“No fictional character should know the extent [to which] you love them.” I want to start by saying that I loved the premise of the book - you come home one day and your favorite character is standing in your living room and needs your help? Uh, yes please.

Where I think the idea gets let down is in the pacing (so fast) and the writing style (so repetitive!), as well as in the (lack of) character development. It doesn’t really make sense that Enzo would form such a bond with Aliya as fast as he does, and even the reader knows basically nothing about her by the end of the book. And also, he is kind of a jerk to her! To me, the chapter headings were a little silly, and not a good fit for the chapters themselves, though I did chuckle at the one about Aliya thinking Damon would be taller. I know we are not meant to comment on these types of things, but… an editor is really needed to catch the MANY errors in spelling and grammar, and some (albeit minor) plot holes, such as one character having a bat in the backseat of her car (but she is actually driving another character’s car at the time….).

I really wanted to hear more about the original book series that had made Aliya such a fan. My favorite line in the book - “Even Crown Princes can be side characters in someone else’s story,” - is so awesome, but we hear nothing about that someone else and never learn whether it was a real person or whether it was a story that Sienna had made up.

I did the cliffhanger ending!

Thank you to NetGalley and Akira Varma for allowing me to read an advance release copy of the book; this is my honest review.
3 s Jordyn Shadden18

Thank you to NetGalley and Akira Varma for allowing me a chance to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Have you ever wondered what it would be to meet your favorite fictional book character?

Well, Aliya does.

When she gets home from work one night to find an injured man in her house. She realizes that its Crown Prince Enzo of Ravendore, a character from her favorite book series. The rest of the story from there is a wild ride.

If you :
? Changing timelines
? Fae
? Magic portals
? Adventure
? War torn kingdoms

There's a lot more, but I'll leave it at that.

This book was very fast paced (it takes place over only 2 DAYS) and I found myself flying through it. It was nice to read about the characters of books being placed into our world. I found myself laughing out loud whenever Enzo was riding in a car.

Romance was not the main point of this plot, which is a bit out of the norm for me, but I really enjoyed it. The plot of the book had you wondering what was going to happen next and the CLIFFHANGER at the end of this book. This book isn't even out yet and I need the second one.

A few things that I found was the repetitiveness, it felt sometimes I was reading the same thing over and over and I was just ready to get to the next part. Also the fact that the same words were being used quite often. I don't think I've read the word "unhelpfully" more in my life than I did in this book.

Overall I would recommend this book, just push past the repetitiveness and I think you'll really enjoy it.2 s Steff Fox1,308 159

I was...not going to finish Akira Varma's Only a Portal Away.

About 29 pages in, I decided this book was very poorly written and therefore not worth my time. When I reach this point with a book, usually my first stop is to read the , confirming to myself that it's not about to get better any time soon. And of the I've read thus far, I genuinely do believe this was an accurate assessment.

That said, I also can't in good conscience rate this book a well deserved one-star if I DNF at 11%.

Let me just say that forcing myself to finish this was a chore; but I believe it was necessary because, if nothing else, I think this book does call for an in-depth explanation for why a reasonably good concept just isn't working out and potential readers deserve to know what they're getting themselves into...

"No fictional character should know the extent you love them. Aliya pursed her lips. Her eyes widened at the thought of all the fanfiction that she had read of Enzo. Aliya bit her lip as her breath hitched. Trying to control her emotions was futile at the moment. Her mind raced with all the images from the times she'd imagined Enzo...

He wasn't supposed to know that!

No one was supposed to know that!

That was supposed to be between her and her grave!

He already teased her about the hearts around his name in the book series. What would he even think of her if he saw her browser history? The thought itself was daunting. No hole would be deep enough for Aliya to dive into to escape the embarrassment. He didn't need to know that.

And if she had any say in it, he wouldn't have known any of this.

