'The Traveler's Door': DEFINITELY not in Kansas anymore

When I sat down and started listening to The Traveler's Door by Carl Alves, I didn't know what to expect.

Audiobooks can be a smidge tricky - the material can be wonderful yet you don't vibe with the narrator, or maybe you love the narrator's work but just can't get into the actual material. I went into The Traveler's Door completely blind - all I knew was that it was a sci-fi story and the book had been released back in November of 2024, but I knew literally no other details. So, you can image that when the voice of Canadian award-winning voice actor Bill Stephenson materialized out of the speakers of my iPad, grabbed me by the hand, and pulled me in, I was absolutely not ready for the fantastic experience that is The Traveler's Door.

Julian Dawson wakes up in a strange world, one slightly different than his own, with a family he doesn't recognize. When he meets a traveler who leads him to the megalomaniacal Game Master, Julian is thrust into a multiverse of tasks, each more dangerous and destructive than the last as he journeys to complete his missions and return to his family. Will Julian succeed or will he put an end to the Game Master's madness once and for all?

PRO TIP: If you enjoyed Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere, this is for you. You're welcome.

The story itself is truly wonderful. As the main plot began to develop, I honestly can't say I guessed where it was headed - and not in a bad way. Twists and turns, decisions Julian has to make, his internal struggle as he faces so many things in such little time in a desperate race to make it back to his wife and daughter - the plot flowed very, very nicely from point to point. And, of course, The narrators, Bill Stephenson and Julianna Wolfe, do an incredible job bringing Julian, his wife Nancy, and every single unique character Julian encounters in this wild journey through alternate timelines to life.

Alves knows how to convey feelings and paints wonderful (and sometimes not-so-wonderful) scenes with his words, with the narrators doing it more than justice with their talented voices and ranges. He touches on very relatable things, which makes sense as the book is set in 2024, the year in which it was published, and tugs at our emotions, making us question our own decisions if we were in Julian's shoes. Every single universe Julian stumbles into has its own flavor and its own theme, and the story really did keep me guessing at all times.

Official Pixigonal Rating: 10/10

The Traveler's Door by Carl Alves takes you on a wild and unforgettable ride. I highly recommend the audiobook - the narrators nailed it.