what a book. I am still sat thinking about this book even though I finished it a few days ago.

The plot and story was creative and imaginative, with a great cast of characters throughout. It was great swapping between all the different characters perspectives, it really gave each character a chance to shine and develop.

This book kept me hooked the whole read! It reminded me so much of the books that I read when I was younger and I loved it for it! The magic system is well-developed as well as the world-building and the characters complement each other very well! I recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun and magical read, you won´t regret it! Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

The Chrysalis Key was a pretty fun read! I enjoyed the late 1990s setting as it was nostalgic for me and a little different from many more recent YA releases that are more contemporary. I enjoyed the multiple POV chapters, although it did take some time to connect to every character/keep them straight in my mind. I also liked the Breakfast Club-esque start to the story that turned fantastical. It did read more like a true YA than a lot of recent releases aimed at a more new adult/adults reading YA audience so I'm very comfortable recommending this widely to its intended audience.

Five teenagers are joined together and learn they have magical gifts and attend a magical school. The description of Breakfast Club meets Harry Potter is very fitting for this story! It moved a little slow for me but the world building was interesting as were the magical elements and the story overall. I’m interested to see what the next book in the series offers as well! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy!