Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
A change of pace from the hard-core sci-fi of the Ender's Game series, but just as good!
Even though Danny is a teenager this is not YA lit. It's raw and the themes are more complicated than books written for teens. I was pleasantly surprised.
Surprisingly disappointed. I love OSC stories, but this one just didn't appeal to me at all. I finished it only out of respect to this beloved author. More comments to come...
More and more, his books seem like young adult fiction to me. This had an interesting story, but I was almost put off by some of the dialogues between characters. Not that they weren't believable--they were just annoying. I felt like the things that were meant to make me like a character just served to make me roll my eyes. Or maybe that was Card's intent. Either way, not my favorite of his books, not by a long shot.
Yea, I did not finish this book. It had an interesting premise, but just didn't deliver on it. About the second time that the main character took his clothes off in public to accuse an authority figure of something is when i just couldn't take it any more.
Card might hold some bad ideas personally, but he really can tell a fun story from time to time.
This book is really fun and exciting. I very much enjoyed the magic system he came up with for this. And I really love the Danny character because he doesn't constantly make stupid decisions. He acknowledges when he messes up and tries to fix it and doesn't spend time being loyal to people who aren't loyal to him.
Very excited about book #2 in this series, which is already available through the library!
This book is really fun and exciting. I very much enjoyed the magic system he came up with for this. And I really love the Danny character because he doesn't constantly make stupid decisions. He acknowledges when he messes up and tries to fix it and doesn't spend time being loyal to people who aren't loyal to him.
Very excited about book #2 in this series, which is already available through the library!
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Violence
Minor: Vomit, Pregnancy, War
The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card
***3***
Danny North is a gate mage. He comes from a family of mages, and they, at one point, came from Westil (aka Asgard. Yes, as in Loki, Thor and Odin). But Loki, a powerful gate mage (and trickster) himself, closed all of the gates between earth and Westil. Danny's parents hope that Danny can reopen the gate. That is if the families don't kills him first. Gate mages have always been killed among the magical families, and Danny is hiding right in front of them, believing that he is in fact powerless until he realizes one day that he is actually a mage. A gate mage, the most powerful of them all.
There was nothing particularly bad about this book, but there was nothing particularly good either. Danny was a jerk kids through most of the book and I actually didn't like him. In fact, there was no one character that I did particularly like. The plot was dragged out beyond a reasonable time frame. Danny spent most of the book gating around places, stealing and causing overall havoc. It wasn't until he met the Silvermans that he actually turned into a half decent human being. This unfortunately took place about 3/4 of the way through the book.
On top of not really liking Danny, and feeling like the story was going nowhere, every few chapters are interrupted by the story of Wad, or the Tree Man and his gate mage abilities and lack of memory of who he is. At first this really irked me as there didn't seem to be any connection whatsoever to the rest of the story. Again, about 3/4 of the way through the book we realize that there is a link, an important one in fact, but it is a story made up of a whole bunch of other character that I likewise didn't really care about.
The magic system in the book was, I will admit, interesting. The characters were fairly well developed, especially Danny (even though I didn't like him and early on a lot of his actions felt forced, as though Danny the character wanted to do one thing but the authour was forcing him to do another because that's how he was "supposed" to act). He changed from the beginning to the end of the book, a very steady character arc that culminated in me not hating him by the end, but still not caring overly for him.
The inclusion of Loki and Thor and a few other Gods from other religions was a little bit confusing at first. Especially since some of the Westil families reuse names and Danny's father is the current Odin of the family.
The book had potential, but really felt drawn out and long winded. Not a whole lot actually happens in the book and unlike some other drawn out authours that I love (Brandon Sanderson) this book didn't grab my attention and took me a very long time to finish.
Unsure if I will read the sequels or not.
