THE LOST PORTAL

New mythologies emerge in Borja’s extravagant YA fantasy sequel, featuring fresh character lore and prophetic dreams.

One year following the disappearance of the Mirror Realm in the series opener, The Last Huntress (2022), 19-year-old Hadley Caldwell, one of four young huntresses chosen by the demigoddess Philautia to guard humanity from demons, receives a strange message from the remaining gods, who’ve been hijacking her dreams: She must find the Portal of Osiris, so that the gods may have new lives in the mortal world. Hadley and the other huntresses—Alice, Olivia, and Soxie—embark on a new journey to retrieve the Portal without using their previous connection to Philautia’s Realm. Also, Hadley receives an unwelcome message from her father: Her estranged brother, Caleb, has been sentenced to jail after years of running the family’s illegal chop shop. This unexpected mix of fantasy, family drama, and friendship comes together almost seamlessly. Borja offers vivid depictions of dusty Arizona and bustling Cairo, where the girls investigate the Egyptian god Osiris and his connection to Hades, the Underworld, and the Mirror Realm. The novel’s dream sequences are a significant highlight, providing character development and narrative cohesion; they include Hadley’s worst memories of her brother and grandfather, as well as delightful and haunting portrayals of well-known Greek deities, including Poseidon in a snorkel and flippers calling forth a sea monster and Hermes as a United Parcel Service delivery man. Additional storylines carry over from the previous novel, including the questionable origins of Alice’s soul and the trials of her relationship with David, a protector of huntresses; however, these aren’t as appealing as Hadley’s relationships with Caleb and her family, or the sisterly bond between the four huntresses.

A tale that skillfully blends aspects of Greek and Egyptian myths with modern family drama.