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brittanica_bold's review
3.0
I was super excited to review The Crossing Gate, book 1 of A Waltz of Sin and Fire, for many reasons including the dystopian world approach, the synopsis, and THAT COVERART!!!
A bit of background:
- There are three tattooed lines one gets throughout their life: one when they are born and trolleyed through the Crossing Gate signifying the childhood phase, one around age 11 when they walk through the Crossing Gate into the adolescence phase of life, and a third when they walk through the Crossing Gate into adulthood, all of which must be done before reaching 20 years old.
- All the crossings truly open a new world and new experiences to those who cross. They learn of things they couldn't possibly fathom in the prior phase. Instead of real life where we are eased into adolescence or adulthood by learning things gradually, they are essentially tossed into the next phase with a hardcore education on their new phase of life.
- Those who have walked through into adulthood are not allowed to tell those who haven’t what to expect, as that would be a sin.
- Our main character Leen has tried to cross multiple times, but each time she tries to cross into her adult phase she becomes dizzy and is unable to cross. She doesn't like the idea of having to agree to a new phase of life that she knows nothing about, especially since if she "sins" she will receive sin spots (essentially markings on your body for anything you do wrong), but she doesn't know what constitutes a sin.
Ok, that's enough background without being a spoiler.
What I Liked About This Book:
1. The synopsis is interesting. I like the idea of these different phases in life and the secrecy behind them. Its a very interesting concept that definitely makes you feel like you aren't getting the full picture and you get to go along with Leen for the ride.
2. I like how much thought Asiel R. Lavie put into the history of the region. It's well thought out and very interesting to try to piece together.
3. I like the twists and the spiritual readings throughout the book. They act as little nuggets to pique your interest at appropriate times.
4. I like that you don't know who to trust! I personally went back and forth on a lot of characters, and was really happy when one of my earliest theories came true at the end of the book.
5. This book has serious 1984 meets Hunger Games vibes and I really enjoyed that, given they are two of my favorite books.
What I Didn't Like About This Book:
1. There is a lot of detail given to minor things, while whole conversations of interest are skipped over and summarized in a paragraph of non-dialogue. I felt like some of the priorities were a little misplaced and the pacing was a little weird due to this.
2. There were some pretty big time jumps that weren’t really clear until you stepped back and went “Wait, where are we in time right now?”
3. Because of big jumps in time, I felt we didn’t get to see the character development for a lot of characters, or even some of the relationships. I would have love to seen more of Erick and Leen’s relationship, to be able to understand a bit more why they were so insta-love. Don't get me wrong, insta-love is my crack, but I want to feel more involved than this book let me.
3 Stars!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily*
A bit of background:
- There are three tattooed lines one gets throughout their life: one when they are born and trolleyed through the Crossing Gate signifying the childhood phase, one around age 11 when they walk through the Crossing Gate into the adolescence phase of life, and a third when they walk through the Crossing Gate into adulthood, all of which must be done before reaching 20 years old.
- All the crossings truly open a new world and new experiences to those who cross. They learn of things they couldn't possibly fathom in the prior phase. Instead of real life where we are eased into adolescence or adulthood by learning things gradually, they are essentially tossed into the next phase with a hardcore education on their new phase of life.
- Those who have walked through into adulthood are not allowed to tell those who haven’t what to expect, as that would be a sin.
- Our main character Leen has tried to cross multiple times, but each time she tries to cross into her adult phase she becomes dizzy and is unable to cross. She doesn't like the idea of having to agree to a new phase of life that she knows nothing about, especially since if she "sins" she will receive sin spots (essentially markings on your body for anything you do wrong), but she doesn't know what constitutes a sin.
Ok, that's enough background without being a spoiler.
What I Liked About This Book:
1. The synopsis is interesting. I like the idea of these different phases in life and the secrecy behind them. Its a very interesting concept that definitely makes you feel like you aren't getting the full picture and you get to go along with Leen for the ride.
2. I like how much thought Asiel R. Lavie put into the history of the region. It's well thought out and very interesting to try to piece together.