But she didn't. And here she was, desperately hoping that the hearts around his name were the only thing that Enzo saw."
When I say that the entire book is this, an offhand and disjointed stream of consciousness that jumps from one thing to the next and then circles back to repeat itself all while never actually showing readers anything, I wish I were joking. This small excerpt alone literally repeats itself again with just a single paragraph in between that describes the her fictional crush looking at his hands. And then we get pages of her embarrassment because the author just can't help herself from describing all the things Aliya either owns or has done relating to this favorite character of hers. And then we get repeats of how good this guy looks.

I can't even begin with how many times I groaned at those repeats. My word, they never ended!

And this is without even bothering to get into the abject ridiculousness of assuming someone from a fantasy realm would understand anything about browser history.

Only a Portal Away desperately needs a team of editors to sit the author down and explain all of the cuts it needs to be functionally readable and then discuss how to add content that will move the story along without making it feel rushed. We didn't need to be in Aliya's head this much, rather we needed to see her reacting and learning. We needed to see how these characters might grow to actually feel for each other; Enzo, especially, but yes, even Aliya! There's so much you can do with a plot this and at every turn Varma just failed.

I did not need to be getting direct thoughts from Aliya through the whole novel literally telling me what was going on in her head, I needed the author to show me. As it stands, with all the cuts I would have made due to ridiculous redundancy, this book should have been half as long as it ended up being. The problem with this, of course, is that you've got little more than an outline of your story's plot masquerading as the book as a result.

And this is precisely why the world building and character development felt so lacking—when you fill your novel with pages of useless fluff to meet the word count goals, you have precious little space for the actual story. There's no showing readers evolution of thought or character development when you've spent twelve paragraphs alternating between internal embarrassment and ogling the other character.

Let me put it this way: Enzo's realization of the realities of his situation should not have been something he reached in approximately nine sentences of his dialogue. Just so much else in this book, "What? [...] Uh, yes I am. Are you really sure that I'm fictional? What world is this? What even made you think I'm fictional? Who wrote this book? How do they know so much about this world? Do you know where the writer is? [...] Take me to her," should have taken pages to evolve, especially when a mere minute prior, Enzo had thought the book was a collected written history of a past war.

And I don't think anyone would be surprised to learn that this entire exchange, including the questions in verbatim, repeats several times in the subsequent pages.

I do genuinely believe that this had potential...but for the love of literature, if an author is going to self-publish, they need to spring for a team of good editors. Traditional publishing has them for a reason!

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.annoying arcs bad-writing ...more AkiraAuthor 7 books18

Hello loves!

Thank you very much for taking the time off your day to take a chance on my book! Whether you d it or not, I am just glad that you've given me and the story a chance and for that I am very grateful!

That being said, there were a few points I wanted to share about this book:

1. I wrote this book because of my love for Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender and for my wish for him to be real. (But let's be honest here, I wouldn't be that in love with him if he wasn't a fictional character...)
2. I know there isn't much romance in this book. That was intentional. Actually, there wasn't supposed to be any romance in this book. Aliya is just an escape for Enzo. After dealing with war almost his entire life, Aliya is just a breath of fresh air for him. She's the lifeline he's clinging onto to keep himself sane. Aliya represents the innocence that he's trying to protect is all, which is why he is so defensive about her. He definitely enjoys teasing her but that's all there is to it... for now. So, I'm going to ask you guys, if the person that you considered your lifeline (when you're in one of the lowest point in your life) is in danger, how far are you willing to go to make sure that your lifeline is safe again?
3. Yes, you will see Dark!Enzo in the next book. Sparing no expense in trying to bring Aliya back and safe right beside him.
4. You see that guy that I introduced in the epilogue? The one that makes Aliya scream in the end? His name is Sebastin Arlo Brynn (not a spoiler. I literally tell you this in the prologue of Book 2). Yeah, you guys are going to hate me for writing about him in the next three books. Because I WILL break your hearts with his story. He is my favorite character in the entire series!
5. Oh, yes! That reminds me. This is a four part book series! Here's what the stories will be so far in the next four books:
- Book 2: Enzo, Sienna and Sebastin's POV. Will have more of Enzo's life as a Crown Prince as well as his Dark side as he searches for Aliya. Sienna's backstory in Indresal as well as the story in the books she wrote on Earth. Sebastin's plans. Aliya's story will be interspersed but her POV doesn't come in until the very end. (Sorry for those of you that loved her).
- Book 3: Aliya, Sebastin, Sienna, and Enzo's POV. Yeah, I'm not telling you this information yet.
- Book 4: Aliya, Sebastin, Sienna, and Enzo's POV. You're not getting this info either. (Should I give you a spoiler though?)

