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The Spider Gem - Portal Chronicles 1
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Plot Summary of The Spider Gem - Portal Chronicles 1
"The plot centres around three Earth teenagers, Ashley from Oregon USA and two Welsh boy, Mike and Rhys. The teenagers accidentally trigger a magical force when they find and connect a magical pendant and ring. All three are thrown into the world of Portalia where they arrive in the city of centaurs, Eumor. Here they befriend a young female centaur and the centaurs agree to help the earthlings return home.
To do this they must join forces with the centaurs, together with the friendly Portalia races of humans, elves and dwarves, to fight against an ancient foe, recently reawakened after many generations.
This foe, a warlock, has forged a mighty army of strange rock hewn creature known as the Graav couple with a huge force of spiders, called forth from various worlds by the use of a crystal known as The Spider Gem."

Gene Vernon, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of The Spider Gem - Portal Chronicles 1
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 20%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 20%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 30%




Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - part earth & part fantasy world
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - roaming fantasy world, battling hostile monsters
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - champion of justice
Age: - a teen
Has magical/special powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main character: - teleportation
How sensitive is this character? - middling sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Strong but gentle sense of humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence
Physique - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - magical being
Profession/status: - mage/magician
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric: Yes - eccentric - obsessed - deluded - emotionally unstable
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - an average amount
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - average physique

Setting
Terrain - Mountains
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
scientific jargon? (SF only) - a moderate amount of scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
Most similar books to The Spider Gem - Portal Chronicles 1
Dragon's Pawn by Carol Dennis
The Woods Out Back - Dragonslayer 1 by R.A. Salvatore
The Dragon and the George by Gordon R. Dickson
The Necklace of Stones by Philip J. Carraher
Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein


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Taff Lovesey Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
Gene Vernon  

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