When the Portals Open

By: Mercedes Koefoed

Narrated by: Kim Churchill

A Human woman, a vengeful Mage, and a prophecy that changed everything.

A Human woman…
Sage just wanted a quiet evening reading with a glass of wine. When a dragon and a merman fall through her roof, she assumes she is in a dream. She agrees to escort them out of the city and deep into the forest to find what they are looking for. Why not? It’s a dream, after all. When they open a portal to another realm, Sage must decide whether she will stay in her normal life and wake up without the full story, or secretly follow them on an adventure that will change everything.
Walking into a realm with beings from legend was not on her to-do list.

A vengeful Mage…
Willow has spent the last twenty years of her life searching for a way into the Human realm. They have her mother, and she will do anything to get her back. When the Humans attempt to break through a portal, she sees it as an opportunity. After being assigned to lead a mission to gather recon, Willow must decide whether she will stick to the plan, or put her entire realm in danger by breaking off to find her missing mother.

An ancient prophecy awakens, threatening to plunge both worlds into chaos. Loyalties are tested, and unexpected alliances form, including a charming Mer and a giant Were with a complicated history.

Step into a realm where portals, dragons, and forbidden magic collide in a breathtaking journey across intertwined worlds. This epic fantasy adventure features spellbinding characters and mysterious realms waiting to be explored.

©2025 Mercedes Koefoed (P)2025 Mercedes Koefoed

Absolutely Incredible

This book was beautifully written! I absolutely loved the story and all the characters. I was truly submerged into this world of magic ✨

Doppelgänger

Overall an enjoyable book. I think it would be a great one for people who would want to ease into fantasy as it’s not over complicated like many epic fantasy books. A bit predictable, but I’ve read enough fantasy and fiction of make assumptions of what may happen. That doesn’t mean I didn’t still like the story. I will continue the series. The characters are likable and sweet.

Loved it!

I loved how this gave u an aspect of how fantasy could be real. Loved the characters and the story line. Can’t wait for the second book

Simply put…

I devoured this book in 1/2 a day and now I’m sad it’s over! I laughed, I cried, I questioned everything!! lol Wow, Beautifully written!! Cannot wait for book two!!

I love a good portal fantasy

When the Portals Open is a debut novel that blends some common romantasy/portal fantasy tropes with original world building and solid character development. While I wouldn't put this at the same level as ACOTAR, this book is a more modern entry into the same genre.

The story begins with Sage, a woman full of imagination that gets pulled into another world via a literal portal under assumption that she is dreaming, given that a dragon and a merman just crashed through her ceiling. This is presented as a prologue/cutaway from the real story centered on her doppleganger Willow, a powerful mage in the fantasy world that is populated by all sorts of beings like vamps, weres, orcs, and mers trying to live in harmony. Humans are seen as monsters who are out to destroy the beings of this world, so all portals have been cut off to protect themselves. Until now. This is the first time anyone from the human world has set foot in their land, and now they must work together to reunite Willow with her long lost mother.

I really enjoyed the found family aspect of this iteration of "merry band of misfits on an adventure" with closed-door romance sprinkled throughout. No heavy spice, so this is teen friendly. I can tell by the way it reads that this novel was not put through the same treatment of big house publishing editors: I was able to note repetition of phrases and rehashing plot points that could have been trimmed up a bit. Also, I wish this was longer. I felt like there was a ton of relationship building and conflict that could have been injected to heighten the stakes. But I know that the author is writing a sequel now, so maybe she was saving it for the next entry of this series.

Congratulations to Mercedes Koefoed on her success and I look forward to reading the next one.