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lia_trn's review against another edition
4.0
PROCEED WITH CAUTION : hot male lead whose charms are impossible to resist ; once fallen into his traps, I bet all you ladies would wonder why such perfectly sketched male specimen doesn't exist outside of the book!
_camk_'s review against another edition
2.0
+It was interesting world but a pity it got quite confusing.
+Avan. He derserved so much better from everyone in this book.
-Kai. One of the most naive people in the book calling someone else naive was the most ironic thing I've read. She doesn't really learn anything or grow as a person.
-Romance. It was trying to force itself through the very beginning. You have to read a lot of lines about Kai thinking about Avan, for the whole thing to then be actually pretty irrelevant and unneeded.
-Story. The story was really unengaging.
+Avan. He derserved so much better from everyone in this book.
-Kai. One of the most naive people in the book calling someone else naive was the most ironic thing I've read. She doesn't really learn anything or grow as a person.
-Romance. It was trying to force itself through the very beginning. You have to read a lot of lines about Kai thinking about Avan, for the whole thing to then be actually pretty irrelevant and unneeded.
-Story. The story was really unengaging.
kpeet's review against another edition
3.0
**I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.**
**3 stars**
Gates of Thread and Stone was an interesting read. The premise seemed to resemble that of Incarceron, but once I started the book, I realized it was really quite different. Kai lives in the slums with her adoptive brother, Reev, who found her on a riverbank when she was 8. She remembers nothing before that time, and any inquiries into Reev's life before her are brushed aside. Kai represents a fundamental urge we all have inside - the desire to know who we are. And does Kai figure out who she is?
Sort of.
Kai does get some answers, but also doubles her amount of questions. This of course follows as the result of an extended period spent in the Void, a vast, barren wasteland outside the city. My mind felt like it was in a void, too. Because while there, Kai and Avan are conveniently fed, housed, and trained to fight by the mysterious Black Rider who has supposedly been stealing citizens as part of his army. They make friends, they are protected from the vicious gargoyles, and are even thrown a surprise going-away party when it's time for them to leave. Yep, they trek all the way out to the Void, only to be told what they seek lies right where they started. Talk about wasting your time (and filling pages).
The suggested romance between Kai and G-10, a trainer in the Void, was really awkward and made me feel uncomfortable. For me, scenes between them conjured up images of a barista being hit-on by that older, creepy guy who has had a few too many. Exactly like that shuddering feeling when you get touched by slimy guys. Not that G-10 is old or slimy, just...uncomfortable. The real romance between Kai and Avan was quite a bit more enjoyable. It felt like a natural progression from friendship into something more. Avan came across as a little shy, and Kai as oblivious. Because of her narrow focus on finding Reev, she missed a lot of little things. Once she realizes how he feels, their interactions are reminiscent of two 16-year-olds with crushes on each other. It's adorable.
Overall I felt I wanted MORE. The very beginning led me to believe Death herself played a much larger role than she actually did. I was kind of excited to see a badass female executioner wreaking havoc on poor, unsuspecting subjects. That didn't happen. There were those pieces of a fantasy element that really kept me in the story, but it wasn't enough to make me happy. WHY COULDN'T THERE BE MORE?? In addition, the last 15% of the book was just a race to the finish line. Everything I thought I was getting in this book and everything I wanted to get in this book happened during then, in a very squished fashion. Whereas the beginning, the journey, and the Void stretched on endlessly, the ending came and went much too quickly.
Summary
Incorporating more of the powers and magic into the story would've given this book at least 1 more star. While definitely an enjoyable read, it felt much more like an adventure than a fantasy. The main romance was sweet, the plot twists were nice, but there was a large chunk in the middle that seemed to serve no purpose except to double the length of the book.
**3 stars**
Gates of Thread and Stone was an interesting read. The premise seemed to resemble that of Incarceron, but once I started the book, I realized it was really quite different. Kai lives in the slums with her adoptive brother, Reev, who found her on a riverbank when she was 8. She remembers nothing before that time, and any inquiries into Reev's life before her are brushed aside. Kai represents a fundamental urge we all have inside - the desire to know who we are. And does Kai figure out who she is?
Sort of.