Once again, thank you guys so much for giving this book a chance!

Love,
Akira (JJ)

P.S. Book 2 is tentatively coming out Spring/Summer 2025 Aria23

Thank you to Akira Varma and Netgalley for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

As an aspiring writer myself, one of my WIPs actually has the same basic premise: "What would you do if your favorite character suddenly shows up?" which is what made me want to read this book in the first place. The first 20% was... okay, and some parts are great; this book touched on some aspects of "meeting your favorite character" that I haven't quite explored in my own work.

Unfortunately, it's all downhill from there. The grammatical issues and typos are things I could overlook, as they may get fixed in the final version anyway. But so much telling makes the reading experience tedious, and it's hard to overlook how plot-convenient some things could be.

First of all, it's never explained how Aliya could find the address to her favorite author's home SO EASILY, when the said author uses a pseudonym and supposedly protects her identity very well. And then there's the repetitions; this book would describe the same actions and/or feelings more than once at times. In addition, the book would use weird phrases multiple times, such as:
(Statement), that was.
(Statement), her mind added, unhelpfully.
His body ached in places he didn't know he has muscles.

But what bothers me the most is how none of the characters' motivations are explored deeply enough; Enzo wants to return to where he comes from, sure, but after a while he no longer bases his actions on that - and I'm not even sure what Aliya wants. And when I don't get their motivations, I can't relate to them nor care about them.

The two main characters are almost immediately attracted to each other; Aliya, I get, since this is her favorite fictional character in the flesh - but Enzo? Then again, I don't get why Aliya is willing to risk so much - even her life - for Enzo. Heck, I don't even get why the so-called villain is so insistently on their tails. It's this book is trying to do so many things at once.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review1 Naomi32

Thank you Akira Varma for giving me this opportunity to be an arc reader for this book.

Only a Portal Away is the dream for every lover of fiction. When college student Aliya suddenly comes face to face with her (second favourite) fictional character her world tumbles upside down. Prince Enzo has only known war in Indesral. In one of his many battles against the Dark One, he unknowingly creates a portal to Earth where he meets Aliya. Together they go on a quest to find a way back to Indesral. All while being chased by Damon and his beasts.

Aliya is a fierce, funny and loyal college student who represents any girl who gets the chance to meet her (second) favourite character in real life. Enzo is a true procrastinator and charming as hell. I loved how he gets confused by Earth and how he makes mental notes to postpone certain chats with Aliya and others. He loves to tease Aliya when he finds out that she has all kinds of trinkets and merch of him and his world.
The chemistry between Aliya and Enzo is undeniable. While there is not much going on yet, there is definitely a certain attraction between the two. Even though they had a rough start.

The plot is certainly something that will get you on the edge of your seat. Varma knows precisely how to balance humour and tension. The world-building is incredible as well. With magic portals, epic battles and fallen kingdoms. With the multi-POV (mainly of Aliya and Enzo) we get an insight into their confused heads while venturing on their quest. The ending was exciting at the least. When you think it all is over, the more questions you get in return. (Just when Enzo came to Earth)

I'd highly recommend this book to any book lover who wishes for her fictional dream to come true.arc fantasy unreleased Bre62

This was an amazing concept but horribly written. I was drawn to this story by the blurb because it was so unique. Your favorite book boyfriend suddenly appears in your living room, which starts a quest to get him back to his world? Come on- that should be an instant five star read. Unfortunately, this read a really bad fan fiction.