***3***
Danny North is a gate mage. He comes from a family of mages, and they, at one point, came from Westil (aka Asgard. Yes, as in Loki, Thor and Odin). But Loki, a powerful gate mage (and trickster) himself, closed all of the gates between earth and Westil. Danny's parents hope that Danny can reopen the gate. That is if the families don't kills him first. Gate mages have always been killed among the magical families, and Danny is hiding right in front of them, believing that he is in fact powerless until he realizes one day that he is actually a mage. A gate mage, the most powerful of them all.
There was nothing particularly bad about this book, but there was nothing particularly good either. Danny was a jerk kids through most of the book and I actually didn't like him. In fact, there was no one character that I did particularly like. The plot was dragged out beyond a reasonable time frame. Danny spent most of the book gating around places, stealing and causing overall havoc. It wasn't until he met the Silvermans that he actually turned into a half decent human being. This unfortunately took place about 3/4 of the way through the book.
On top of not really liking Danny, and feeling like the story was going nowhere, every few chapters are interrupted by the story of Wad, or the Tree Man and his gate mage abilities and lack of memory of who he is. At first this really irked me as there didn't seem to be any connection whatsoever to the rest of the story. Again, about 3/4 of the way through the book we realize that there is a link, an important one in fact, but it is a story made up of a whole bunch of other character that I likewise didn't really care about.
The magic system in the book was, I will admit, interesting. The characters were fairly well developed, especially Danny (even though I didn't like him and early on a lot of his actions felt forced, as though Danny the character wanted to do one thing but the authour was forcing him to do another because that's how he was "supposed" to act). He changed from the beginning to the end of the book, a very steady character arc that culminated in me not hating him by the end, but still not caring overly for him.
The inclusion of Loki and Thor and a few other Gods from other religions was a little bit confusing at first. Especially since some of the Westil families reuse names and Danny's father is the current Odin of the family.
The book had potential, but really felt drawn out and long winded. Not a whole lot actually happens in the book and unlike some other drawn out authours that I love (Brandon Sanderson) this book didn't grab my attention and took me a very long time to finish.
Unsure if I will read the sequels or not.
Meh.
The book was written more towards a Young Adult audience.
I was bored 87% of the time and was not satisfied with the ending, although I do know I will not be reading the rest of the series.
A letdown, unfortunately.
Perhaps his "Enders Game" series is better?
The book was written more towards a Young Adult audience.
I was bored 87% of the time and was not satisfied with the ending, although I do know I will not be reading the rest of the series.
A letdown, unfortunately.
Perhaps his "Enders Game" series is better?
Find this review at Walker of Worlds, here: http://www.walkerofworlds.com/2011/03/review-lost-gate-by-orson-scott-card.html
Danny is an almost orphaned child raised in a family of magical adepts, while he himself lacks the skills and talents that set his family apart from humanity. Instead, he focuses on his academic studies, absorbing history, languages, and learning at a voracious rate. One day, almost by accident, that all changes when he realizes he unexpectedly inherits magical powers long thought to be lost from the world. This discovery is a death sentence in his family, and he does the only logical thing—he runs, narrowly escaping certain death.
On his journey, he explores his new and strange magical powers, as well as the non-magical world he has been hidden from his whole life. He is a mage, descendent of the gods and goddesses man worshiped in ancient times, but he travels among normal people, finding his way among the beggars and thieves in the underworld of Washington, D.C.
Even as he does, he is hiding from his family, the descendents of gods. You see, the ancient pantheons in the Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Hindu world are really visitors to Earth, mages whose powers were amplified by their journey through magical gates between their world and Earth. Those gates were lost many centuries ago, stranding them here and weakening their powers. Now, Danny is about to find himself at the center of an ancient struggle to get back to their world, renew their powers, and regain control of the Earth as gods and goddesses. His very existence will reignite a power struggle between the modern descendents of the pantheons for the control of the gates, and he will be at the center of it.
While not an entirely original story, it is clever and creative. A young boy finds out he is not actually as normal as he thought, but is really a being of unique magical powers (like Harry Potter), the son of gods (like Percy Jackson), and those powers make him among the most powerful people in the world. Orson Scott Card brings his own flavor to the story, but it is a story that has been done better before.
