Conor and The Crossworlds Book Two: Peril in the Corridors
Kevin Gerard
Review by Mary Aycock
The author, Kevin Gerard, lives in San Diego, CA, with his wife and
four children. When he is not busy being a successful professor of
sociology and statistics for California State University, San Marcos,
you will find him doing fun things with his extended family in and
around the San Diego area. The Crossworlds series provided the
main impetus for his decision to pursue a professional writing career
and may prove to him that he can now concentrate on writing full time,
to the exclusion of all other endeavors.
This second quest into the Crossworlds brings us into our main
character’s life two years after the first story. The Lady of the Light
appears in Conor Jameson’s bedroom and asks him to accompany her back
into the Crossworlds to assist with a problem that was actually created
when our young hero and his mentor, Purugama, had their first
adventures together. Completely by accident, Purugama and Conor
unknowingly created a situation whereby the Crossworlds corridors have
been weakened and are now in danger of being destroyed by the Circle of
Evil. Many horrible and treacherous evildoers had escaped their
bonds when the corridors were weakened and could no longer hold them
captive. Now they are on a vengeful drive to destroy all forces
of good and all means of traveling through the Crossworlds corridors.
Conor decides to accompany the Lady of the Light to the Glade of
Champions, where he meets Maya and the other Crossworlds Champions,
Eha, Ajur, Surmitang and Therion. All of the Crossworlds
Champions are amazing and endearing but GIGANTIC members of the cat
family, just as Purugama was. Anyone who is a cat lover, including
myself, would give their left arm to be in Conor’s position,
meeting and being mentored by a giant Panther and Cheetah and Tiger and
Lion, not to mention Maya, who has the outward appearance of a gigantic
domestic cat, but is the Lord of the Crossworlds Champions.
All are vested with special powers, which Conor gets to feel and enjoy
and practice, as he accompanies Maya on several perilous quests to
repair the Crossworlds corridors. Maya is the only one of
the huge cats who can travel with Conor through the Crossworlds, but
the other cats are able to lend Conor their powers and magical
abilities to help him fight the many terrifying foes that are trying to
prevent the corridor repairs. In order to give Maya the
time he needs to work the repairs on the corridors, Conor must battle
and defeat a human-dragon mutant, a formless entity and a
shape-shifting master of darkness. Oh, the deliciously
scary things we come face to face with on this journey!
The action-packed fast pace will have you turning page after page as
fast as possible to see what comes next, because this author holds
nothing back in his quest to show you every corner of the Crossworlds
and all the dangers that lurk within. As Conor battles each
wicked foe, your heart beats faster as you try to think past what is
happening to all of the possible outcomes, only to be surprised by the
turn of events. The battle scenes are huge in
dimension and impact as Conor fights for his life, using his wits and
the powers of the mighty Crossworlds Champions. What incredible
powers he wields as he fights the best (or is that the worst?) that the
Circle of Evil can throw at him. Entire worlds are involved; the
span of our imagination grows with each battle. As I was reading,
I kept envisioning these scenes on a big screen, wondering how the
movie world would create the amazing things that come straight from
this author’s incredible imagination. This mind-blowing
series of battles against the Circle of Evil’s finest team of
destroyers would be quite a feat to translate to the big screen, but my
goodness, what an awesome thing that would be to see and to
hear! Hollywood, are you paying attention here????
I was impressed with the first book of “Conor and the
Crossworlds” and was wondering if the second book would be as good as
the first or, as sometimes happens, not live up to the promise. Well,
let me tell you, I was NOT disappointed after reading the second book
in a series that is turning out to be a highly entertaining and
enjoyable read. There is so much MORE in this second book for everyone
to enjoy, fast paced action, close calls around every bend, tender
moments between Conor and the amazing giant cats who are the Crossworld
Champions, surprises, treachery, deception, battles to end all battles
and foes that will curl your hair! There is a
wonderful sense of right fighting against wrong in Conor’s perilous
journey and you see him grow stronger and wiser with every
confrontation. I truly think that we, as readers, grow with
him and learn with him and come away with the sense that we want to
change our world for the better, now that we know what can go horribly
wrong if we continue as we are. Three cheers to the author,
Kevin Gerard, for giving us reality’s lessons disguised as enchanting
fiction.
I was carried along on this journey with Conor and Maya and the other
Crossworld Champions and they will always be a part of my heart.
This book will have to be reread, slowly this time, just so I can savor
the relationships and the experiences once more. The author
has left me with a deep hunger for the NEXT book in this series and,
for all the world, I have NO idea where his imagination is going to
take me next time, but I am ready for the ride! Bring it on,
Kevin, but please bring it on SOON!