Kai does get some answers, but also doubles her amount of questions. This of course follows as the result of an extended period spent in the Void, a vast, barren wasteland outside the city. My mind felt like it was in a void, too. Because while there, Kai and Avan are conveniently fed, housed, and trained to fight by the mysterious Black Rider who has supposedly been stealing citizens as part of his army. They make friends, they are protected from the vicious gargoyles, and are even thrown a surprise going-away party when it's time for them to leave. Yep, they trek all the way out to the Void, only to be told what they seek lies right where they started. Talk about wasting your time (and filling pages).
The suggested romance between Kai and G-10, a trainer in the Void, was really awkward and made me feel uncomfortable. For me, scenes between them conjured up images of a barista being hit-on by that older, creepy guy who has had a few too many. Exactly like that shuddering feeling when you get touched by slimy guys. Not that G-10 is old or slimy, just...uncomfortable. The real romance between Kai and Avan was quite a bit more enjoyable. It felt like a natural progression from friendship into something more. Avan came across as a little shy, and Kai as oblivious. Because of her narrow focus on finding Reev, she missed a lot of little things. Once she realizes how he feels, their interactions are reminiscent of two 16-year-olds with crushes on each other. It's adorable.
Overall I felt I wanted MORE. The very beginning led me to believe Death herself played a much larger role than she actually did. I was kind of excited to see a badass female executioner wreaking havoc on poor, unsuspecting subjects. That didn't happen. There were those pieces of a fantasy element that really kept me in the story, but it wasn't enough to make me happy. WHY COULDN'T THERE BE MORE?? In addition, the last 15% of the book was just a race to the finish line. Everything I thought I was getting in this book and everything I wanted to get in this book happened during then, in a very squished fashion. Whereas the beginning, the journey, and the Void stretched on endlessly, the ending came and went much too quickly.
Summary
Incorporating more of the powers and magic into the story would've given this book at least 1 more star. While definitely an enjoyable read, it felt much more like an adventure than a fantasy. The main romance was sweet, the plot twists were nice, but there was a large chunk in the middle that seemed to serve no purpose except to double the length of the book.
ace_writes_words's review against another edition
4.0
maxlk's review against another edition
2.0
Not terrible...not great either...less gay than expected.
shannnon's review
3.0
It was difficult to decide how I felt about Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee.
In the end, I’m rating it a 3/5.
I felt the story line progressed fairly well, as in it moved at a decent pace. It kept me reading until the end. However, I felt the world that the author had created had one two many ‘unique words’ in place of established real-world words/items to make this place different. In other novels, authors have changed out pieces of the world and changed it to make the setting unique, however I quickly got tired of the swear word, “drek,” of the power source, “energy stones,” and of the mechanical horses, “grays.” All of which, didn’t seem that overly important to the plot, merely just thrown in for colour.
Kai is portrayed as strong, yet vulnerably attached to her adoptive brother, Reev. She is also very attracted to her friend, Avan, yet doesn’t seem to recognize her feelings. At one point I was actually concerned it was going to turn into a love triangle, because of how awkward she would act towards both of them. And yet both Avan and Reev seem to keep her at arms length and constantly keep her in the dark about everything.
The part where this story really started to lose me was when Kai and Avan go off in search of Reev. The story takes a twist which, to me, makes the entire synopsis on the back of the book misleading to what the story really is about. It took way to long to get to the real story. I feel if I had known what the story was really about much earlier, even at the start, I would have been a lot more interested in this book.
Overall, I was very excited when I first started reading this novel. I wanted to like it, but I left this novel feeling uncomfortable with how the characters emerged and related to each other in this book. I can’t see where the next two books will go, but I hope the real story starts a lot sooner in the second novel than it did in the first, and focuses more on the development and interactions between the characters.
In the end, I’m rating it a 3/5.
I felt the story line progressed fairly well, as in it moved at a decent pace. It kept me reading until the end. However, I felt the world that the author had created had one two many ‘unique words’ in place of established real-world words/items to make this place different. In other novels, authors have changed out pieces of the world and changed it to make the setting unique, however I quickly got tired of the swear word, “drek,” of the power source, “energy stones,” and of the mechanical horses, “grays.” All of which, didn’t seem that overly important to the plot, merely just thrown in for colour.
Kai is portrayed as strong, yet vulnerably attached to her adoptive brother, Reev. She is also very attracted to her friend, Avan, yet doesn’t seem to recognize her feelings. At one point I was actually concerned it was going to turn into a love triangle, because of how awkward she would act towards both of them. And yet both Avan and Reev seem to keep her at arms length and constantly keep her in the dark about everything.