Even so, The Lost Gate is full of interesting ideas. Some of the best sections are during jumps from Danny’s perspective on Earth to that of another mage on the gods own world. While most of Danny’s story is focused on his learning about his magic, by interweaving the alternate perspective, we catch glimpses of the greater conflict, one that began thousands of years before Danny’s birth. However, the story feels rushed, and in the rush, Card’s best ideas falter. Rather than flesh out the characters and plot, the story leaps from point to point, never really building on the ideas.
In short, Card’s newest novel is too many good ideas and not enough time. The result is an average story by an above average author. Card’s intermingling of the two perspectives and their genre blending works well, setting the stage for a war between worlds. Even as the novel closes, we have only seen glimpses of the real fight, and we know that before the tale is through (this is only the first in the series), Danny will be at the center of that conflict.
Even with those glimpses, I often felt disappointed by the story-telling itself. The plot felt jumpy and lacked tension. Even on the run for his life, Danny feels more like he is meandering than fleeing. Card lets his character out of any kind of scrape that might actually threaten him, with little or no cost. At the end of the day, we all want the hero to win, but we want the win to feel like a victory, not a foregone conclusion.
Another concern I had with The Lost Gate was Card’s heavy use of info dumps. With the creation of any system of magic, an author has to explain things and fill in the reader on how things work. But Card’s info dumps were constant, going so far as to feel more like a Wikipedia entry than a piece of the story. Rather than supporting the story, the story sometimes seemed to play second fiddle to the info dumps or sudden character introductions. To be sure, the world and ideas are very interesting and very creative, but the alacrity with which Card makes stuff up to fit the situation, rather than providing all the rules upfront, makes the internal logic of the story feel contrived and inconsistent. As a result, the story hurts, even while the ideas flourish.
If that was my only complaint, the story might still have been an enjoyable experience. But problems arose when Card lets his characters talk to each other. I know, right? The audacity. But rather than move the story forward, though, the characters’ dialogue seems to get in the way. They argue and complain, bicker and whine...constantly. In one “memorable” scene, the characters seem to flip-flop between decisions they had already agreed upon just so that the dialogue can continue (and by “continue” I mean “argue”) for another page. It makes them look inconsistent and unlikeable, not to mention irritating, and it rarely does anything to affect what we can already see is going to happen next in the plot. As a result, I could not decide whether I thought a character was unlikable, or had just been poorly scripted. In the end, I rarely felt any connection with the characters, including the protagonist, Danny.
While The Lost Gate is full of ideas and potential, for me it fell flat. I found myself frustrated that I was too far into the book to put it down, but not far enough to be done.
Last comment: at the end of the novel, Card inserts an Afterword where he explains the roots of his inspiration for The Lost Gate. After thirty years, he figured out how to work the ideas together. My concern is that while it may have had its genesis 30 years ago, the book feels like it was rushed to be finished in the last month before it went to print. While Card is not G.R.R. Martin (and nobody wants to wait as long as we already do for Martin’s sequels), I do wish he would take a page out of George’s book. Slow down to redraft, rewrite, and edit. With great ideas, it’s worth the time, and I think it would make all the difference.
5/10
Danny is an almost orphaned child raised in a family of magical adepts, while he himself lacks the skills and talents that set his family apart from humanity. Instead, he focuses on his academic studies, absorbing history, languages, and learning at a voracious rate. One day, almost by accident, that all changes when he realizes he unexpectedly inherits magical powers long thought to be lost from the world. This discovery is a death sentence in his family, and he does the only logical thing—he runs, narrowly escaping certain death.
On his journey, he explores his new and strange magical powers, as well as the non-magical world he has been hidden from his whole life. He is a mage, descendent of the gods and goddesses man worshiped in ancient times, but he travels among normal people, finding his way among the beggars and thieves in the underworld of Washington, D.C.
