A review by protoman21
The Lost Gate by Orson Scott Card

4.0

I read Stonefather first, but it really was unnecessary to read and enjoy The Lost Gate. It will be interesting to see how it might impact Danny's story moving forward. I once rated Card as my favorite author, but his more recent books just haven't hit the mark for me. I'm not sure if I have changed or he has, but I find myself annoyed by his "smart" characters who are always talking back and being rude. I remember Ender doing this, but somehow it didn't come off as snotty as the kids in his books today.

Danny is a pretty likeable character who must escape a bad home situation and set off on his own. He does this while at the same time learning about his new power of creating gates. I did enjoy the various ways Danny employed his gates and his learning process, but I wasn't overly fond of the other characters Danny met along the way.

Wad was an interesting character, because he is presented as a black sheep whom we are meant to root for against those who have shunned him, but he isn't really likeable even from the beginning. He sneaks around and pries into everyone's business and though he does heroic things, it always seems a bit self serving. I believe this was an intentional, based on where the story leads in the end, but it made for an odd side story.

I'll most likely continue the series, but I am not jumping to read the next book immediately.