The Elsewhere Chronicles: The Shadow Door by Art Bannister and Nykko

Old man Gabe's house has a reputation of being haunted. Max, Noah, and Theo have always wanted to explore the inside, and they get their chance when they meet Rebecca - Gabe's granddaughter. As they explore, things become stranger. They are attacked by shadow phantoms and Rebecca is sucked into a vortex and Max goes in after her. Now Max and Rebecca are stuck in another dimension, and Noah and Theo are working to fix the machine that sent them there. Unfortunately the police are looking for the kids and the Master of Shadows is preparing to destroy Max and Rebecca.

This was a fast-paced story, as in once the action started it slapped you around until the book abruptly stopped. It was fascinating and seems to have the potential to be pretty epic. There's a good possibility that some intense themes are going to play a part of the storyline. Also it looks like the alternate dimension is going to have some great history. It looks like there is going to be quite a huge ensemble of characters, and they look to be pretty well done. Obviously this is a series and there are so many questions left unanswered. So I am pretty excited about reading the next couple of volumes.

Some things that weren't perfect, but might improve with time. The balance of plots, between the alternate dimension and the 'real world' wasn't great. It seemed all of action and excitement was happening with Max and Rebecca, and the rest was all filler until we could get back to them. Also there was almost too much going on in the first volume. Lots of characters, serious themes, cultures, and plot devices were all smooshed into forty-six pages. Lots going on. Hoping it eases up a bit in the next one.

Anyways, well done. Going to check out the next couple!