Review: What an amazing adventure in a unique and vivid world!
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 25, 2012
I don't like epic fantasy - I just don't have the patience or interest in remembering tons of different characters, subplots and geography throughout multiple fat books. Gate to Kandrith was *just* epic enough to be large and interesting, without overwhelming me. The world, the cultures, the politics, the secondary characters all were full and rich and interesting. It's been a long time since I really felt excited and consumed by a story. I found myself thinking about it all day when I was supposed to be doing other things, eager to sit down every spare minute I could to find out what happened next.This is a fantasy book for adults, set in a magical land, with sex scenes and mature themes. It is at times very dark and violent. It has some of the elements of a typical romance story - a bit of "oh, does she/he or doesn't she/he love me?" sweaty pecs, kissing and sexual tension - but it really isn't a romance story. There's SO MUCH more going on than just the two main characters' relationship. So, if you're looking for a light romance tale, this isn't it. There's a lot of action, adventure, and quite a bit of depth into themes of freedom, arrogance, equality, self-sacrifice and exploitation.The main characters, Sara and Lance, come from two very different backgrounds. She is a daughter of the Primus of the Republic, born to privilege but also a pawn in her father's politics. She is beautiful, and used to ordering others around, but has a good heart. Lance is a former slave, now free, and disdains the Republic and its arrogant wealthy class. He is also a healer, with magical abilities that come with a steep price. I love the fact that these two characters grow and change as they get to know each other, and that we get to know both of them so well.I loved this book and can't wait for the next one!