Scriptures & More | Book Reviews

This is a story kids will love to read because of the creepy, slimy, and surreal creatures; parents will love their kids to read this book because Dan Clay’s adventure is full of moral lessons. The book is enjoyable and fun.

by Tracy Terrell | Source:

The Quest of Dan Clay

A World Away carries the reader into the deepest labyrinths of one’s imagination through the chilling tale of creatures only dreamt of. Smith weaves a tapestry of characters and plot leaving the reader with a range of emotions…but always wanting more. Dan Clay and his companions meet challenge after challenge in search of his lost brother and in so doing, find even more than they bargained for…more adventure and more learning about themselves. The well-crafted story leaps from the pages and mesmerizes one into A World Away.

This Catholic adventure story joins four diverse companions to face the evil forces of an unknown world, armed with only worldly weapons, at first. However, they slowly learn that the most effective weapons at their disposal are the spiritual truths they had been taught and have taken for granted. It is a must that everyone, from ages 13-82, read this suspenseful and intriguing book. I await, with eager anticipation, Smith’s sequel to learn what happens to these adventurers in the mysterious castle.

Nine hundred years ago, fifty men committed such unspeakable acts that even hell proved insufficient punishment for them. To avert a potential underworld mutiny of horrific proportions, these fifty insurrectionists were relocated through a portal from the pit of hell to the dark Eldritch Forest of another world, parallel to our own. Upon their banishment, the condemned were transformed into hideous half-man and half-serpent creatures.

Thirteen years ago, William Clay -- then a mere child -- disappeared from a nearby forest, never to be seen again. Only recently, his younger brother, Dan, acquired information on the forest fables from a questionable source. After analyzing fact and legend, Dan suspects that his brother may have fallen through the portal into the parallel world and is being held captive by the fifty fiends. Join Dan and three friends as they embark on an out-of-this-world journey where they are hunted by savage beasts along the footpath to a demonic castle.

The pages are your passport to A World Away, where the unimaginable becomes reality, the unnatural becomes the norm, and the uninvited become fitting prey. A World Away is spellbinding and suspenseful, with a great number of unimaginable creatures, which the reader encounters on his or her journey through Eldritch Forest in search of the sinister castle and the missing brother. “A World Away is very exciting and engaging. I would categorize this book as science fiction/fantasy and as such involves a great deal of creativity and imagination.” - Rev. James Spahn, Pastor Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church - Colorado.


About the Author

Shortly after receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, T. J. Smith embarked upon a career as a development officer with a nonprofit association. Ambitious to compose Christian adventure fiction, Smith authored A World Away at the suggestion and encouragement of a friend. The subsequent installments, The Harrowing Escape and The Sinister Realm, continue the perilous adventures of Dan Clay and his companions. Smith is currently employed as a fund-raising specialist with a Catholic organization.

A World Away (ISBN: 1602473250) is available online at: amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, booksamillion.com, bordersstores.com, target.com, and tatepublishing.com.