3. I like the twists and the spiritual readings throughout the book. They act as little nuggets to pique your interest at appropriate times.
4. I like that you don't know who to trust! I personally went back and forth on a lot of characters, and was really happy when one of my earliest theories came true at the end of the book.
5. This book has serious 1984 meets Hunger Games vibes and I really enjoyed that, given they are two of my favorite books.
What I Didn't Like About This Book:
1. There is a lot of detail given to minor things, while whole conversations of interest are skipped over and summarized in a paragraph of non-dialogue. I felt like some of the priorities were a little misplaced and the pacing was a little weird due to this.
2. There were some pretty big time jumps that weren’t really clear until you stepped back and went “Wait, where are we in time right now?”
3. Because of big jumps in time, I felt we didn’t get to see the character development for a lot of characters, or even some of the relationships. I would have love to seen more of Erick and Leen’s relationship, to be able to understand a bit more why they were so insta-love. Don't get me wrong, insta-love is my crack, but I want to feel more involved than this book let me.
3 Stars!
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily*
meisbooknook's review
3.0
I usually do not read dystopian/sci-fi books - but I enjoyed diving into The Crossing Gate! It took me a while to get used to the narrative, but after that I could not put it down!
The world-building in this novel was amazing! I loved learning about the history of Elphax (and the brief glimpses into the rest of the world). I thought it was unique, and full of potential. I cannot wait for some aspects to be explained in future books.
I will be honest, I felt like the transitions between the plot points in the novel left something to be desired. There were a decent amount of time-skips that could have been used to make the plot (and sub-plots) clearer, and to improve on Leen's relationships with those around her. During the last third of the novel this pace fits with the urgency of trying to get Leen from place to place is very apparent. The two-thirds before that though...it's a bit jarring.
We start with Leen's coming-of-age journey. She needs to cross the crossing the gate in order to become an adult, and be able to help her lower class family earn money. She has tried numerous times, and cannot seem to bring herself over due to a mysterious illness that strikes her every time. Even as a juvenile, she quickly becomes exposed to the more dangerous and seedy sides of the government...wanting to become the first female lawyer to combat the atrocities again women. But on her next attempt to cross the gate, she is thrown head first into a revolution. There was no real emphasis on a revolution until right before she was going to cross into adulthood, and I wish some hints were scattered throughout her day-to-day life.
I did like the abruptness of Leen's introduction into adulthood. I thought it was done perfectly, given the situation that she found herself in. She was suddenly faced with a lot of things that she couldn't comprehend at first, but she rolled with the punches, becoming stronger in the end. I think that although she wants to be more mature, Leen is going to continue to struggle with the gaps in her knowledge.
I liked Leen's relationships with Mary and Asha (Lily) the most. She was bound through both in completely different circumstances, but they stood by her side (and vice versa) despite all that had happened. I hope they continue to motivate her and give her a reason to fight throughout the series.
The romance in this novel left something to be desired. I know it was not the main focus, at all, but Leen fell too hard too fast for the first love interest...and vice versa. Where was the build up here? There is so much that is left unseen by these time-skips. Just saying that they're talking every day (at the school), or meeting every weekend (at her house) isn't enough. Perhaps some scattered moments here and there would have been better. The second love interest...I thought he was just another simp at first, but he revealed his true colors fairly quickly. Even before the twist at the end was revealed, I did not like the way he handled things at all. I never felt attached to either love interest, and I'm curious to see how things are going to be recitified in future installments of this series.
I am very curious to see what direction this series takes in the next book. There are a lot of players in this book (ones that I think that Leen has forgot about), and I'm curious they do once Leen has served her purpose.
Thank you so much Asiel R. Lavie, and BookSirens for giving me an eARC of this book.
The world-building in this novel was amazing! I loved learning about the history of Elphax (and the brief glimpses into the rest of the world). I thought it was unique, and full of potential. I cannot wait for some aspects to be explained in future books.
