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debyik's review against another edition
4.0
Gate of Air is the first book in the Dragon Gods series by Resa Nelson. The Northland gods are not happy and have told Frayka that they will destroy everyone unless she can convince the dragon gods of the Far East to appease them.
A historical fantasy that is a mythology adventure with a bit of a coming-of-age story. This book excels at magical realism based on historical fiction without all of the info dumps. We mainly follow Frayka, our main character, but we also get other POVs along the way. The atmosphere is done well and the culture really shines through, especially when showing the differences between the two nations. There are a couple of twists to the story that are intriguing, making me want to pick up the next book.
The writing style is easy to read and the prose is done really well. The characters are written well even though you don’t always agree with their choices. The main character can seem a bit dense at times but I think that is the intention. GranGran, I don’t think there is anything you need to say about her except, hands down, the best character in the book! I absolutely loved her.
This first book lays the groundwork for the rest of the series and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
A historical fantasy that is a mythology adventure with a bit of a coming-of-age story. This book excels at magical realism based on historical fiction without all of the info dumps. We mainly follow Frayka, our main character, but we also get other POVs along the way. The atmosphere is done well and the culture really shines through, especially when showing the differences between the two nations. There are a couple of twists to the story that are intriguing, making me want to pick up the next book.
The writing style is easy to read and the prose is done really well. The characters are written well even though you don’t always agree with their choices. The main character can seem a bit dense at times but I think that is the intention. GranGran, I don’t think there is anything you need to say about her except, hands down, the best character in the book! I absolutely loved her.
This first book lays the groundwork for the rest of the series and I look forward to seeing where it goes from here.
mxmarta's review against another edition
Took a break from reading books, will have to re-read this one from the start
alwroteabook's review against another edition
4.0
I got this book free from Instafreebie, and while reviews aren't necessarily demanded, I always oblige. Here are some things I didn't know about Gates of Air:
1. It's apparently Young Adult
2. It's part of a series.
If YA means no nookie and no swearing or gratuitous violence, it definitely fits the bill. I'm not averse to violence, but I tend to sleep through sex scenes. Even so, it was nice to see the book managed to avoid all those things yet hold my interest. The fact that I was 100 pages in before noticing on Goodreads that it was a series says a lot about the writing. That the author alluded to previous events without the irritating info dump many others churn out is a credit to her. Also, I never felt like I was missing out on anything crucial. The characters were likeable, and the plot moved along steadily with no mcguffins to make one go "hold on a minute!" Nicely done, and will appeal to most ages. Closer to 41/2 stars...
1. It's apparently Young Adult
2. It's part of a series.
If YA means no nookie and no swearing or gratuitous violence, it definitely fits the bill. I'm not averse to violence, but I tend to sleep through sex scenes. Even so, it was nice to see the book managed to avoid all those things yet hold my interest. The fact that I was 100 pages in before noticing on Goodreads that it was a series says a lot about the writing. That the author alluded to previous events without the irritating info dump many others churn out is a credit to her. Also, I never felt like I was missing out on anything crucial. The characters were likeable, and the plot moved along steadily with no mcguffins to make one go "hold on a minute!" Nicely done, and will appeal to most ages. Closer to 41/2 stars...
marci_travels's review against another edition
3.0
This was a solid addition to fantasy quest literature. Frayka is a Northlander by nature and nurture. She has been taught to speak boldly, act decisively, and honor her visions. But when her visions tell her that she must travel to Far Eastern to meet with the dragon goddesses, she must set aside everything she has learned about her family, her way of life and her husband to survive.
This is the first of 4 books. The world building is a little heavy handed as often happens when setting up a series. Frayka is an interesting character but I found myself wanting to learn more about the back story of Gran Gran and Ti - the daughter of Emperor Po. It will be fun to watch their stories unfold in the next three books.
This is the first of 4 books. The world building is a little heavy handed as often happens when setting up a series. Frayka is an interesting character but I found myself wanting to learn more about the back story of Gran Gran and Ti - the daughter of Emperor Po. It will be fun to watch their stories unfold in the next three books.
rainysplanet's review against another edition
1.0
What can I say about this one?
It's not that it's terrible it's just very repetitive.
Like every other chapter it likes to remind me of the mission frayka is on...
The writing was pretty simplistic and there wasnt a lot of character building and somethings didn't make much sense.
It's not that it's terrible it's just very repetitive.
Like every other chapter it likes to remind me of the mission frayka is on...
The writing was pretty simplistic and there wasnt a lot of character building and somethings didn't make much sense.
rainysplanet's review
1.0
What can I say about this one?
It's not that it's terrible it's just very repetitive.
Like every other chapter it likes to remind me of the mission frayka is on...
The writing was pretty simplistic and there wasnt a lot of character building and somethings didn't make much sense.
It's not that it's terrible it's just very repetitive.
