"A Door in the Dark"

Scott Reintgen is an author of science fiction and fantasy books.

He wrote the Nyxia trilogy, the Ashlords series, the Talespinners series, and The Problem with Prophecies.

Reintgen applied the Page 69 Test to his young adult fantasy thriller, A Door in the Dark, and reported the following:

To my delight, A Door in the Dark passes the test! This page finds Ren Monroe, our main character, reflecting on the events of a party the night before. A disastrous evening that was highlighted by Theo Brood—the pompous heir of one of the great magical houses--performing a party trick that could have gotten several people killed.

Instead of being punished, however, Theo's name isn’t even mentioned in the article about the incident. Ren reflects on this on page 69: "She was tempted to write 'Theo Brood is guilty' all along the stone walkways of the school." This unfairness sits at the very heart of the story. Ren is a scholarship student who, in spite of being a brilliant wizard, has been unable to find a position with any of the great houses. This moment acts as a turning point for all that comes after.

Ren heads to the portal room after this. She and five other students are preparing to go home for winter break. Normally, Theo Brood would never stoop to take the public portal that’s used by the scholarship students—but his father is punishing him for the mistake he made at the party. Which means that Theo is there when the spell malfunctions. He’s there when the magic goes awry.

The six students land in the middle of nowhere. Now, Ren is stuck trying to survive the journey home with someone she despises. It certainly doesn’t help that one of the students is dead on arrival.

A Door in the Dark passes the Page 69 Test. I hope it will also pass the test for readers who are looking for a fantasy thriller that moves at a quick pace and keeps them guessing.

Visit Scott Reintgen's website and follow him on Twitter.

The Page 69 Test: Nyxia.

The Page 69 Test: Ashlords.

--Marshal Zeringue