Land of the Unknown: Egress is the first book in the Land of the Unknown series by Mario A. Hernandez. Readers looking for an exciting YA fantasy novel to escape will find an engaging storyline waiting for them within this book’s pages.
Land of the Unknown: Egress has a simplistic red cover with golden glitter fringing the top and bottom edges of this book’s cover. You’ll notice in the middle of the cover is an embossing that appears to resemble a coin with a castle on it.
Is this a sign of one of the places where our main character will eventually find himself? Will he meet a king? A queen? Or a proud prince out to defend his country from danger? Below this image, readers will see the word: Egress, the title of this specific story, with a sword sitting behind it.
Land of the Unknown: Egress’s cover may be simplistic, but it holds inside quite a storyline that will draw readers in and leave them eager to find out what happens next.
Land of the Unknown: Egress is the first book in the Land of the Unknown series and details the story of young Jonathan. Author Hernandez introduces readers to Jonathan while he is supposed to be paying attention in school. For some, history is fascinating, for Jonathan…he’d rather be reading his book called the “Book of Embers.” It’s a magic book. No, not a magic (illusions and what not), but magic! It holds within its pages information of another world. Now, does Jonathan know that this book is more than it appears? Yes and no. He has a sense of it but isn’t clear exactly on the depths.
Well, while Jonathan is getting lost in his book, the real world in the Land of the Unknown: Egress, i.e. his teacher and classmates, have turned their attention to him. Oops! LOL! Well, just goes to show…you should really learn to pay attention when you’re in class. You just never know when the teacher is going to call on you. Honestly though, the way that author Hernandez describes the Book of Embers, we’re pretty sure most of us would be absorbed with it as well.
As Land of the Unknown: Egress continues to unfold readers get to know more about Jonathan a little at a time. One thing we learn is that this is not the first time (and probably won’t be the last) that Jonathan has gotten into trouble during class for his book obsession. We also learn that it appears he may have a bully, but that really doesn’t take shape beyond some classroom sniggering. Readers do get to learn a few things about Jonathan’s friendship with Stephen.
These two boys have been friends for a while. Author Hernandez paints a picture of the trope of the boy from the “wrong side of the tracks” being friends with the boy from the “right side of the tracks.” Jonathan is painted as having a life of “privilege” while Stephen has lived a life of lack. The dynamic differences between the boys are explored to a degree in this book, but not in depth.
Author Hernandez is quick to touch on the fantasy element in Land of the Unknown: Egress. It starts off with the sense of something more concerning the book that Jonathan is enthralled with. However, the sense is heightened by a particular character that the two boys cross paths with after school. It’s an innocuous crossing, but that is enough that author Hernandez wants readers to pay attention to.
As Land of the Unknown: Egress continues author Hernandez shows a diverting of the paths when it comes to the two boys. One will “disappear” and we get to see how the community reacts to it. The storyline takes on a strange path in this direction. The speculation and rumor angle isn’t what most readers are going to be expecting. It leans more towards the bizarre extreme than what would be feasibly believable. However, that tends to be the point of speculative rumors.
As the story progresses we get to follow in the path of Stephen with Jonathan being drawn into the fantasy world himself. His quest is to find his friend, but the question becomes – What if? What if Stephen doesn’t want to be found? What if Stephen doesn’t want to come home?
Land of the Unknown: Egress moves at a pretty quick pace for readers who are looking for a story with a good pace. You’re kept engaged as Jonathan finds himself embroiled in a world full of danger. How can he know who to trust? Will he be able to survive the threats that seem to appear around every bend?
You’re going to find werewolves, banshees, goblins, and other creatures scattered throughout this story. With each turn of the page, you will follow along as Jonathan learns little by little about the world he has found himself in and the connection that he has to it. This story will engage readers and keep them coming back for more.
Land of the Unknown: Egress has a lot going for it, but this book needed more details and more drama. We get a nice amount of details concerning certain aspects, but we need to be more concerned with the characters themselves. How old are they? What do they look like? Also, the drama needed to be more to heighten the tension in the story and be less in favor of the good guys so heavily. To have a banshee in the story and she go down as quickly as she does? It’s disappointing.
Land of the Unknown: Egress is a story whose target audience is teens and young adults. It is safe to say that this book perfectly fits that audience. You get drama and fighting without it being overdone to the point of being off-putting. Readers who enjoy cliffhangers will be left wondering what happens next, but they will be sure to keep an eye out for what comes next with young Jonathan.
Pros:
- Engaging storyline
- Page-turner
- Good array of characters
- Nice fantasy element
Cons:
- Not enough details
- Situations go too often in favor of the good guys
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