I will be honest, I felt like the transitions between the plot points in the novel left something to be desired. There were a decent amount of time-skips that could have been used to make the plot (and sub-plots) clearer, and to improve on Leen's relationships with those around her. During the last third of the novel this pace fits with the urgency of trying to get Leen from place to place is very apparent. The two-thirds before that though...it's a bit jarring.
We start with Leen's coming-of-age journey. She needs to cross the crossing the gate in order to become an adult, and be able to help her lower class family earn money. She has tried numerous times, and cannot seem to bring herself over due to a mysterious illness that strikes her every time. Even as a juvenile, she quickly becomes exposed to the more dangerous and seedy sides of the government...wanting to become the first female lawyer to combat the atrocities again women. But on her next attempt to cross the gate, she is thrown head first into a revolution. There was no real emphasis on a revolution until right before she was going to cross into adulthood, and I wish some hints were scattered throughout her day-to-day life.
I did like the abruptness of Leen's introduction into adulthood. I thought it was done perfectly, given the situation that she found herself in. She was suddenly faced with a lot of things that she couldn't comprehend at first, but she rolled with the punches, becoming stronger in the end. I think that although she wants to be more mature, Leen is going to continue to struggle with the gaps in her knowledge.
I liked Leen's relationships with Mary and Asha (Lily) the most. She was bound through both in completely different circumstances, but they stood by her side (and vice versa) despite all that had happened. I hope they continue to motivate her and give her a reason to fight throughout the series.
The romance in this novel left something to be desired. I know it was not the main focus, at all, but Leen fell too hard too fast for the first love interest...and vice versa. Where was the build up here? There is so much that is left unseen by these time-skips. Just saying that they're talking every day (at the school), or meeting every weekend (at her house) isn't enough. Perhaps some scattered moments here and there would have been better. The second love interest...I thought he was just another simp at first, but he revealed his true colors fairly quickly. Even before the twist at the end was revealed, I did not like the way he handled things at all. I never felt attached to either love interest, and I'm curious to see how things are going to be recitified in future installments of this series.
I am very curious to see what direction this series takes in the next book. There are a lot of players in this book (ones that I think that Leen has forgot about), and I'm curious they do once Leen has served her purpose.
Thank you so much Asiel R. Lavie, and BookSirens for giving me an eARC of this book.
atrailofpages's review
4.0
Well, this was an interesting book! This story follows Lenora, or Leen as she prefers, who has reached the point in her life to cross the Crossing Gate. Crossing the Gate means she reaches adulthood and is allowed to learn about “adult” things and actions or activities. However, she’s already tried two times and failed both times due to dizziness. She does not know why she feels like this, and does not want to be forced to cross. One she meets a boy(an adult) who stirs up feelings in her that she should not feel since she’s considered juvenile and should not have access to those feelings. It confuses her and she tries to find answers which triggers the rulers of their kingdom and others to start watching her closely, and even hunt her down and cause her and her family grief. Because of her feelings, Lenora finally decides to cross, which causes so much more to happen and opens her eyes to more of her world she was unaware of.
This is an interesting world. It takes place after World War III and seems to be a Greek/Latino world and the language seems to be a mix of the two as well as everyone’s names. The rulers are a king and a queen, and basically anyone under adult age is not allowed to know and understand certain things that adults do, that is considered sinning. They have drones that are always around trying to catch people sharing words that should not be shared with juveniles and if caught, are punished. It’s a very strict and regimented world to say the least. If an adult sins, sin spots appear and if caught during a mandatory random sin spot check could be arrested and punished. It’s definitely a mix of sci-fi and fantasy. They do use cars and have phones that are called Imefonos and have computers and internet, but there were hints of fantasy.
