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A review by booksthatburn
The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
THE POMEGRANATE GATE is a portal fantasy set in a mythical version of Spain during the Inquisition. It ask questions of personhood, interchangeability and sacrifice through a lens of found family and Jewish identity during hardship.
As the first book in a series, it resolves several major plot points related to character identity and backstory, initially, but not only, the question of why Toba can neither shout nor run, as if something hobbles her the moment she exerts herself to be noticeable. Some even bigger events in play aren't get resolved by the end, as Toba and Naftaly are not yet able to solve such huge problems.
Toba is constrained by a mysterious set of rules that have no obvious origin but which mean she spends almost all her time at home. Naftaly, for his part, is muddling along as less than what his family wants but not knowing what to try instead. His father warned him never to speak of his dreams, but this need for secrecy has cut him off from connections that could help him flourish, despite the dangers. When their families are forced to flee or convert, they get lost in a strange wood and Toba disappears into another world, while Naftaly finds himself miles away from where he started.
The world building is intricate and cohesive, consistent in a way that means it makes sense without having to resort to infodumps. Because Toba is new to this other world, whenever she figures something out, or has something explained to her there’s some reason why the reader would want to know it at that time. The explanations feel very natural because they are literally explanations in the text to someone who does not already know the situation, as well as, her own investigations of what’s happening, especially since the Maziks are reluctant to give her any information at first. I’m very impressed with how well the balance is maintained between short-term goals, and long-term stakes. The romance between Naftaly and the mysterious Mazik is very cool, I like how it's handled and it's one of my favorite parts. I also love Toba's arc, especially the questions that are raised about identity and personhood, and how those are handled. It's a set of tropes I'm used to seeing in sci-fi but a are especially unusual in fantasy, let alone to be taken this seriously and handled this well.
I enjoyed this, and I’m looking forward to the sequel.
As the first book in a series, it resolves several major plot points related to character identity and backstory, initially, but not only, the question of why Toba can neither shout nor run, as if something hobbles her the moment she exerts herself to be noticeable. Some even bigger events in play aren't get resolved by the end, as Toba and Naftaly are not yet able to solve such huge problems.
Toba is constrained by a mysterious set of rules that have no obvious origin but which mean she spends almost all her time at home. Naftaly, for his part, is muddling along as less than what his family wants but not knowing what to try instead. His father warned him never to speak of his dreams, but this need for secrecy has cut him off from connections that could help him flourish, despite the dangers. When their families are forced to flee or convert, they get lost in a strange wood and Toba disappears into another world, while Naftaly finds himself miles away from where he started.
The world building is intricate and cohesive, consistent in a way that means it makes sense without having to resort to infodumps. Because Toba is new to this other world, whenever she figures something out, or has something explained to her there’s some reason why the reader would want to know it at that time. The explanations feel very natural because they are literally explanations in the text to someone who does not already know the situation, as well as, her own investigations of what’s happening, especially since the Maziks are reluctant to give her any information at first. I’m very impressed with how well the balance is maintained between short-term goals, and long-term stakes. The romance between Naftaly and the mysterious Mazik is very cool, I like how it's handled and it's one of my favorite parts. I also love Toba's arc, especially the questions that are raised about identity and personhood, and how those are handled. It's a set of tropes I'm used to seeing in sci-fi but a are especially unusual in fantasy, let alone to be taken this seriously and handled this well.
I enjoyed this, and I’m looking forward to the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying and Genocide