The part where this story really started to lose me was when Kai and Avan go off in search of Reev. The story takes a twist which, to me, makes the entire synopsis on the back of the book misleading to what the story really is about. It took way to long to get to the real story. I feel if I had known what the story was really about much earlier, even at the start, I would have been a lot more interested in this book.
Overall, I was very excited when I first started reading this novel. I wanted to like it, but I left this novel feeling uncomfortable with how the characters emerged and related to each other in this book. I can’t see where the next two books will go, but I hope the real story starts a lot sooner in the second novel than it did in the first, and focuses more on the development and interactions between the characters.
lissac's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. I found myself skimming most of this book. There were a few really positive things about it, but I just couldn’t get into it.
kaitrosereads's review against another edition
4.0
Gates of Thread and Stone is a strong debut from Lori M. Lee and a wonderful start to a new fantasy series. It’s got a little something for all readers and I think it’s a great introduction to fantasy if that’s not a genre you’re familiar with.
The story starts off strong and continues that way throughout. I was hooked from the very first page. The pacing was fabulous and I never felt the urge to put the book down. It’s a quick read that will leave readers wanting more. There is mystery, romance, action, and deception woven through every page. I never could guess what was going to happen next. (Until the very end when I had a tiny inkling that something might happen!) Like I said, this book really has a little something for everyone. Also, the fantasy aspect of it wasn’t quite as strong as other young adult fantasy novels like Rae Carson’s or Leigh Bardugo’s. I don’t mean that in a bad way though. I think this would be a great introduction to the fantasy genre for people who may be a little intimidated by some of the other fantasy novels out there.
The characters were a little bit lacking for me. I never felt truly invested in their stories. When one of them was hurt or taken, I didn’t get all that upset. Kai, Avan, Reev, and the others felt a little unreal to me. I never got enough information about them to feel like I knew their stories. I know this is only the first in a series but by the end of the book I felt like I should have cared more than I did for the characters. They were far from terrible though. Kai was strong and self-sufficient. She didn’t require saving every other page. She could take care of herself and in fact, she could help others too. Avan and Kai shared a lot of characteristics and I think that was part of why they fought so much. They both wanted to look out for the other when really both of them could easily look out for themselves. Avan was a true gentleman though. He was protective of Kai but he didn’t try to stifle her independence. I liked that he was confident enough in himself to not need to put her down. Reev was the most lacking for me. I liked him but there were a lot of mysteries surrounding him and I feel like some of those mysteries still weren’t cleared up at the end of Gates of Thread and Stone.
Kai’s ability was another big issue of mine for most of the book. It went unexplained for quite some time. Kai would use her ability but as the reader, I didn’t have a clue what she was doing, how she was doing it, or how it could possibly help her. Not until one of the last few chapters was her ability explained and I felt confused about it even then. I think there will be a lot more exploring of Kai’s powers in the next book.
Overall, Gates of Thread and Stone didn’t wow me like I hoped but it did get me interested enough to check out the next book. Fantasy fans will enjoy this one.
The story starts off strong and continues that way throughout. I was hooked from the very first page. The pacing was fabulous and I never felt the urge to put the book down. It’s a quick read that will leave readers wanting more. There is mystery, romance, action, and deception woven through every page. I never could guess what was going to happen next. (Until the very end when I had a tiny inkling that something might happen!) Like I said, this book really has a little something for everyone. Also, the fantasy aspect of it wasn’t quite as strong as other young adult fantasy novels like Rae Carson’s or Leigh Bardugo’s. I don’t mean that in a bad way though. I think this would be a great introduction to the fantasy genre for people who may be a little intimidated by some of the other fantasy novels out there.
The characters were a little bit lacking for me. I never felt truly invested in their stories. When one of them was hurt or taken, I didn’t get all that upset. Kai, Avan, Reev, and the others felt a little unreal to me. I never got enough information about them to feel like I knew their stories. I know this is only the first in a series but by the end of the book I felt like I should have cared more than I did for the characters. They were far from terrible though. Kai was strong and self-sufficient. She didn’t require saving every other page. She could take care of herself and in fact, she could help others too. Avan and Kai shared a lot of characteristics and I think that was part of why they fought so much. They both wanted to look out for the other when really both of them could easily look out for themselves. Avan was a true gentleman though. He was protective of Kai but he didn’t try to stifle her independence. I liked that he was confident enough in himself to not need to put her down. Reev was the most lacking for me. I liked him but there were a lot of mysteries surrounding him and I feel like some of those mysteries still weren’t cleared up at the end of Gates of Thread and Stone.