I never truly connected with any of the characters, but I appreciated Lenora’s spunk and willingness to try find out what’s going on with her world and herself. She had to take a lot of risks. And she has two best friends Mary and Jason who stood up for her and are always there for trying to help despite the risks on themselves. The romance is really sweet too, poor Lenora has no idea what her feelings mean or why she feels the way she does, but it was really cute to see her learn and understand.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the book, especially when the action really started after the halfway point for the book. Things started getting intense! And after then ending, I would like to know how the story continues. I received an advance review copy for free(thank you to BookSirens and the author), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is an interesting world. It takes place after World War III and seems to be a Greek/Latino world and the language seems to be a mix of the two as well as everyone’s names. The rulers are a king and a queen, and basically anyone under adult age is not allowed to know and understand certain things that adults do, that is considered sinning. They have drones that are always around trying to catch people sharing words that should not be shared with juveniles and if caught, are punished. It’s a very strict and regimented world to say the least. If an adult sins, sin spots appear and if caught during a mandatory random sin spot check could be arrested and punished. It’s definitely a mix of sci-fi and fantasy. They do use cars and have phones that are called Imefonos and have computers and internet, but there were hints of fantasy.
I never truly connected with any of the characters, but I appreciated Lenora’s spunk and willingness to try find out what’s going on with her world and herself. She had to take a lot of risks. And she has two best friends Mary and Jason who stood up for her and are always there for trying to help despite the risks on themselves. The romance is really sweet too, poor Lenora has no idea what her feelings mean or why she feels the way she does, but it was really cute to see her learn and understand.
Overall, I enjoyed the story and the book, especially when the action really started after the halfway point for the book. Things started getting intense! And after then ending, I would like to know how the story continues. I received an advance review copy for free(thank you to BookSirens and the author), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
loganslovelylibrary's review
2.0
Unfortunately, this is a DNF for me at 20%. The plot and world-building was interesting enough, but the actual characters and descriptions were poorly written. The dialogue was very clunky and disjointed and totally took me out of the scene. I was having to force myself through each chapter when I finally decided to DNF! It’s a bummer since this had a very interesting dystopian plot, but the writing felt too juvenile.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
oneanjana's review
4.0
“You know, Leen… love isn’t always a crazy, obsessive emotion. Love is understanding and respecting each other, and giving space to grow and sacrifice and compromise. It’s about being there for each other, not running away. And it certainly isn’t treason.”
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
What a promising start for a series! It’s thrilling, gripping from the start and never lose its pace.
The Crossing Gate is a dystopian story with a Hunger Games vibe (the caste between people: royal, wealthy, middle-class, workers), in a world with Handmaid’s Tale vibe. Everyone in Elpax will walk through The Crossing Gate 3 times in their life: when they were born, to juvenile phase, and adult phase.
The world-building is captivating with all its lore, the sin-spot system, the silver-mint hair (a little weird, but I love that!) the concept and true nature behind the Crossing gate, and all the Greek references. Don’t forget the best part about the plot twists: it’s on every corner. Wow! I think that’s what makes this book is so gripping and turn out to be a great page-turner.
However, I’m not a fan with the romance trope. I can’t say anything because it will be a spoiler, but I hate that it’s so complicated and so dramatic that I can’t be fond with the love interest. But, all in all, this book is still a great read and I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Thank you NetGalley and Absolute Author Publishing House for the opportunity to read this eARC. All opinions are on my own.
TW: sexual abuse, verbal abuse, suicidal thoughts
nerdylibrarian's review
4.0
If you are in the mood for a good dystopian read, pick this one up! I did find the MC slightly annoying, but overall a good read.
thindbooks's review
4.0
*This e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*
This was such an amazing read! Lenora needs to make a crossing to become an adult but fails and needs to follow certain laws in order to avoid suspicion. I really enjoyed Lavie's writing as she captured the Greek world pretty well and did an amazing job with creating a new world. Her writing brought back the 2010s books like Divergent and Red Queen which is a good thing in my opinion because Divergent is such an amazing book that I haven't read anything as amazing as those books. The storyline was amazingly structured but I do have to say that it wasn't totally original. The pacing was well done with all conflicts and action well put together in the story.
