Kevin Martinez and the Crimson Knights #1: A Game of Mirrors by M. A. Torres

My name is Kevin, and I was transported through a mirror to a medieval world of Derathiel along with our school bully. Zander was anxious to go home, but I was willing to stay and help Ser Jey defend the queen against Raven and his growing army. Jey said Raven has already sent lieutenants through the mirror, so our world is also in danger. I'm clearly a nerd, but people from our world might actually have special abilities here. Jey has a flaming sword; I wonder what weapon might choose me. After returning home, I'm now going back to Derathiel with two of my best friends, Matthew and Jake. It's hard to believe we'll make a difference in the war, but we're determined to try.

I chose this book from a Net Galley email based on the book's description. Much of the plot was fairly predictable which made the events easy to follow. A prophecy spoke of a warrior from another world coming to save everyone, and this character's identity wasn't revealed until the end. It wasn't a surprise. Kevin's quick willingness to join a battle, in a world he never knew existed, was unexpected, since the alternative was to return to the safety of his own world. I also didn't anticipate characters coming and going through the portal so frequently. Kevin needed to balance saving Derathiel with spending more time with his own family; mom's orders. The plot included the bully, but I was trying to figure out how he fit into future events. He had no interest in returning to Derathiel, so I wasn't sure why the author had him make the trip in the first place. Kevin tried being nice to him, so it's unclear if the kindness will have any effect. We'll see if the sequel sheds more light on this character. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot, as I await the arrival of book two.