Beyond The Portal by Paul Forman

The author was keen that this book be reviewed in DIVER, but I'm not sure why. Four divers distinguishable only by name - Martin, Andrew, Gareth and Barry - head out of Cornwall on a charter-boat, but they never get to do any diving. Instead, they encounter a storm that pitches them into another dimension in which the laws of grammar and punctuation seem quite alien to our own. Oddly, the question mark seems to have been banished altogether.
No, come to think of it, the style of writing is like this even before our divers pass "beyond the portal". Sadly we have to go with them, and are plunged into an incoherent sword and sorcery tale involving multiple characters with names like Thorn and Mandrake, and barely a single personality between them.
As the loose ends accumulate, it's just a matter of hoping that the last page comes soon.
The author of this self-published book is a Pagan, so presumably the plot reflects Pagan beliefs about alternative universes and the afterlife. I'm sure Paganism is a great religion, if that's your inclination, but it's hard to see writing like this winning it too many converts.
Steve Weinman

Authorhouse
ISBN: 9781438945798
Softback, 286pp, £12.99