Even as he does, he is hiding from his family, the descendents of gods. You see, the ancient pantheons in the Greek, Nordic, Roman, or Hindu world are really visitors to Earth, mages whose powers were amplified by their journey through magical gates between their world and Earth. Those gates were lost many centuries ago, stranding them here and weakening their powers. Now, Danny is about to find himself at the center of an ancient struggle to get back to their world, renew their powers, and regain control of the Earth as gods and goddesses. His very existence will reignite a power struggle between the modern descendents of the pantheons for the control of the gates, and he will be at the center of it.
While not an entirely original story, it is clever and creative. A young boy finds out he is not actually as normal as he thought, but is really a being of unique magical powers (like Harry Potter), the son of gods (like Percy Jackson), and those powers make him among the most powerful people in the world. Orson Scott Card brings his own flavor to the story, but it is a story that has been done better before.
Even so, The Lost Gate is full of interesting ideas. Some of the best sections are during jumps from Danny’s perspective on Earth to that of another mage on the gods own world. While most of Danny’s story is focused on his learning about his magic, by interweaving the alternate perspective, we catch glimpses of the greater conflict, one that began thousands of years before Danny’s birth. However, the story feels rushed, and in the rush, Card’s best ideas falter. Rather than flesh out the characters and plot, the story leaps from point to point, never really building on the ideas.
In short, Card’s newest novel is too many good ideas and not enough time. The result is an average story by an above average author. Card’s intermingling of the two perspectives and their genre blending works well, setting the stage for a war between worlds. Even as the novel closes, we have only seen glimpses of the real fight, and we know that before the tale is through (this is only the first in the series), Danny will be at the center of that conflict.
Even with those glimpses, I often felt disappointed by the story-telling itself. The plot felt jumpy and lacked tension. Even on the run for his life, Danny feels more like he is meandering than fleeing. Card lets his character out of any kind of scrape that might actually threaten him, with little or no cost. At the end of the day, we all want the hero to win, but we want the win to feel like a victory, not a foregone conclusion.
Another concern I had with The Lost Gate was Card’s heavy use of info dumps. With the creation of any system of magic, an author has to explain things and fill in the reader on how things work. But Card’s info dumps were constant, going so far as to feel more like a Wikipedia entry than a piece of the story. Rather than supporting the story, the story sometimes seemed to play second fiddle to the info dumps or sudden character introductions. To be sure, the world and ideas are very interesting and very creative, but the alacrity with which Card makes stuff up to fit the situation, rather than providing all the rules upfront, makes the internal logic of the story feel contrived and inconsistent. As a result, the story hurts, even while the ideas flourish.
If that was my only complaint, the story might still have been an enjoyable experience. But problems arose when Card lets his characters talk to each other. I know, right? The audacity. But rather than move the story forward, though, the characters’ dialogue seems to get in the way. They argue and complain, bicker and whine...constantly. In one “memorable” scene, the characters seem to flip-flop between decisions they had already agreed upon just so that the dialogue can continue (and by “continue” I mean “argue”) for another page. It makes them look inconsistent and unlikeable, not to mention irritating, and it rarely does anything to affect what we can already see is going to happen next in the plot. As a result, I could not decide whether I thought a character was unlikable, or had just been poorly scripted. In the end, I rarely felt any connection with the characters, including the protagonist, Danny.
While The Lost Gate is full of ideas and potential, for me it fell flat. I found myself frustrated that I was too far into the book to put it down, but not far enough to be done.
Last comment: at the end of the novel, Card inserts an Afterword where he explains the roots of his inspiration for The Lost Gate. After thirty years, he figured out how to work the ideas together. My concern is that while it may have had its genesis 30 years ago, the book feels like it was rushed to be finished in the last month before it went to print. While Card is not G.R.R. Martin (and nobody wants to wait as long as we already do for Martin’s sequels), I do wish he would take a page out of George’s book. Slow down to redraft, rewrite, and edit. With great ideas, it’s worth the time, and I think it would make all the difference.
5/10