Customer Reviews

7 reviews

• This book, Alaysia, is a fantastical adventure by author Shraddha Patel

  Alaysia is different. It is a world that exists between worlds. Only accessible via portals, Alaysia is connected to the earth, if Alaysia is under attack, then so is earth. Three heroes from earth manage to travel to Alaysia, but once they get there, they discover that Alaysia is much more then they could have ever imagined. I did not really know what to expect from this book when I started. The synopsis sounded intriguing, but I really didn’t know what to think. But within the first few pages, a mystery starts to unfold, I found myself completely captivated by the story. Kriya is a fascinating character. She has dealt with a lot in her young life. After her best friend disappears in the woods one day while they are playing as children, she was never quite able to recover. While some of the people I her town treated her with fragility, others blame her for coming out of the woods that day without him. She has tried to create a life for herself, a good job, a loving boyfriend, her own apartment, but one day it all falls apart as quickly as it had the day Liam went missing. A strange letter, an impossibility, and hope all fill her life. But from there, things only get stranger and stranger. I was laughing and gasping, along with this story. There were so many fun twists and intriguing creations in this book. This was definitely a wonderful surprise of a read that I am so happy that I picked up. This is a very imaginative and fun YA read that I would highly recommend. If you like urban fantasy or epic fantasy, then this book is definitely worth checking out.

• Published on April 29th of 2019 Alaysia was written by author Shraddha Patel. Described by Patel as “Alaysia can only be accessed through portals, and it lies between several worlds. It is the nexus among them. A threat to Alaysia means a threat to Earth. In the first half of the book, the main characters from Earth – Kriya, a recent engineering graduate; linguistics professor Graham; and Ivo – have to travel through portals to Alaysia. Upon arriving, they realize that they are part of a greater prophecy involving Alaysia, a land that is ruled by Liam, and a planet called Epsilon.” This book is an epic adventure. I really liked that this book was written with multiple different perspectives. Kriya and Liam were both particularly interesting characters to follow on this journey. I was stunned constantly during the beginning of this book, as all of my expectations were blown away. The story moves quickly, pulling the reader quickly from meeting the characters to setting up the fantastical plot. When Kriya receives a letter from her childhood best friend, who disappeared in the wood when they were children, her world changes forever. I loved getting to see Alaysia built up before me in the ways that it is described in Liam’s sections, the way it is explained to Kriya, and how it is described once our group of characters is able to leave earth and see Alaysia for themselves. It was really fun to watch Kriya’s mind reel as each new piece of information is given to her. It is amazing she takes it as well as she does, as everything she thought she knows comes tumbling down, but I did appreciate that she doesn’t take it perfectly well like some YA heroes. This is a wonderful fantasy YA read.

• Exciting!

  Written by Shraddha Patel, Alaysia is an exciting fantasy novel about a world, unlike any other. This story follows three people who live on earth. Kriya, who is a recent engineering graduate, Graham, who is a linguistics professor, and Ivo. Together the three of them find themselves wrapped up in an adventure that will take them to Alaysia, a place you can only get to through portals. Once there, they discover a prophecy and realize that their lives will never be the same. I really loved how different each of the characters in this book are. They all deal with the changes that hit them all quickly in different ways. Each has a unique personality, depth, history, and goals. The switch in perspectives makes it even easier to get to know all the individual characters. Seeing things from Liam’s perspective was exceptionally fun for me as he has the most insider information about what is going on. I liked the imagination involved in creating a planet that existed only through portals and enjoyed seeing its rules comes to life. The action in this book is fast. The author wastes no time in throwing the reader directly in. This worked well with the fact that at the beginning, Kriya knows little more than the reader does and we get to flounder with her to put all of the pieces together. I like that this book feels both like urban fantasy in that half the cast is from earth living normal earth lives until the start of the story, but Alaysia itself reminds me more of an epic fantasy adventure, my favorite thing to read. This book starts off with intrigue and mystery, and it only builds. It is a super fun and exciting adventure that was a blast to read.

