Two if by Dark Reverie: Part II (Worlds Beyond Scripture, #4) by Byron Fortin

Two if by Dark Reverie: Part II (Worlds Beyond Scripture, #4) Reviews

• 
  Dave Saari

  A Good Story Struggling to Get Out
  
  I tried very hard to like Byron Fortin’s novel, “Two if by Dark Reverie, Part II,” the fourth book in his “Worlds Beyond Scripture” series. The author sent me a detailed summary to help me understand the background developed in the three previous books, and I think without that I would have been pretty much lost. Even with that summary, I had some trouble with the multiple characters who appeared here and there with no introductory remarks, but I was generally able to follow along. Fortin has obviously put a great deal of effort into building his characters and the world they inhabit, and for that I commend him. I even detected a pretty good story lurking within his words, a classic tale of good and evil – protagonist Ambrosia discovers inner powers previously hidden to him under the tutelage of teacher/mystic/object of desire Regina (whom everyone refers to as “Regeena” for some reason), then uses them to escape multiple attempts by mysterious evildoers to thwart him. The next installment promises further efforts at unmasking said evildoers and saving the world.
  
  The book is a first person narrative by Ambrosia, featuring long soliloquies on a vast array of topics, ranging from the history of the Roman Coliseum to the big bang and advanced string theory (including footnotes on such topics as Evolution, Charles Darwin, Genetic Drift, Polymerase chain reactions, Galileo – even Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham) mixed in with equally long-winded dialog and multiple action sequences. The time frame seems to be the not too distant future, and Fortin describes several interesting technologies such as an advanced stealth aircraft with deployable avian wings for emergencies, advanced high-speed motor cars, and luxurious bullet trains. Yet Ambrosia’s journey with Regina also features a long trek in a horse-drawn stagecoach, and at one point he manages to outrun a tsunami on horseback.
  
  Unfortunately, for me, Fortin’s chosen writing style just gets in the way of the story. His descriptions are very long and at times only semi-coherent. The characters speak in an old-fashioned, wordy manner that seems at odds with the advanced technologies, and several have exceedingly annoying verbal tics. I upgraded the book to three stars in spite of the writing, not because of it.
  
  I do think there are fantasy/sci fi fans who would enjoy the book (it has several five-star reviews, after all), but I’d recommend they start with Book 1 rather than diving into Book 4.
• 
  Miriam Yvette

  Two if by Dark Reverie, Part II, Book 4 by Byron Fortin begins with Ambrosia taking a flight and meets an old woman named Mona who refreshes his memories on the events that I’m certain occurred in Part I. Ambrosias aims to recover his lost memories, not knowing he is also unveiling his identity that ties with Mona. The beginning really got me hooked. But then the chapters felt like they wouldn’t end or reach the point. Ambrosia would stay in one scene for too long, showing everything he did and not what was happening in the now and maintaining a hook. The dialogue also dragged the conversation, making an effort to keep me interested.
  
  Magical realism is a strong element in this book. Fortin definitely has a skill in first-person POV. It made Ambrosia likable throughout the book, as he is repeatedly trying to figure out why he’s having these out of body experiences. Before picking up this book, I suggest starting from Book 1 as it will be easier to catch up to the scenes that take a big turn at the end of Book 4.
  
• 
  Jack Williamson

  This was an amazing story, one of those rides that make you sad once they are over. An adventure with lots of mystery, that captivated me.
  
  The plot was really entertaining, and the action was well paced. A nice set of characters that interacted in the most interesting dialogues.
  
  One of the aspects that I'd like to highlight of this book is the worldbuilding, the author masterfully blends the real world with fantasy, resulting in a convincing yet fascinating combination.
  
  This book had some adult content, which made the plot to be more convincing and mature in my opinion. Highly recommended to fantasy fans.
• 
  Victoria Ray

  I really enjoyed the next book in the Worlds Beyond Scripture series, Two if (part 2, book 4). I liked the world that had been created, the characters, and especially the progression of the plot, which unfolds gradually from an intriguing magical beginning to the satisfying end. The descriptions are excellent! I also enjoyed how the author shared the protagonist’s suspicions, thoughts, creating dark mystery, and growing the picture of who he is, as we see things and people through his eyes. I was emotionally involved with the characters, and I was impressed with the author’s writing skills. Recommending for dark fantasy, paranormal, occult mystery fans.
  
