Published: June 08, 2009
Words: 83,166 (approximate)
Language: English
ISBN: 9781452301228

Short description

Book One in the Portal Series. Sam has been missing for two years and Kate has coped without her. Suddenly in a flurry of magic, Sam is back but what is following her? Can she stay this time and how much does Lily actually know?

Extended description

Book One in the Portal Series.

Sam was gone, and no one knew where or why. Her car was found near the old oak tree, empty and abandoned. There was no sign of foul play, but also no sign of Sam, except for footprints that led to the oak tree...and stopped.

Two years later, her best friend Kate still cares for Sam’s children, waiting for Sam to return for them. Then one day she does. “I don’t have long,” Sam says. “Can you help me?” Kate must help her return home from a place that is closer than you might think, but still a world away.

Sam's escape is just the beginning of her journey. Sam must go back to confront and defeat her abductor, leaving Kate to care for her children. Sam returns to the old oak tree, and the Portal to the world where she was held prisoner. In a whirlwind world of magic and monsters, where people and things are not who or what they appear to be, there are hard choices ahead, and Sam must learn if she's strong enough to make them.

Tags

fantasy, magic, paganism, witches, pagan, portal, sarah barnard, samhain, solstice, portal sundered, ethics trading, portal series

Available ebook reading formats

Single purchase gains access to all formats. How to download ebooks to e-reading devices and apps.

Format	Full Book	Sample First 25%
Online Reading (HTML, good for sampling in web browser)	Buy	View sample
Kindle (.mobi for Kindle devices and Kindle apps)	Buy	Download sample
Epub (Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and most e-reading apps including Stanza, Aldiko, Adobe Digital Editions, others)	Buy	Download sample
PDF (good for reading on PC, or for home printing)	Buy	No sample available
RTF (readable on most word processors)	Buy	No sample available
LRF (Use only for older model Sony Readers that don't support .epub)	Buy	Download sample
Palm Doc (PDB) (for Palm reading devices)	Buy	Download sample
Plain Text (download) (flexible, but lacks much formatting)	Buy	No sample available
Plain Text (view) (viewable as web page)	Buy	No sample available

Videos

The Portal Between - a trailer in 30 seconds.
A short slide show trailer I made. Less than 30 seconds and no audio.

Reviews

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Review by: Linda Rae Blair on Nov. 09, 2011 :
This novel had all the possibilities of a really good read but was a little disappointing. I wanted to find myself enjoying the "other world" and it's characters but it fell flat. The mysterious place inside the oak doesn't have a name, doesn't have enough buy-in in the beginning for you to care about what is going on there.

I would have liked to have really cared about the other world and what happened there. It just didn't quite get me there. The author waited until the end to give you anything to care about, and it was just too little too late.

Then there is the relationship between Kate and Sam which I found unnecessary to the story. They could have been sisters, close childhood friends--but the author made them lovers which isn't my preferred reading material. If this is something you enjoy reading, you'll care deeply about these two characters and their friend Lily. There's is a very tight relationship brought to the breaking point. Them, you will care about.

Another problem I had was the emotional distance between Sam and her children. There also seems to be some distance between the author and these abandoned children. The two children who were abandoned appear to have gotten through all this with no emotional scars, while Kate's child is affected. I fear this is unrealistic and leaves me concerned for them more than Kate and Sam.

All in all, it just wasn't my "cup of tea" although I did feel it had great possibilities--it just didn't deliver.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: The Writing Network on Nov. 05, 2011 :
I found myself drawn into this book from the first page. She dragged me through the story and intertwined my thoughts with the lives of the women within these pages. Everything was created with great life and energy. The story is enjoyable and I couldn't put the book down.

Ms. Barnard has found herself stuck with this devoted fan of her writing and incredible creations.
(reviewed the day of purchase)

Review by: professr on Nov. 05, 2011 :
The concept seems good, but I had a difficult time reading past the first dozen pages or so. I understand the difficulty involved in proofreading and editing a book, but it seems a little premature to be charging $2.99 for something with significant, repeated grammar problems. I look forward to reading an edited version if/when it comes out, and I'll definitely consider purchasing it again if that happens :)
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

Review by: Dorothy Koch on Sep. 16, 2011 :
I thoroughly enjoyed The Portal Between. I followed the three women, and cheered for them as they fought to take back their lives. Well written, imaginative, engaging ... what more could I ask for!
(reviewed long after purchase)

Review by: karen day on Aug. 07, 2011 : (no rating)
Hard to get into in the first couple of chapters some skipping about that was a little confusing but overall good read.
(reviewed within a month of purchase)

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