Book: At the Threshold (The Restart Realms) by Sage, Lois
Reviewed by Sheila Lopez
Rating: 6/5
At the Threshold was such a fun, emotional, and unforgettable fantasy! Filled with dragons, magic, found family, romance, humor, and the opportunity to begin again, this story completely captured my attention.
Nora has spent years putting everyone else first, slowly losing herself in a life where she feels invisible and unappreciated. When she is offered a magical “Restart,” she suddenly finds herself in another world and in a dragon healer’s body with unfamiliar powers, borrowed memories, and no idea whom she can trust.
I loved Nora’s journey of rediscovering her strength and learning that she didn’t have to make herself smaller to deserve love or acceptance. She isn’t a perfect, fearless heroine. She is overwhelmed, anxious, sarcastic, and often has no idea what she is doing, but she continues moving forward and fighting for what is right. That made her relatable and so easy to root for.
Nora’s friendship with Ila was one of my favorite parts of the story. Their friendship, humor, and unwavering support for each other added so much heart. And then there was Eryx, one of my absolute favorite characters! His dramatic commentary, endless snacks, hilarious reactions, and complete lack of emotional self control had me laughing throughout the book. He was truly unforgettable.
There is also a complicated dragon love triangle. Both Kael and Varos care deeply for Nora, but in very different ways. I appreciated that the romance became part of Nora’s journey toward choosing the person who truly saw and loved her for herself not for the woman whose life and memories she inherited.
This story has so much to offer: magical illness, forbidden powers, political secrets, ancient dragons, betrayal, rebellion, romance, and a city built upon a dangerous lie. Beneath all the magic and humor is a beautiful message about healing, identity, consent, friendship, found family, and refusing to continue living inside someone else’s expectations.
If you enjoy fantasy, dragons, second chances, magical mysteries, laugh out loud humor, found family, and heroines discovering their own worth, I highly recommend At the Threshold. I truly enjoyed this adventure and cannot wait to see whose life Eryx decides to interfere with next!