(Cover picture courtesy of Anthea Sharp’s Wattpad.)

High-tech gaming and ancient magic collide when a computer game opens a gateway to the treacherous Realm of Faerie.

Jennet Carter never thought hacking into her dad’s new epic-fantasy sim-game would be so exciting… or dangerous. Behind the interface, dark forces lie in wait, leading her toward a battle that will test her to her limits and cost her more than she ever imagined.

[Full disclosure: Unlike with her other works, I was not provided this short story by Anthea Sharp.  I downloaded it for free off Amazon so (as usual) my review is completely honest.]

While we caught flashes of Jennet’s first forays into Feyland in The Dark Realm, we never really saw the level of detail that’s revealed in this short story.  We learn a little more about the Queen’s plot to bring Jennet to her, Jennet’s first quests and her character flaws.  After meeting the selfless person Jennet became in The Twilight Realm it’s a little hard going back to her old spoiled self, but it makes perfect sense.

A lot of prequels don’t really add anything to the established universe but this one does.  It’s not necessary for understanding the story, but it gives you a much clearer picture of the events leading up to Jennet asking Tam Lin to be her champion.  There’s also a little more detail about Jennet’s life and her rather rocky relationship with her single father.

The plot was fast-paced and interesting even though I knew what was going to happen.  The characters were believable and I loved the dynamic between Jennet and her father that explains a lot of her actions later on in the series.  So overall, The First Adventure is a pretty good short story.  If you read it and like it (it’s free on all major ebook platforms) I can’t recommend the rest of the trilogy enough.

I give this short story 5/5 stars.

Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Goodreads