The writing was clipped and disjointed. I’ve never been so upset with the line writing in a story. I understand that what I was given an eARC, but there’s no way the entire book would be so heavily edited by release that every sentence that started with a conjunction would be fixed. Her writing was very repetitive. She’d mention the same thing in the same paragraph, but worded it differently. The author tends to focus on useless things, such as constant back cracking and a whole page about struggling with grocery bags.

The prologue was pointless and confusing. Nothing from the prologue is ever eluded to again.

The characters had so much potential but lacked suitable development. Aliya had the least amount of development. All I know about her is that she’s an engineering student at UGA who lacks the intelligence to understand that what she says to Enzo makes no sense because he is literally from another world. Enzo and Sienna had a decent amount of character building, but Enzo did not come across as likable. There’s even a POV from the villain. I understand him more than I understand the female main character.

I really enjoyed the concept but holy moly, the writing made it an absolute struggle to finish.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC. arcs Charlotte Joyce8

I want to start this of by saying thank you to Akria Varma for giving me the opportunity to be an arc reader of Only a Portal Away.

Being someone who has enjoyed fantasy for years and has always dreamed of what it would be to get to meet a character from a book, the amount of joy I had for Aliya while reading this was unexplainable. She was living my dream.

When ordinary college student Aliya comes face to face with her favourite fictional character, her whole world turns upside down. She is pulled into a war that she has only read about and sees things that seem so unimaginable.

The world-building was amazing, with multiple kingdoms, magic portals, battles, and different creatures you can really imagine everything that is going on. I really enjoyed the muli-POVs giving us insight to each of the characters. I also think that Enzo’s memories were very well done and helped expand our knowledge of the plot as a whole.

The only thing that really bothered me, is how fast the plot moved. I’ve had issues this before, so it might just be a personal preference, but just into the second chapter I felt thrown into so much that I would have preferred a bit more build-up. Though it got better in the second half of the book, everything in general seemed to move really quickly which didn’t feel entirely realistic to me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the cliffhanger definitely got me so I will be watching out for a second book. I would recommend this book to any lover of fantasy who wants to see their own unimaginable dreams come to life. Jackie640 41

An interesting idea with questionable execution.

“Only a Portal Away” finds your average girl Aliya face to face with her favorite fictional character and while they try to make sense of what could make something that possible they realize he may not be the only thing that’s jumped off the page.

Here’s the thing I think any of us who find enjoyment reading have dreamt of a scenario where our favorite characters end up in our world and feel a connection to us that’s just as strong as the one who feel to them but un this version of that fantasy I would have way more questions.

The characters in this are fine with more than a few sharing names to that of The Vampire Diaries but maybe that’s just a coincidence? There’s a lot of repetition in not only plot elements but also character quirks and dialogue which makes it a bit clunky overall.

I agree with some other readers that one of the biggest struggles is that we know next to nothing about the original book series Prince Enzo falls out of so the impact of her meeting him and the rules of the world that’s now bleeding into our reality makes little sense as to why it would be a favorite at all.

I had high hopes for this one but I do hope other readers find enjoyment with the series!

*special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review** 2024-reads fantasy Kims.bookish.reads25

Imagine you get home after a hard day of work or uni and your favorite fictional character is standing in your living room...
That is exactly what happens to Aliya.
Crowns Prince Enzo of Ravendore is standing in her living room and her life will never be the same!

This book contains:
- Fae
- Magic portals
- Kingdoms at war
- Slow burn
- Adventure

This book just had me squealing and giggling the whole time.
The banter between them is amazing and him just being flabbergasted by her world is just too cute.
Also how Aliya is just so embarassed by all the fanart and little knick- knacks she has laying around is hilarious.

The book is really fast paced and i could not put it down! I mean, we all imagined at some point what it would be
to meet our favorite fictional character so to read a book that was amazing!
I loved every single second of it and immediately had to look up when the next one was coming out, cause i
need to know how the story continues!

