Billy has felt forgotten and invisible since the day his mother passed away. He tries to escape into the fantasy worlds of video games and books. One day, while at the mall with his step-mother, they get into an argument and Billy runs away. She tries to give chase, but Billy loses her in the crowd. Before she can find him, reality shifts, and Billy finds that no one can see or hear him any longer.
However, one blind girl by the name of Miranda can perceive him by his aura. She’s been trapped in the mall, invisible to the world, for over fifty years. Complications force them to flee the mall and enter the world of Avarath. Together, with the help of Tuac, a carnivorous, affable giant, and Swift, a feral nine-year-old boy, they must confront their destiny as The Chosen of Avarath. While searching for a way home, they will influence the world.
But whether the change they bring will be good or ill, no one can say for sure.
Overall, this was a rather fun if somewhat frustrating effort. The rather strong storyline, taking a look at his early lifestyle, to the point of making him feel like a genuine kid with the extreme interest in fantasy worlds through his love of video games and books, sets everything up early on so that his gradual appreciation to get away from the real world and into the fantasy realm is a solid one. Much with his gradual build-up, the work done on the other girl living in the mall when he runs away is all handled well enough, which brings about the kind of adventure scenario this turns out to be, as he gets to meet up with the bizarre characters who have their own personalities and quirks to make them identifiable and relatable.
This section, involving the group going through the fantasy world and trying to help bring peace to the various realms they travel through, has a lot to like, but it also manages to be the main stumbling block here. Far too much of this is based on the characters going around in the wrong mindset, where the main hero is immensely trusting to a fault, with the shifty and shady figures he meets along the way being given free chances that his friends aren’t given, as they’re targeted and questioned repeatedly. It’s a bit forgivable due to the age of the character at the time, especially with the lack of corrective figures involved with everyone here presented as somewhat equal figures, and with the world-building on display also helping to hide this somewhat, as it’s the main issue within this, compared to the other enjoyable factors.
4/5
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