Have you ever wondered what will happen to our planet in the future? Will there be a war or a giant meteor will destroy the Earth, or will we become extinct due to the man-induced exhaustion of resources, or conquer other planets and migrate once we have exhausted the potential here? What will that society be like- stratified as ours or will the utopia of equality finally come true? Would we treat that realm the same as our Earth or will we finally learn our lessons? For Gouveia, the answer to these dilemmas is Drifters Realm.
Drifters Realm is a magical world filled with landscapes such as Impossible Lake, Misery Mountains, and Wandering Plains and places such as Paradise Farm, Bliss Farm, and First City. Beyond the topographic astonishment of the realm, it is infused with stories, mysteries, and conflicts of its own. Gouveia gives you a piece of this intriguing realm through her book series- Drifters Realm. It is a book that goes beyond being only fiction and makes the reader experience the world of Drifters Realm, firsthand.
It should have been the last few years for Roe to spend with her perfect family- Theo, Ori, and their parents, before descending towards Earth. But fate had written their story differently. They were now only a family of two- Roe, a Life Giver, and Theo, a Tamer. Grieving through the mysterious disappearance of her twin brother Ori and their parents, Roe found herself in turmoil when caught by a Guardian after discovering a crossbow in her backpack. This menace weapon triggers the journey of saving Drfiers Realm from the devastation that looms over them.
With the help of their friends, Seth, Mia, and Lena, each of them with their unique obligation, Roe and Theo set out to embark on a journey to unravel the mystery of the sudden appearance of the crossbow but end up reuniting with Ori, Roe’s twin. The unsettling discovery of the Life Plan reminds them of the ancient prophecy that their mother made them aware of, and their responsibility to save their world. With this, the quest begins.
Gouveia is an intellectual author who masters the skill of storytelling in such a seamless way that the reader can hear the narrator while reading the book. The book is unique in its ability to create vivid imagery in every scene with a detailed description of not only the geographic location but the emotions of the characters, as depicted by the author. At the risk of overwhelming the reader with enormous details and multiple characters with their storylines, Gouveia sails the boat with ease through the storm.
Another unique feature of the book is how the character development is not visible only to the readers but is acknowledged by the characters amongst themselves as well. Moreover, every character has a backstory that not only provides the plot with comprehensive context but also contributes to the literary enrichment of the book. The skill of the author to narrate the story in a multi-angle setup, simultaneously making the reader aware of different characters and their movements, not only keeps the reader up to date but enhances curiosity rather than building confusion.
While the story is majorly about how the characters save the Drifters Realm from the anticipated great war, the book holds a great deal of implicit but evident themes. Through the development of characters, the story conveys the morals and values of courage, bravery, and unity. The importance of believing in oneself and the strength of family bonds is beautifully woven into the major arch of the story.
Though every character in the book is vital to the plot and compels the reader to reflect uniquely the protagonist, Roe, is undoubtedly the most riveting. From being just a 12-year-old girl at the beginning of the book, she develops into a brave, responsible, resilient, and self-believing individual who is not afraid of the challenges ahead. She acquires the qualities of leadership and transforms from an anxious teenager to a calm and thoughtful woman. Another compelling character is Seth, who is thought of as chaos by others in the Drifters Realm but holds more depth to him than anyone anticipates. Holding a secret which he reveals at the end of the first book, Seth becomes known to the reader as a character with internal and external conflicts, and thus relatable.
I connected the most with the characters of the book. Their dilemmas, internal conflicts, reflections, development, and the journey of being aware of their life purpose felt real. The characters made an impact and I was compelled to reflect on various real-life situations through a unique lens that Gouveia highlighted through her characters. Moreover, the book reinforced for me, how the world cannot be seen as strictly black and white. We often ignore the grey areas, and categorize everything as right or wrong, without having complete knowledge of the topic. Many a time, what the world tells us is wrong, might not be so, just like the Menace. The story also tells how it takes courage and strong resolve to stand against wrong and how necessary it is to do so. One might be alone in the beginning, but in the end, the good wins over the evil.
The book might become overwhelming for the readers in the beginning when imposed with so many characters, their stories, magical powers, and conflicts. The utility and purpose of certain sections, characters, and scenes of the book might not be clear in the first book, which can break the flow of the readers and leave them confused. Despite such shortcomings, the theatre-like narration of the plot, the relatable characters, and the curiosity invoking concise and precise chapters bind the readers to the last part of the first book, which explodes the climax with the intended shock and unpredictability. The climax of the book is left in half at the end, which yearns the reader to pick up the next book in the series, as soon as possible.
Thus, Drifters Realm is a story of an imaginary realm with conflicts and situations, not so imaginary. It is the age-old story of how good wins over evil, in a modern contemporary way. Get your copy today on Amazon!
Devanshi is a compassionate individual with insatiable curiosity. She sees the world as an intricate piece of poetry. Besides being an avid reader with an eye always searching for new genres to pick up, she is also a public speaker and is always up for a new adventure. Her interest in sociological observation of daily life and ordinary things and academic pursuit of sociology as a discipline has expanded her areas of interests to realms of religion, gender, stratification, technology and beauty standards. After a long day, she usually finds solace in listening to music.