The Darkness Between Doors 3. Doorways

This is the third of the stories in the Doorways series, which has also been called "The Odd, Onward Door" series.  This continues the story began in "The Odd, Onward Door," and continued in "The Odd, Onward Door: Never a Door Lost."  

While this tale seemed to me to start off just a bit slower than the first two, it builds to exciting events as Derry, Cally, and Mike learn more about the Door system and about some of the peoples stranded when Door travel was cut off, about a thousand years ago.  This is the longest yet of the Doorway tales, and it does not disappoint.

While it is quite helpful to have read the first two tales before reading this one, it can be read as a solo tale.  But the full experience can best be had if the other tales are read first.  

The story begins with Difris, who is responsible for the Door transfer station Derry and Cally discovered, and Nyf, who traveled with Cally, Derry, and Mike Hamlyn, grandfather of Derry in the last half of the previous adventure, speaking about the new device they have come up with to allow the guys longer times on the other side of the Door they are investigating.   The two artificial lifeforms assist the three humans in choosing a door to explore, and off they go.

They end up on a planet which had been a resort planet in the old empire.  There they meet the Crites, the Sasparians, a Narthie, and some Schrikken.  With some of these they become friends.  Forced to impersonate the Armenti, the builders of the Doorway system, the guys have to solve where mysterious weapons are coming from, and deal with various factions on the planet Rustgevend.  They learn much more about their exploration suits, and Cally and Derry discover what Mike Hamlyn knows of their relationship.  They also learn about the concept of "the great menace," which caused Door travel to cease a thousand years ago.

A great tale, well worth reading.  Some things I would like to mention I cannot, or risk spoiling the suspense in this excellent tale.  Thirteen chapters.

Derry and Caleb - Cally, for short - are two pretty normal 15 year olds who live on adjacent properties and have become best friends...well, better than best friends!  

During a summertime frolic playing a boisterous game of hide and seek in the high grass of Derry's grandfather's field, they discover a mysterious place that holds a powerful secret.  Apparently, intentionally covered up and hidden, the place hold what the boys discover to be passageways or "doors" that lead to far-distant places.   One of those places is a nexus point that holds many of such passageways - thousands or maybe millions of them.  Let the adventures begin!

The author has put an entirely new spin on the idea of instant travel to far distant places.  He has presented it by allowing his very real and believable characters discover this secret in a fun and exciting way.  They bring one other person into the fold of this secret which is far too big to allow anyone on earth to discover - but they discover others in their travels and explorations.

There are many elements to creating truly great stories.  The author has to create actions - happenings - that are exciting enough to make the reader feel as if he or she is actually a part of those actions.  The author must use language to paint graphic images in the readers' minds.  The author must have enough sense of timing to pace the action well enough to allow the readers to ride the story at an appreciative rate.

But, to me, the most important thing an author must do is create characters that are believable.  Not always likable, but believable.  The greatest tribute a reader gives to an author is laugh when his characters laugh and to cry when his characters are sad!

Geron Kees has created such characters.  I even love his not-so-human characters and the ones made of material other than flesh and blood!  

Thank you Mr. Kees for gifting us with the "Doorways" adventures.  Thank you for an imagination that can create such tales, but mostly thank you for all the hard work that it takes to bring these stories to this forum.

Dave