Heather’s Bookshelf: The Book of Gates
Author: Audrey Verreault
Released: 10/26/20
Genre: YA Fantasy
“Magic is a rare gift. Be mindful of that and, even more importantly, use it wisely.”
“The Book of Gates” introduces JudyAnn Emmanuel , a young girl that lives in Galenor, a world filled with fantastical beings like vampires, and phoenixes. JudyAnn is about to turn 19 years old, the age that young adults find out if they are actually magicians. JudyAnn’s whole world is about to change.
JudyAnn soon finds that not only is she a magician, but she’s a Gemini- forever linked magically to a sister (Daphnee) that she didn’t even know that she had. Along with their two new Gemini friends, Kyle (from Earth- which they call Disenchanted) and Tom (a chimera), the magicians try to learn all about their new skills from Merindol (their magician teacher) and Vincent (a vampire who also happens to be their teacher and love interest).
JudyAnn soon finds herself in danger and having to quickly learn her newfound skills in order to save herself and her friends. Things become even more complicated as she learns several truths about herself, her family, and her new friends.
Trigger Warning: Violence, Murder
Overall, I enjoyed this fantasy tale. JudyAnn is a likeable character on a journey of self-discovery. The interactions between JudyAnn and her friends are natural and fun and her forbidden feelings for Vincent start out as endearing and romantic. I also really enjoyed the portions of the story that delved into the world building and the twists on the lore behind some of the mythical creatures incorporated. However, I found that the pacing of the story was odd at times and some of the side stories just didn’t seem to fit in with the main plot. I also thought that as some of the answers to the mysteries were revealed, JudyAnn’s reactions to them were odd. For example, her responses to Vincent’s truths are all over the place- completely standoffish all the way to totally trusting in the blink of an eye. The ending also seemed too incomplete and an unsatisfactory place to stop. While I enjoyed the fantasy elements and premise of the story, I felt that the tale unfortunately fell apart.
This story was originally written in French and then translated to English, so there are a couple of weird conversion things throughout.
I received a copy of this story in exchange of a fair and honest review.
OVERALL REVIEW:
A magical tale filled with fantastical elements and an endearing protagonist. Unfortunately, the story and main character’s reactions were a little too all over the place.
Want to learn more about the author? Check out my interview with Audrey Verreault
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