I highly recommend this book to anyone that always wondered, what it would be , to meet your favorite fictional character!
netgalley lili60 1 follower

This book had such a promising premise ( who hadn't dreamt of their favourite fantasy book bf suddenly turning up at their house?), but unfortunately, the execution felt very poor. So much lost potential.

The plot wasn't very fleshed out, many things felt forced, the insta love Enzo had for Aliya or how ready she is to sacrifice herself after knowing him for only one day.
The writing also could have been better. The story was more told than shown and I couldn't have cared less about the history and the many wars. It lacked at lot of development of the world and the characters. Many things weren't explained good enough for the reader to keep up. At times it felt a lot a movie script for a rushed YA film (I immediately had to think about Abduction or Percy Jackson). Some things were quite unrealistic, how fast Aliya found out the home address of an author who couldn't have been more private and hidden. There were also too many plot holes and mistakes.

2 ? stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review :)arcs-netgalley Adrianna Heaney-velu580 8

“No fictional character should know the extend you love them.”

???Only a Portal Away,” by Akira Varma

Aliya, a struggling college student, comes home one day to find her favorite fictional character in her apartment and he’s injured. Crown Prince Enzo al’Deran goes through a portal to the human realm even though he’s in the middle of a war. Now he and Aliya are trying to find a way to portal him back to his realm.

This book is incredibly adventurous. It had a fun, lighthearted, joking feel even though they are being hunted and then when he dreams of the war, he was in. the banter between the two main characters and the humor of Enzo being so confused by human realm things was very entertaining. The story was interesting and never boring the entire way through. I really d it and can’t wait for the next book. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Slow Burn
-Portal Fantasy
-Multi POV
-Elves

Thank you for the ARC.
Tawnlea45 9

Wow. What a wild ride. All action and adventure with some funny banter mixed in. I was hooked pretty early on with this book.

What happens when your favorite fictional character from your favorite book series shows up in your living room? A whole lot of crazy that’s for sure!

I loved Aliya and Enzo’s initial dialogues and internal musings. I was smiling the entire time she was explaining things cars & airplanes and how it would only take a couple hours to go 100 miles.

I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the overlapping timelines had me so intrigued!

There was some repetitiveness in order to get to those overlapping timelines but ultimately, they didn’t bother me.

I am definitely super invested and want to know what happens next!

If you fun, easy to read, action packed fantasy books check it out!

Thank you NetGalley & Akira Varma for the ARC in exchange for my review!
netgalley-arcs I15 1 follower

This book breathes life into the protagonist's favourite fictional character and book series. It was interesting to see a fantasy we've probably all indulged in be brought to life through the pages of this story.
The light humour in Aliya's thoughts was really entertaining, and Enzo's rogue behaviour and confusion as he navigates the modern human world was comical. The multiple perspectives were fun to explore, but I wanted to feel more connected to Aliya in particular by learning more about her personally. I think that this would be developed in later books within the series, and I'm particularly invested in how things will turn out for Aliya and Enzo.
The book is probably best suited for those looking to read some light fantasy, and would be enjoyable for those interested in fan fiction as a theme.

eARC provided by Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op. Brieanna15

Overall, I would give this book 3.5 stars. It had a really interesting premise that I couldn’t wait to dive into! I mean, who doesn’t dream about falling in love with their favorite fictional character? And while the overall plot line is intriguing, the book fell flat for me.

A lot of the writing seems kind of clunky. I know I received this as an ARC and there is still more editing to go, but the phrasing and repetition of phrases was a bit much for me.

I would have d to see more chemistry built between the two main characters, but it is the first book so I can understand that. But the miscommunication between the two at all times felt a little exhausting. Especially considering they didn’t build any kind of rapport before they started assuming what the other was thinking. netgalley Kristen Tougas46 4

Thank you to NetGalley and Akira Varma for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for my review.