Like every other chapter it likes to remind me of the mission frayka is on...
The writing was pretty simplistic and there wasnt a lot of character building and somethings didn't make much sense.
alwroteabook's review
4.0
I got this book free from Instafreebie, and while reviews aren't necessarily demanded, I always oblige. Here are some things I didn't know about Gates of Air:
1. It's apparently Young Adult
2. It's part of a series.
If YA means no nookie and no swearing or gratuitous violence, it definitely fits the bill. I'm not averse to violence, but I tend to sleep through sex scenes. Even so, it was nice to see the book managed to avoid all those things yet hold my interest. The fact that I was 100 pages in before noticing on Goodreads that it was a series says a lot about the writing. That the author alluded to previous events without the irritating info dump many others churn out is a credit to her. Also, I never felt like I was missing out on anything crucial. The characters were likeable, and the plot moved along steadily with no mcguffins to make one go "hold on a minute!" Nicely done, and will appeal to most ages. Closer to 41/2 stars...
1. It's apparently Young Adult
2. It's part of a series.
If YA means no nookie and no swearing or gratuitous violence, it definitely fits the bill. I'm not averse to violence, but I tend to sleep through sex scenes. Even so, it was nice to see the book managed to avoid all those things yet hold my interest. The fact that I was 100 pages in before noticing on Goodreads that it was a series says a lot about the writing. That the author alluded to previous events without the irritating info dump many others churn out is a credit to her. Also, I never felt like I was missing out on anything crucial. The characters were likeable, and the plot moved along steadily with no mcguffins to make one go "hold on a minute!" Nicely done, and will appeal to most ages. Closer to 41/2 stars...
jlsigman's review
1.0
Quit at page 41 of 305. Poorly written, starts in the middle of something, very childish.
camilleareads's review
4.0
I would like to thank the author for sending me a physical copy of this book. All opinions are of my own.
When I first caught a glimpse of this book through a newsletter, I just knew I had to read it.
- Asian mythology
- Dragons
- Gods
- Dragon Gods
- Asian characters
I couldn't have been more excited to received this book. This is my first time reading Resa Nelson's work, so I was a little unfamiliar with the world she had created. Perhaps reading her previous books might have made me more acquainted with the saga, but for newbie readers I would expect the author to give a more vivid description of the world she had created. There were no unnecessary info dump but I do wished the author had reintroduced new readers to the world and culture she had created for the Dragonslayer and Dragonfly series.
That aside, I enjoyed this first book so much. It was fast paced with a plucky heroine who tries to navigate herself in new customs and cultures as she tries to save her people. Sounds familiar? It was interesting to read about a character who was not just confused about her role, but at times, a little helpless.
What interested me even more was that we also get to learn about the laws of the Far East. Some left me gaping with disbelief; I was like what the heck kind of a place is this? Then, I remembered how many historical laws had been similar. I thought it was wonderful of Resa Nelson to add these in because it also focused on social issues in history. It limited our female characters in a way which made me eager to read more about how they plan to navigate themselves in such a constrained world.
A wonderful mix of history, magic, mythology, and a plot twist that I would not have guessed at all! This book reminded me so much of Avatar: The Last Airbender, especially Njall who I couldn't help imagining as Sokka. Easily sliding this book into one of my favorite fantasy series.
Visit my blog at Camillea Reads for more reviews and bookish posts
When I first caught a glimpse of this book through a newsletter, I just knew I had to read it.
- Asian mythology
- Dragons
- Gods
- Dragon Gods
- Asian characters
I couldn't have been more excited to received this book. This is my first time reading Resa Nelson's work, so I was a little unfamiliar with the world she had created. Perhaps reading her previous books might have made me more acquainted with the saga, but for newbie readers I would expect the author to give a more vivid description of the world she had created. There were no unnecessary info dump but I do wished the author had reintroduced new readers to the world and culture she had created for the Dragonslayer and Dragonfly series.
That aside, I enjoyed this first book so much. It was fast paced with a plucky heroine who tries to navigate herself in new customs and cultures as she tries to save her people. Sounds familiar? It was interesting to read about a character who was not just confused about her role, but at times, a little helpless.
What interested me even more was that we also get to learn about the laws of the Far East. Some left me gaping with disbelief; I was like what the heck kind of a place is this? Then, I remembered how many historical laws had been similar. I thought it was wonderful of Resa Nelson to add these in because it also focused on social issues in history. It limited our female characters in a way which made me eager to read more about how they plan to navigate themselves in such a constrained world.
A wonderful mix of history, magic, mythology, and a plot twist that I would not have guessed at all! This book reminded me so much of Avatar: The Last Airbender, especially Njall who I couldn't help imagining as Sokka. Easily sliding this book into one of my favorite fantasy series.
Visit my blog at Camillea Reads for more reviews and bookish posts
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