• Exciting, magical, and dangerous

  Exciting, magical, and dangerous, this adventure tale, Alaysia, was written by the talented author Shraddha Patel. This fantastical adventure is wrapped in mystery and intrigue as three humans from the earth are transported to the wondrous land of Alaysia. Here prophecies are made, pasts come back to haunt you, and things can quickly get dangerous. This is the world that Kriya, Graham, and Ivo find themselves in. The connection between Kriya and Liam, even from across worlds, was incredibly mesmerizing. Both are fascinating characters in their own right. Kriya is a strong character who has dealt with a lot of trauma, partially Liam’s fault. I like that she has a fleshed-out life and dreams of her own. She is an engineering major who likes math and plays poker. She has had to deal with people talking about her since she was young, and she has become tough and guarded. She has a boyfriend that loves her and goals for her future. Liam is from another planet. He is has had to deal with living in a dangerous situation, being raised away from his parents, and sent back abandoning his friend, and has now lost his parents. It is a lot for anyone. But Liam has never been able to forget about Kriya. I like that both show us their memories of each other as they think back to their childhoods and show us just how sweet they were as friends. They have a very strong connection, and it was really fascinating to see all of its stages. The book as a whole is very exciting, all of the side characters have their own depth and intrigue, and the story moves quickly, keeping you captivated. This is definitely the kind of book you should check out if you read a lot of YA fantasy. Highly imaginative and well-written.

• Wonderful YA Novel

  This wonder-filled YA novel, Alaysia, Kriya and her friends are taken on an adventure to save another planet. Written by Shraddha Patel, this is a story of love, loss, family, friends, and adventure. I was captivated from moment one as I accompanied Kriya, Ivo, Graham, and Liam as they took on danger and a prophecy much bigger than any of them. The book starts on earth as we know it. Kriya, a recently graduated engineering major, is living a successful life but is still haunted by a childhood friend who vanished. When that friend sends her a note, her world begins to unravel, and she is thrust into a world that is Alaysia, where Liam lives. I love a good magical story, and this was just such a fun, light, and engaging read. I really liked the gang of characters as they were each funny, unique, and offered individual experiences that created an interesting collective.
  The plot moves quickly, pulling the reader along with it as mysteries spill out, and as always more questions then answers are provided. Patel did a wonderful job of bringing her characters and places to life with beautiful descriptions, and quirky characters that brought a smile to my face. The stakes of the story feel real and are exiting as the adventurers come face to face with things beyond their grasp. This is definitely a unique and highly imaginative read that captures everything you could want out of a brilliant and fun fantasy story with a great cast of characters and a creative setting. It is a mesmerizing journey of epic proportions. I will definitely be on the lookout for more work in the near future by this talented author as I was very impressed with her writing style and creative story idea.

• Emerson Rose Craig

  This book, Alaysia, is a fantastical adventure by author Shraddha Patel. Alaysia is different. It is a world that exists between worlds. Only accessible via portals, Alaysia is connected to the earth, if Alaysia is under attack, then so is earth. Three heroes from earth manage to travel to Alaysia, but once they get there, they discover that Alaysia is much more then they could have ever imagined. I did not really know what to expect from this book when I started. The synopsis sounded intriguing, but I really didn’t know what to think.
  But within the first few pages, a mystery starts to unfold, I found myself completely captivated by the story. Kriya is a fascinating character. She has dealt with a lot in her young life. After her best friend disappears in the woods one day while they are playing as children, she was never quite able to recover. While some of the people from the town treated her with fragility, others blame her for coming out of the woods that day without him. She has tried to create a life for herself, a good job, a loving boyfriend, her own apartment, but one day it all falls apart as quickly as it had the day Liam went missing. A strange letter, an impossibility, and hope all fill her life. But from there, things only get stranger and stranger. I was laughing and gasping, along with this story. There were so many fun twists and intriguing creations in this book. This was definitely a wonderful surprise of a read that I am so happy that I picked up. This is a very imaginative and fun YA read that I would highly recommend. If you like urban fantasy or epic fantasy, then this book is definitely worth checking out.

• Sabrina Jaffe

  Alaysia is a quick and enjoyable read. It follows the story of Kriya as she learns of new worlds and her destiny among them. Along the way we meet a cast of characters - Liam, Professor Graham, Ivo, Adal, among many more - who join Kriya as she first enters a series of challenges to find the entrance portal to Alaysia, and then as she learns new skills to help Liam, the ruler of Alaysia, battle his cousin, Adal and other threats to Alaysia and Earth’s survival. Alaysia is an enchanting world full of unheard animals and creatures. The story is full of adventure, love and much more. Kriya’s journey of discovery about herself, her destiny, and her place among the universe is full of surprises and twists. Alaysia is a great beach read and a great YA novel. I was hooked after chapter 1 and couldn’t wait to find out how the story finally ended. I’m hoping Patel will consider continuing Kriya’s adventure in a follow-up novel!

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