The idea for this book is so fun - what would happen if you found your favorite character from your favorite fantasy series standing in your living room and in need of help? It was a book description that immediately caught my attention.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy most of this book. There are significant spelling and punctuation errors,the characters are not loveable, and the writing is repetitive and redundant. I wish I could give this book a better review, but it was a struggle to read.

If you the description of the book, you might still enjoy the story, but I couldn't overlook the errors and redundancy. I hope others enjoy this more than I did. kalila jones12 1 followerRead

3.5??

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

Aliya (FMC) meets her favourite fictional book character who she finds injured in her home when she returns home from work.
This is definitely a very interesting concept, as I’m not sure I know a single reader who hasn’t fantasised about meeting their fictional boyfriend/s or girlfriend/s, or their favourite girl boss, etc.

While there were comedic portions of the book it was quite a fast paced book (over the space of 2 days) and it was a bit repetitive at times. I think it could have done with some expansion so we really got to know the characters, as well as the book that Crown Prince Enzo al’Deran came from.

The cliffhanger at the end of the book will leave you impatiently waiting for the new instalment! Kylie Clark3

I’m going to start this by saying, I am a very easy to please reader.

I genuinely enjoyed this book! I can think of a few favorite fictional characters that i would just LOVE to show up at my door. The banter was cute, the adventures were so fun and easy to follow. I loved the characters and the relationships they built. The cliffhanger was definitely hangin!

Overall I’d give it a 3.75 star rating (I rounded up). My only “negative” feedback is that sometimes the sentences/words used were a bit relative. Other than that, i really enjoyed the story and will most definitely be reading book two! Anya Grace7

The story is interesting and there is a lot of great potential. I the world building that went on and the characters.

There were a lot of grammatical/sentence errors which kind of distracted from the story. It also felt there was a lot of repeating of the same information sometimes in the same paragraph.

I would have d to maybe stay in one or two POVs to allow for more character growth/internal monologue.

Overall so proud of the author for the work they did on this book it just needed some fine tuning cause everything is there but a times presented a little wobbly. ?? Brianna Wright5

Goodreads review 5/19

Thank you netgalley and Victory Editing for the arc of Only a Portal Away

2.5/5 ??

I really d the idea behind this book and I think most readers have imagined their favorite character coming to life this story. I did have to dnf this book though. The world building and plot line needs some work and I think it could use a few more rounds of revisions. There were just certain aspects that kept me from being able to finish this book but I think it definitely has potential and I'm sure there are others who will love the book. Lacey Lee26

I absolutely LOVED this book. I honestly really enjoyed the back and forth and how it brought the story together from past to present. I fell in love with the characters and really d the way the story ended. I was not expecting the book to end the way it did! I cannot wait for the next book! I highly recommend reading Only A Portal Away! You won’t be disappointed.

PS: I loved the beginning of the book acknowledgment! Tara T3

I enjoyed this book.
What would you do if your favorite character showed up in your house one night? Probably hit them with a lamp and run, but in this case, Aliya, our main character, ends up helping them. Finding out her favorite author is a witch, and magic is real, but so is the very real danger from your fantasy novels, and it's now hunting you. This tends to make one very normal life change completely. Will she get the crown price back to his lands, or will they be too late. Shelby Townsend11

Make sure to read the triggers. This story definitely has some twist and turns definitely wish there was more background to the characters. Along with character development but I’m sure the next book will be even better. The ending was not what I expected it to be. I am looking forward to the next book Thea Pedersen14

I really loved this book, except for the ending. I NEED a book two immediately. I really d the switching point of views, and the switching between our reality and a different world. The storyline and plot was amazing, and this book is the kind of book that will keep you awake till 3 AM. An amazing fantasy and just all in all perfect.

Thanks to NetGalley and Akira Varma for this ARC Ashley17 1 follower

I will start by saying I really enjoyed this book. Thank you for letting me get an ARC of this book. I loved the changing timeline. I will say the cliffhanger has me wondering when book 2 will be released. Eliana150 13

2/5 stars.

Review Soon2024-reads Payton128 1 followerRead

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