Recently I had the pleasure of reading Melissa D. Kline’s middle-grade novel Through the Keeper’s Door. Middle-grade is my favorite age group and fantasy is my favorite genre, so naturally I was excited to read Kline’s debut! The book arrived right before my family and I left for vacation so I had plenty of time to read while curled up on the porch of our beach house.
Through the Keeper’s Door combines several classic fantasy and middle-grade elements—two unlikely friends who stumble into a foreign world together and find themselves facing seemingly insurmountable challenges. A twisting story full of dragons, palaces, kings, and the timeless themes of forgiveness and courage, this is a book I would happily hand over to my younger siblings. The straightforward writing style reminds me a little of C. S. Lewis in The Chronicles of Narnia and I definitely picked up on some nods to George MacDonald’s novel At the Back of the North Wind.
Young readers will easily sympathize with comfort-loving Nicholas (I certainly did) while also relating to Violet’s spunk, curiosity, and fear of being alone. I appreciated Melissa’s words of wisdom sprinkled throughout the book through the characters of the Keeper and Naagat. One of my favorite quotes was by far the Keeper’s explanation of his doors when he says,
“It is a delightful fact, Nicholas Thistlebrae, that doors, when properly opened, do not always lead where you expect they might.”
My age recommendation for Through the Keeper’s Door would be ages 8-10. Parents can hand this book to their children with the knowledge that it is clean, edifying, and entertaining. This book could be a promising beginning for a series, and I look forward to seeing the books Kline gives us in the future!
You can find her on her blog at https://emmathebard.wixsite.com/egrunyan where she posts twice a week on Christianity and creativity.
- Review: Through the Keeper’s Door - October 2, 2024
- Review: Arthur Christmas - December 20, 2023
- Review: Hesselman’s The Golden Key - September 6, 2023
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