I love epic fantasy just as much as I love science fiction.  

There is just something about stories of  mystical kingdoms populated with mages, witches, royalty, heroes and diabolical villains that adds up to the sweetest escapism for me.

Hence my joy upon discovering Border Guardians Of Ackernon (BGOA), a 2010 12-part epic fantasy web series created by Paul Best, Laura Olson, and produced by Wolf's Head Productions.

BGOA is set in the medieval, tranquil realm of Ackernon.

As the series opens,  the serenity of the kingdom is threatened by the resurgence of a mortal enemy known as The Pert.

The Pert is a hostile nation intent on conquering Ackernon by breaching the centuries-old mystical wall which separates the two kingdoms.

The realm's main line of defense is the clandestine body known as The University.

The University recruits and trains children who show promise in the mystical arts,  scholarship, and combat - preparing them to one serve as border guardians of the great wall.

BGOA is an ambitious project, and it shows.  The series hallmarks are:

• an intriguing plot

• gorgeous cinematography

• impressive sets and costumes

• a lush musical score that is among the best I've heard of any web series

The project does have its faults, chief among them:

• uneven acting

• instances of stilted, cliche´d dialogue

• some odd, disjointed editing choices 

Still despite it's flaws, BGOA is enjoyable, and looks quite polished.  

Only one season has been produced so far, and it's unclear if more episodes will ever be made. 

Despite this, BGOA is certainly worth viewing for fans of epic fantasy due to its ambition, overall production value, and originality.

Watch the series trailer here:

All first season episodes are available for viewing on Vimeo.

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