Beyond the Pale
| Property6 | Value |
|---|---|
| Author Name | Anthony, Mark |
| Series | The Last Rune |
| Book Number | 1 |
| Summary | A strange rift in ordinary reality draws saloon owner Travis Wilder and ER doctor Grace Beckett into the otherworld of Eldh–a land of gods, monsters, and magic that is sorely in need of heroes. |
| Recommendation | Recommended with caveats |
| Date Read | 2026-01-02 |
I first read this series in high school, and it had a profound impact on me. But I read a lot in high school, and it then took a number of years to remember what the heck I'd read and rediscover it, and I then proceeded to re-read it while on vacation in a sunny place where I could lay in the sun, drink, and read. These books were profoundly impactful on me in my youth and I love these books, but I don't know if I would whole-heartedly recommend them to someone, if only because some part of me doesn't want to hear any criticism towards them.
I think Mark Anthony is a compelling writer, and I can feel the roots of stories he's drawing from in writing his story. The characters are well developed and flawed, and the values he espouses deeply resonate with me. But I know that he can be a little wordy (the paperback is 625 pages) and the way some of his characters behave can be grating. But I remember young me reading about Travis Wilder, a supremely self-critical and unfocused dyslexic adult who wore an old gunslinger's glasses, but who discovered a talent for naming ancient runes, and it spoke to me at my core self. This is my happy place.