  
  
• 
  Themindofsarah

  Another stunning read from Byron Fortin...
  I simply love this author's writing style and get carried away by his clever workings of a liquid language, laid upon the pages by skilled hands as pigment on the mind's canvas. The action mixed with the sultriness kept me glued with this newest book in the series upping the ante for Ambrosia, and it took this epic in a direction I didn't see coming. I love where it went though, and can't wait to see where it goes next!
  I need book 5 now please!!!
• 
  Jay

  Reading more like a lengthy chapter of a much longer book, rather than a complete book within a series, this book does not hold the reader's hand nor does it do much, if anything, to welcome new readers.
  
  The barrier to entry for those who have not read the previous books in the series is incredibly steep and there is a lot of assumed knowledge and little explanation or summary of previous events.
  
  The author provided me with a lengthy summary of the story thus far, in preparation for reading this book for review, and yet, despite this, I initially struggled to follow the story or understand the relationships between the characters. The reader is thrown into the story right from the first page, and characters with apparently complex backstories and history interact and have conversations which are clearly continuations from those in previous books. For those familiar with
  Robert Jordan, reading this book is akin to picking up one of the middle books in his Wheel of Time series and attempting to follow the saga.
  
  Once the reader accepts their place in this world, however, there is much to enjoy here. The world feels fleshed out and three dimensional, which is hardly surprising given that this is the fourth entry into the World Beyond Scripture series, and the characters are complex and interesting. The writing is interesting, with sometimes quite beautiful descriptions and turns of phrase, and the story intriguing.
  
  The real enjoyment and interest here is in the theological and philosophical conversations that happen between the characters (sometimes at what would appear to be inappropriate times, such as during a plane crash). Even if these conversations are clearly part of larger ones spanning the series, the author's passion for the subject is abundantly clear and this counts for a lot.
  
  These conversations are interspersed with moments of intense action, which are written well and with a level of tension that will keep the reader engaged. This blend of philosophy and action brought to mind
  The Da Vinci Code, and the writing in this book captures the cinematic feel that
  Dan Brown did in his.
  
  As it is the book left me wishing for more, not least because it is clearly left open for yet another entry into the series, and I am sure that fans of the series will not be disappointed.
  
  Summary
  
  Newcomers to the Worlds Beyond Scripture series may struggle to engage with this book, as the prior books in the series are definitely required reading. The story takes off at a cracking pace from the first page and nothing is done to introduce the new reader to the world or the complex characters. I would consider this book to be only for existing fans of the series.
• 
  Balroop Singh

  Two if by Dark Reverie: Part 2 is an excruciatingly slow book written in a rambling style with no plot and no character building. Ambrosia drawls on and on and on with his narration of dreams or hallucinations, which he is unable to understand. Nothing makes sense till he pushes his fears aside and talks about them to Regina. It’s not clear what the dreams are…Look at this insane sort of example: “The better part of me literally turns to ash in my hands – all hopes and dreams, crushed to dust before these eyes – taken, blown away on the winds of dismemberment. In my helplessness, I stand there, naked and alone forevermore. And I know it is my fault she is gone.” And the reader doesn’t even know who she is and what is his fault? I guess she is the woman who haunts her in his dreams. It goes on in the same ambiguous manner, failing to hold my attention.
  
  After a lengthy discourse on evolution, corporate greed, unnecessary description of train tickets, the setup of train car and station and how to restore faith in government, the protagonist reaches a castle where he gets acquainted with himself after a long drawn out hallucination of fire and then water. Regina is instrumental in reminding him about his command over the elements; the light that exists inside him and how to bring it out. I tried hard to understand the symbolism of lust, fire and water.
  
  My head kept spinning, as I tried to finish this wildly imaginative and bizarre book. There is another irritation: the use of extra “rs” in the dialogues of Regina, all over the book. Example: “Wherrre the parrrt rrreflects the whole, a life forrrce trrranscends…” Mind boggling!!
  
• 
  Trish Butler

  Best to read earlier books in the series first
  
  Ambrose is travelling to Italy and then Spain to discover or rediscover what he is and what happened to him that he has forgotten, with the help of the sultry Regina. Ambrose experiences alternate realities of times gone by as if they are happening to him now.
  
  The “Two if by Dark Reverie: Part II” story progresses slowly, with much detail into dream-like sequences or descriptions of various theories, plus complicated world-building. For this reason, I highly recommend reading the earlier books first, as I’m sure this would provide the reader with more investment into Ambrose’s fate. I needed to know why I should care for Ambrose.
  
  The phrasing in this book is very complex, even in a sex scene, to the point that I wondered if sex was what was happening. Additionally, I found some of the dialogue quirks of the characters particularly annoying and distracting from the scenes.
  
  Fans of the series will love this next instalment, but I would advise anyone else to start at the beginning. 2.5-stars rounded up to 3-stars.
• 
  Maggies Daisy

  Was hard to follow, could it be that I needed to read the before books in this series? Just could not get into the story.