Kai’s ability was another big issue of mine for most of the book. It went unexplained for quite some time. Kai would use her ability but as the reader, I didn’t have a clue what she was doing, how she was doing it, or how it could possibly help her. Not until one of the last few chapters was her ability explained and I felt confused about it even then. I think there will be a lot more exploring of Kai’s powers in the next book.
Overall, Gates of Thread and Stone didn’t wow me like I hoped but it did get me interested enough to check out the next book. Fantasy fans will enjoy this one.
forsakenfates's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 Stars
“Death lived in a glass tower at the center of the White Court. I could see the tower from anywhere in the city. It cut the skyline like a blade. Death- She probably had a real name- was Kahl Ninu’s right hand and his personal executioner. Or at least, that’s what the rumors said.”
I’ve been wanting to read this book forever. I follow Lori M. Lee on Twitter and she seems like a great person and she really enjoys interacting with fans. Both the premise and the cover of this book drew me in! This book was definitely as good as expected, if not better. I loved the story, the characters, the world, and the writing. I also loved all the different elements wrapped into this story. You have time manipulation, steampunk, fantasy, and even mythology. It was a fascinating blend of elements.
The plot was somewhat slow in this book, but that was due to extensive world building. Lori did an amazing job setting up the story and introducing us to Kai, Reev, and Avan. There are plenty of other characters in this book too, that all have an important tie to those main three.
At first you think this book is about Kai and Avan leaving the city walls to find Kai’s brother, Reev, but it is so much more than that. Reev’s disappearance is more complicated and it requires Kai and Avan to go undercover at the Tournament to hopefully get Reev and leave the city again. The ending of this book shows just how complex and well-thought out the plot is and was totally unexpected for me.
The magic system in this book is very unique. And how Kai fits into this system is unclear (it is somewhat cleared up at the end but I still have a lot of questions). She can manipulate the threads of time, but it is not really clear what the full potential of her powers are. I really wished we could have seen more of Kai’s powers and what she is capable of. I really hope in subsequent books we learn more about them as she experiments with them.
Overall, this was a great introduction into a new series. Lori’s writing style is fantastic, she pulled me right in and there were many times I did not want to stop reading even though I had to, to either go to bed or go to class. I flew through this book in under 24 hours. That is how much I loved it. I’m also really glad I have a galley of the second book, The Infinite. So I can jump right into that without having to wait!
*I received a galley of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*
“Death lived in a glass tower at the center of the White Court. I could see the tower from anywhere in the city. It cut the skyline like a blade. Death- She probably had a real name- was Kahl Ninu’s right hand and his personal executioner. Or at least, that’s what the rumors said.”
I’ve been wanting to read this book forever. I follow Lori M. Lee on Twitter and she seems like a great person and she really enjoys interacting with fans. Both the premise and the cover of this book drew me in! This book was definitely as good as expected, if not better. I loved the story, the characters, the world, and the writing. I also loved all the different elements wrapped into this story. You have time manipulation, steampunk, fantasy, and even mythology. It was a fascinating blend of elements.
The plot was somewhat slow in this book, but that was due to extensive world building. Lori did an amazing job setting up the story and introducing us to Kai, Reev, and Avan. There are plenty of other characters in this book too, that all have an important tie to those main three.
At first you think this book is about Kai and Avan leaving the city walls to find Kai’s brother, Reev, but it is so much more than that. Reev’s disappearance is more complicated and it requires Kai and Avan to go undercover at the Tournament to hopefully get Reev and leave the city again. The ending of this book shows just how complex and well-thought out the plot is and was totally unexpected for me.
The magic system in this book is very unique. And how Kai fits into this system is unclear (it is somewhat cleared up at the end but I still have a lot of questions). She can manipulate the threads of time, but it is not really clear what the full potential of her powers are. I really wished we could have seen more of Kai’s powers and what she is capable of. I really hope in subsequent books we learn more about them as she experiments with them.
Overall, this was a great introduction into a new series. Lori’s writing style is fantastic, she pulled me right in and there were many times I did not want to stop reading even though I had to, to either go to bed or go to class. I flew through this book in under 24 hours. That is how much I loved it. I’m also really glad I have a galley of the second book, The Infinite. So I can jump right into that without having to wait!
*I received a galley of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*