Rating:
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Photo courtesy of BN.com
Danny North knew from early childhood that his family was different, and that he was different from them. While his cousins were learning how to create the things that commoners called fairies, ghosts, golems, trolls, werewolves, and other such miracles that were the heritage of the North family, Danny worried that he would never show a talent, never form an outself.
He grew up in the rambling old house, filled with dozens of cousins, and aunts and uncles, all ruled by his father. Their home was isolated in the mountains of western Virginia, far from town, far from schools, far from other people.
There are many secrets in the House, and many rules that Danny must follow. There is a secret library with only a few dozen books, and none of them in English — but Danny and his cousins are expected to become fluent in the language of the books. While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.
Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny as well. And that will lead to disaster for the North family. – Tom Doherty Associates, LLC
Surprisingly, I loved The Lost Gate. Granted, it took me quite a while to get into it because I wasn’t sure where Card was going with the story—but once I became engrossed in the tale, I really enjoyed it. Danny isn’t your typical 13-year-old kid. He’s from a special family; each member has magical powers except for poor Danny. While he suffers teasing and humiliation by his peers, he’s also tormented for something completely out of his control—his lack of magic. It reminds me of what any young child goes through when trying to make their parents proud. They want to excel and be good at something but unfortunately, Danny isn’t good at anything and it makes him feel like a failure. Until he finds that he’s a fast runner. This doesn’t stand out as anything spectacular other than running is his particular talent. I thought, “That’s what he’s meant to do. That’s what makes him special.” Little did I know, it was the just the beginning of what is so special about Danny.
I’m not big on the fantasy genre, but I have to admit to wanting to take a second look at it after reading The Lost Gate. I didn’t realize the book was about a new world where magical beings consider themselves gods and better than the average human—what they call “drowthers.” I fell in love with Danny from the beginning and could relate to having similar emotions while going through everything he experiences. Like his stint at being a burglar. The suspense is there—the fear he’d get caught, and the thrill of him getting away with the crime. As the reader, you want Danny to be ok and you want him to get away with whatever he does because you’ve become attached to him. Granted, stealing is bad but Danny’s circumstances make you reconsider your stance on thievery. If an author can make a reader become so invested in what happens to the protagonist that you forgive them their moral diversions when trying to survive in the world, isn’t that a sign of great writing?
One thing I found interesting is the fight Danny has with himself. He is more powerful than he realizes (or us, for that matter) and has a few instances where he can go above and beyond what anyone has ever seen before in his world. The power gets to him, yet he fights against the pull of going over to the dark side. He wants to do well; he wants to remain Danny but embrace his newfound magic. Because yes, Danny comes into his own and yearns to become a powerful Gatefather. What is a Gatefather, you may ask? Well, he’s a mage, capable of controlling or manipulating the space-time continuum and creating openings (called gates) which lead from one place to another. Simply put, he can teleport. And that’s a very cool power to have. As I said, I’ve never been one for the fantasy genre, but there’s something about this book that pulls me into its orbit and doesn’t let go.
Now, while I love Danny, the other protagonist we’re introduced to, Wad, is a special character himself. He’s mysterious in every way possible, yet I felt I knew who he was as soon as I met him, trapped in a tree as it were. But the funny thing is, he doesn’t know who he is, what he’s capable of, or why. That’s just one more aspect to the mystery of who Wad is (which we find out by the end of the book). The ending is a bit abrupt, not so much rushed, but formed in an easy way to tie up loose ends and leave the reader wanting more. Because I sure do. I can’t wait for the next installment and I’ll definitely read The Lost Gate again.
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