Review: Tales from Ara 1: Into the Unknown by Gleem

Tales from Ara 1: Into the Unknown is a wild and tempting fantasy romp through a new world, penned by the unique writing team known as Gleem.

A young erotic fantasy writer named Harlette seems to be losing her creative spark when she is transported through a mirror into another dimension – the unbelievable realm of Ara. Once she realizes her new environment isn’t a dream, the high-spirited protagonist with a penchant for puppy love is thrown into the midst of chaotic power struggles in an elven kingdom.

However, Harlette and her trusty, occasionally chatty cat Bernard didn’t land in King Karayan’s realm by chance. She is not the first human to enter this magical land, but humanity’s reputation precedes her in the worst possible way. What complicates matters is Harlette’s undeniable attraction to the elf king, despite his apparent intention to imprison or kill her.

As their complicated relationship spins ever deeper, it becomes clear that Harlette’s destiny lies in saving Ara, and in discovering her birthright. Jrag the Arrogant has been summoned by dark forces, bringing him back from the edge of evisceration, and his intention to destroy the elven kingdom is stronger than ever. Like many humans in Ara before her, Harlette connects to the magic of the realm, but that may not be enough to save this sprawling new world teetering on the brink of destruction. The heaviness of such plot lines is juxtaposed well with Harlette’s coy, playground flirtations with Karayan, which keeps the mood of the writing light and titillating, even during more intense scenes.

Gleem has constructed a multi-layered fantasy realm with a rich history, deeply strange creatures, and unique magical rules, providing an expansive foundation for the rest of this series to play out. Importantly, the anime-style action is a superficial layer above the thematic explorations of the story – traditional gender dynamics, sexual tension, secession of control, finding commonality with the “other,” and the rapid evolution from innocence to maturity. This coming-of-age tale is compelling, but never takes itself too seriously, dancing on the edge of erotica and high fantasy.

While the plot is fast-moving and engaging, the execution of the story could certainly be improved. The writing is whimsical, but almost childlike in its simplicity, at times. There are far too many self-referential questions, seemingly used as a crutch to cut corners and progress the plot. Large expositional dumps also happen in a number of scenes, which are important for immersion, but can feel like the author is spoon-feeding readers contextual details.

The erotic elements of the writing also feel a bit clumsy, similar to how the protagonist’s own romantic prose is described in the first chapter – quite basic and lacking maturity. The dialogue can also be unnatural, or purely functional, intended to share information with readers, but not revealing it in an organic way.

Those editorial critiques aside, Gleem has woven a tantalizing web for lovers of high-minded fantasy, as well as those who want a bit of sex and spice in their storytelling.

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