Lenora is the main character in this book and I enjoyed her story. She is such a brave character and kind of remind me of Mare from Red Queen. She develops throughout this novel but readers can tell that more development is coming in the upcoming books. There are also some great side characters like Lenora's best friends and Erick. I enjoyed most of the side characters and their involvement in the book. This book has a love triangle which is not one of my favorites as it's hard to ship a couple when you could be upset if you are wrong. Even that the romance was just not for me with a 1/5 level of steaminess.
The ending was just amazing with there being so many twists and turns. It just brought back the Hunger Games and Divergent's ending as they always ended so well with a twist that makes you want more. This book was very well written even though I had some minor problems. But I'm glad to have read this book as it gave me old time feels with a bit of newness to it. This book is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent and Red Queen.
This was such an amazing read! Lenora needs to make a crossing to become an adult but fails and needs to follow certain laws in order to avoid suspicion. I really enjoyed Lavie's writing as she captured the Greek world pretty well and did an amazing job with creating a new world. Her writing brought back the 2010s books like Divergent and Red Queen which is a good thing in my opinion because Divergent is such an amazing book that I haven't read anything as amazing as those books. The storyline was amazingly structured but I do have to say that it wasn't totally original. The pacing was well done with all conflicts and action well put together in the story.
Lenora is the main character in this book and I enjoyed her story. She is such a brave character and kind of remind me of Mare from Red Queen. She develops throughout this novel but readers can tell that more development is coming in the upcoming books. There are also some great side characters like Lenora's best friends and Erick. I enjoyed most of the side characters and their involvement in the book. This book has a love triangle which is not one of my favorites as it's hard to ship a couple when you could be upset if you are wrong. Even that the romance was just not for me with a 1/5 level of steaminess.
The ending was just amazing with there being so many twists and turns. It just brought back the Hunger Games and Divergent's ending as they always ended so well with a twist that makes you want more. This book was very well written even though I had some minor problems. But I'm glad to have read this book as it gave me old time feels with a bit of newness to it. This book is perfect for fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent and Red Queen.
bibliotequeish's review
3.0
This book is very similar to divergent in many ways. But it’s so different… so that’s where I’m at with this book
The story takes place in a society where juveniles only become adults when they cross through a crossing gate. Unfortunately our protagonist Lenora is physically unable to cross. This brings her unwanted attention and she finds herself on the bad side of some very powerful people.
This was a fast and enjoyable read and I am pretty interested In continuing this series.
The story takes place in a society where juveniles only become adults when they cross through a crossing gate. Unfortunately our protagonist Lenora is physically unable to cross. This brings her unwanted attention and she finds herself on the bad side of some very powerful people.
This was a fast and enjoyable read and I am pretty interested In continuing this series.
lilymouse's review
2.0
The plot had so much potential, but the writing felt like a 13 year old's fanfiction.
shellyleblanc86's review
4.0
I won a physical copy of The Crossing Gate by Asiel R Lavie in a Goodreads giveaway.
The story follows Leonra “Leen” who is an adolescent needing to cross through the Crossing Gate into adulthood.
In Elpax, the people have to pass through the Crossing Gate three times: at childhood, into adolescence, and into adulthood. A line to tattooed on the left arm with each passing to show what of life the individual in currently.
Leen had tried to cross twice but got dizzy both times. On her third attempt, she almost makes it through before she passes out. She only get a half third line. She finds out that this makes her a key player in a prophecy where she kills the king to bring peace to the land.
This point is when the book really started to get interesting and I look forward to book 2 in the A Waltz of Sin and Fire series to see how her journey to complete the prophecy continues.
The story follows Leonra “Leen” who is an adolescent needing to cross through the Crossing Gate into adulthood.
In Elpax, the people have to pass through the Crossing Gate three times: at childhood, into adolescence, and into adulthood. A line to tattooed on the left arm with each passing to show what of life the individual in currently.
Leen had tried to cross twice but got dizzy both times. On her third attempt, she almost makes it through before she passes out. She only get a half third line. She finds out that this makes her a key player in a prophecy where she kills the king to bring peace to the land.
This point is when the book really started to get interesting and I look forward to book 2 in the A Waltz of Sin and Fire series to see how her journey to complete the prophecy continues.