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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I liked it enough to finish it, but I won't be going back for the next installment.
As someone who has been smitten with practically all of Card's works, this was definitely a novel that I enjoyed. The main character was slightly exaggerated yet still relatable, and his wit and fun banter made the story jump to a whole new level. While it was obviously partly a setup for more books to come, it just made me hunger for the rest of the series even more. The story does get a little graphic at one (or two) points in the book, so I definitely wouldn't recommend this to anyone who is either very young (not young adult, say) or faint of heart.
Card always does precocious kids really well, and the kid in The Lost Gate is no exception. Although, as with all his kids, it's sometimes hard to believe that a 13-year-old boy has such refined thought processes. But that's one of the areas where you have to suspend your disbelief when you read one of his books.
Danny North is no Ender Wiggin, but he does have some pretty spectacular powers. I really liked the way Card brings together worldwide mythology to explain his premise, that the old gods are trapped on Earth and waiting for a "mage" to be born who can get them back where they belong.
Put aside any misgivings you might have about Card as a person and enjoy the book for what it is: a thoroughly charming and smart YA novel. It seems likely that there will be more books in this universe, and I look forward to reading them.
Danny North is no Ender Wiggin, but he does have some pretty spectacular powers. I really liked the way Card brings together worldwide mythology to explain his premise, that the old gods are trapped on Earth and waiting for a "mage" to be born who can get them back where they belong.
Put aside any misgivings you might have about Card as a person and enjoy the book for what it is: a thoroughly charming and smart YA novel. It seems likely that there will be more books in this universe, and I look forward to reading them.
This book is fine but there's a ton of cringey fedora stereotyping of women and bizarre gender dynamics. The main character is really, really rude and creepy.
I think I liked this better than Ender's Game. It's more fantasy, less sci-fi. Definitely a fun read. (And great for getting lost in during extended delays at the airport.)
Ughhh.
After reading [b:Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus|40293|Pastwatch The Redemption of Christopher Columbus|Orson Scott Card|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431529811s/40293.jpg|1348187] last year and loving it, I was ready to devour more Orson Scott Card, who I haven't read since I was young. But this book was a disappointing follow-up to that brilliant work.
The magic system is the most interesting part of this book. Gods are stuck on earth and have limited powers since they cannot travel back to their world of origin. Each god has unique realms of power - some over plants, some over animals, some over weather, etc. The gatemages were especially interesting - imagine the Portal video games, but without seeing the portals or needing the portal gun. It's a fun bit of magic that Card does some interesting things with.
But most of the rest of this book was pretty dull. There are no really likable characters and, in some books, that's an excellent move. In this book, it just feels...weird. Aren't you supposed to root for our young mage, who is special and different and extraordinarily powerful without any real training? In that regard, it felt like a very typical YA story. But Danny is not a likable character. In fact, he's annoying and way too snarky. I couldn't stand most of the supporting characters either, and that made this a difficult book to get through.
Also, the story is just...meh. The premise of the book was interesting, though not unique - a young kid discovers his powers and has to strike out on his own to get away from his horrible family. But beyond that, it kind of fell apart. Danny spends most of the book getting into dumb situations, but then outsmarting everyone to get out of said situations. If Danny is so clever and brilliant, why is he getting into these dumb situations in the first place?
I especially struggled with the women in this book. There were few women in the book and most of them are supporting characters who do nothing but fawn over Danny. That wasn't entirely terrible -most of the characters (of any gender) spent a lot of time focusing on Danny. But it felt somewhat lazy, as though Card couldn't imagine a woman who wouldn't be taken with Danny. The especially problematic part was a strange scene where a grown woman with obvious mental health issues attempts to seduce 13-year-old Danny, nearing, if not at, the point of molestation. In the beginning, this was dealt with in interesting and realistic ways - Danny being alarmed at his own arousal and not being sure if that meant he would've been okay with things going further, mixed with him hating this woman and being terrified of her. However, the situation gets downplayed by every male character who knows about it and everyone chalks it up to "You're 13 and a grown woman wanted you - you must have loved it." In some regards, Card made this an additional interesting part - no other character takes Danny seriously or believes that he was kind of traumatized by the event. But then.....Danny isn't traumatized by the event. It ends up turning into a sexual awakening for Danny and he frequently mentions having dreams about the woman, but it's portrayed again as a sexual awakening instead of a very confusing and difficult event in his life. Card gives the impression that, as Danny grows older and wiser, he becomes more okay with what transpired and perhaps wants more and I feel like that was a missed opportunity to give Danny more depth and realism instead of turning him into a perfectly competent and intelligent teenager who doesn't need any adults.
This could be an entertaining book for those who really enjoy urban fantasy, but I found it to be dull and way too long and drawn out. Look elsewhere for satisfying coming-of-age fantasy stories.
After reading [b:Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus|40293|Pastwatch The Redemption of Christopher Columbus|Orson Scott Card|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1431529811s/40293.jpg|1348187] last year and loving it, I was ready to devour more Orson Scott Card, who I haven't read since I was young. But this book was a disappointing follow-up to that brilliant work.
The magic system is the most interesting part of this book. Gods are stuck on earth and have limited powers since they cannot travel back to their world of origin. Each god has unique realms of power - some over plants, some over animals, some over weather, etc. The gatemages were especially interesting - imagine the Portal video games, but without seeing the portals or needing the portal gun. It's a fun bit of magic that Card does some interesting things with.
But most of the rest of this book was pretty dull. There are no really likable characters and, in some books, that's an excellent move. In this book, it just feels...weird. Aren't you supposed to root for our young mage, who is special and different and extraordinarily powerful without any real training? In that regard, it felt like a very typical YA story. But Danny is not a likable character. In fact, he's annoying and way too snarky. I couldn't stand most of the supporting characters either, and that made this a difficult book to get through.
Also, the story is just...meh. The premise of the book was interesting, though not unique - a young kid discovers his powers and has to strike out on his own to get away from his horrible family. But beyond that, it kind of fell apart. Danny spends most of the book getting into dumb situations, but then outsmarting everyone to get out of said situations. If Danny is so clever and brilliant, why is he getting into these dumb situations in the first place?
I especially struggled with the women in this book. There were few women in the book and most of them are supporting characters who do nothing but fawn over Danny. That wasn't entirely terrible -most of the characters (of any gender) spent a lot of time focusing on Danny. But it felt somewhat lazy, as though Card couldn't imagine a woman who wouldn't be taken with Danny. The especially problematic part was a strange scene where a grown woman with obvious mental health issues attempts to seduce 13-year-old Danny, nearing, if not at, the point of molestation. In the beginning, this was dealt with in interesting and realistic ways - Danny being alarmed at his own arousal and not being sure if that meant he would've been okay with things going further, mixed with him hating this woman and being terrified of her. However, the situation gets downplayed by every male character who knows about it and everyone chalks it up to "You're 13 and a grown woman wanted you - you must have loved it." In some regards, Card made this an additional interesting part - no other character takes Danny seriously or believes that he was kind of traumatized by the event. But then.....Danny isn't traumatized by the event. It ends up turning into a sexual awakening for Danny and he frequently mentions having dreams about the woman, but it's portrayed again as a sexual awakening instead of a very confusing and difficult event in his life. Card gives the impression that, as Danny grows older and wiser, he becomes more okay with what transpired and perhaps wants more and I feel like that was a missed opportunity to give Danny more depth and realism instead of turning him into a perfectly competent and intelligent teenager who doesn't need any adults.
This could be an entertaining book for those who really enjoy urban fantasy, but I found it to be dull and way too long and drawn out. Look elsewhere for satisfying coming-of-age fantasy stories.