Hello All,

Here is a review I wrote for Bill Tara's new novel.

Book Review of Portal of Dreams by William Wallace Tara

(Xlibris 249 pages £14.00 / $21.99)

I very much enjoyed reading this book. It is follows an increasingly captivating story line, whilst peppered with fascinating thoughts and ideas. William Tara takes on many of our current issues and intelligently projects their natural outcome into the near future.

The story primarily follows the stuttering awakening of JK, who discovers his cosy, comfortable, corporate life is built on sinister mysteries from his childhood. In an age when most of the population are on medication to prevent an epidemic of potentially harmful dreaming, JK is one of the few who is allergic to the medication and continues to dream.

This leads to some hilarious, laugh out loud moments, as his conservative routine is disrupted by unwanted visions. His journey into all he holds in contempt, is brought to life by colourful characters that engage in the battle between corporate functionality and human creativity.

JK meets the all-powerful businessman, the aggressive security boss who has lost all respect for democracy, and an ambitious self-centred politician. JK is pulled away from all this by array of extraordinary characters. Here we meet the innovative audiovisual artist, the clairvoyant, a washed up philosopher, the talented computer hacker, renegade journalists, a disgraced professor, and the young warrior. Guiding JK through all this is the golden-hearted Helen.

The story takes us through everyday life, to action, to dreamlike sequences where fantasy breaks through, carrying some of the characters with it. In this respect it is easy to read and certainly has a page turning, excitement to it.

There are many characters that come and go, each delivering the author’s insightful thoughts about civilisation, health, the environment and what it is to be human in the biggest sense. There are many references to clever futuristic products and an all too real glimpse of what might be to come.

Each chapter starts with a quote from Primal Shift. I nearly made a fool of myself by trying to order it online, so convincing is the writing style. This device allows William to insert a lot of the wisdom he has shared through his lectures and other writing.

Ultimately the story combines all the characters and their personal threads into a dramatic climax that satisfyingly avoids a Hollywood style ending. I finished the book on a flight a week ago and it is still in my mind. It was easy to live in the dreamy story telling, in a way that pervaded my consciousness.

I would definitely recommend Portal of Dreams if you want an intelligent, interesting read that flows easily through a compelling storyline.

Simon Brown

Author of The Healer, Modern Day Macrobiotics and The Feng Shui Bible.