What do you think?
Rate this book
Gateways
Purchase information available at http://briangottheil.com/gateways/pur...
For months, the Continent has been mired in a devastating war: artillery barrages lasting days, the death rattle of machine guns, toxic chemical gas, futile charges across no-man’s-land toward enemy trenches. Caryn Hallom, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Deugan and the first woman to have achieved such a powerful position in the fledgling democracy, is horrified that she failed to prevent the war from breaking out on her watch.
When Caryn finds herself trapped together with Michael Ravencliffe, a member of the royal family of Deugan’s main enemy in the war, she seizes on the opportunity to try to negotiate an end to the fighting. Little does she know that a new faction is about to enter the conflict, armed with a frightening magical weapon … or that it will be led by the one person on the Continent who knows the truth about Caryn’s past.
Gateways has been described as a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction. Set in an alternate world that resembles Europe during the First World War, the novel combines geopolitics with plots, counterplots and magic, and ultimately asks the question: how far are we prepared to go for peace?
For months, the Continent has been mired in a devastating war: artillery barrages lasting days, the death rattle of machine guns, toxic chemical gas, futile charges across no-man’s-land toward enemy trenches. Caryn Hallom, the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Deugan and the first woman to have achieved such a powerful position in the fledgling democracy, is horrified that she failed to prevent the war from breaking out on her watch.
When Caryn finds herself trapped together with Michael Ravencliffe, a member of the royal family of Deugan’s main enemy in the war, she seizes on the opportunity to try to negotiate an end to the fighting. Little does she know that a new faction is about to enter the conflict, armed with a frightening magical weapon … or that it will be led by the one person on the Continent who knows the truth about Caryn’s past.
Gateways has been described as a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction. Set in an alternate world that resembles Europe during the First World War, the novel combines geopolitics with plots, counterplots and magic, and ultimately asks the question: how far are we prepared to go for peace?
- GenresFantasy
ebook
First published October 20, 2014
15 people want to read
About the author
Brian Gottheil
3 books10 followersI’ve been writing as a hobby since, at the age of four, I penned an epic about my then-favourite sport, the charmingly mis-spelled “baceball.” I’m more of a basketball fan these days, but I have kept up my love for writing throughout.
I live in Toronto, Canada, or as we Torontonians like to call it, “the centre of the universe.” I’m just joking about that … mostly. I’m writing a novel at the moment in which the main character hates Toronto, so that’s been a bit of a challenge. At one point she describes it as a “frenetic smogscape.” To each her own, I suppose.
In my day job, I work as an HR lawyer, workplace harassment investigator and anti-harassment and management trainer with Bernardi Human Resource Law (visit us at www.hrlawyers.ca).
Outside of work, while I'm less enamoured than I once was with "baceball," I've replaced it with a hobby and passion that I find even more creative, exciting, and easy to spell: swing dancing. In addition to the joy of dancing itself, I co-founded the University of Toronto Swing Dance Club and have served as President of Toronto Lindy Hop, a not-for-profit swing dance organization (www.torontolindyhop.com).
I live in Toronto, Canada, or as we Torontonians like to call it, “the centre of the universe.” I’m just joking about that … mostly. I’m writing a novel at the moment in which the main character hates Toronto, so that’s been a bit of a challenge. At one point she describes it as a “frenetic smogscape.” To each her own, I suppose.
In my day job, I work as an HR lawyer, workplace harassment investigator and anti-harassment and management trainer with Bernardi Human Resource Law (visit us at www.hrlawyers.ca).
Outside of work, while I'm less enamoured than I once was with "baceball," I've replaced it with a hobby and passion that I find even more creative, exciting, and easy to spell: swing dancing. In addition to the joy of dancing itself, I co-founded the University of Toronto Swing Dance Club and have served as President of Toronto Lindy Hop, a not-for-profit swing dance organization (www.torontolindyhop.com).
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
November 19, 2018
Captivating!
A page-turner offering fascinating and magical dimensions. I even caught myself "Googling" historical references that seemed so real. Kudos Brian Gottheil for your epic imagination.
A page-turner offering fascinating and magical dimensions. I even caught myself "Googling" historical references that seemed so real. Kudos Brian Gottheil for your epic imagination.
January 7, 2015
An excellent debut novel which will keep you entertained from start to finish! Gottheil's writing manages to tell an engaging tale within a reasonable page limit -- a feat which seems rarer and rarer these days as 1000+ page epic trilogies become more and more popular. Gateways kept me enthralled and left just enough to my imagination to maintain a mysterious air that kept me reading. Quality over quantity; though I would certainly read a sequel or two set in the fascinating world of the Continent, should they be written. Though I probably could have rushed through the book in an afternoon or two, I found myself savouring it, reading only a chapter or two at a time, and excitedly anticipating the next time I would curl up with a cup of tea, kindle in hand.
Though the book does exhibit some signs of a first-time-published author -- occasionally inconsistent pacing, some change in writing style and tone over the course of the book -- it does not detract from the excellence of the storytelling or the development of the characters, who are generally believable and sympathetic regardless of which side of the war they're on. The portrayals of a main character with mental health issues were also treated refreshingly -- it wasn't harped on, used to degrade or artificially boost the character's value, or written moralistically -- it was simply a part of them that occasionally was relevant to the situation.
Probably most impressive of all, I found the fantastic elements integrated smoothly with the rest of the tale. They weren't thrown in slapdash, or blatantly copied from other fantasy novels with little change (i.e. all the Tolkien-esque pulp fantasy out there). The system of energy/magic in the world was intriguing and original. It was so much better constructed and used than that of the vast majority of self-published authors who think they can write fantasy novels just because they read a lot of them, and even many established mainstream fantasy writers. As a fan of genre fiction, I was truly impressed by this, and the ability of Gottheil to blend multiple genres of fiction into one work without it seeming forced.
Over all, Gateways was a fantastic book, and I am happy for it to have ended my 2014 reading and started off my 2015 reading on such a high note. I look forward to reading Gottheil's sophomore novel, whenever it gets written and published.
A quick disclaimer: I do know Brian Gottheil personally, as a friend. However, I paid for my copy of the novel and all opinions expressed in this review truly reflect how I feel about the book. I was not solicited for a positive review or compensated for writing one in any way. I have given novels written by friends and acquaintances bad reviews in the past, and am still entirely capable of doing so. I rated Gateways highly because I truly believe it to be an outstanding work of fiction which I would recommend to anyone.
Though the book does exhibit some signs of a first-time-published author -- occasionally inconsistent pacing, some change in writing style and tone over the course of the book -- it does not detract from the excellence of the storytelling or the development of the characters, who are generally believable and sympathetic regardless of which side of the war they're on. The portrayals of a main character with mental health issues were also treated refreshingly -- it wasn't harped on, used to degrade or artificially boost the character's value, or written moralistically -- it was simply a part of them that occasionally was relevant to the situation.
Probably most impressive of all, I found the fantastic elements integrated smoothly with the rest of the tale. They weren't thrown in slapdash, or blatantly copied from other fantasy novels with little change (i.e. all the Tolkien-esque pulp fantasy out there). The system of energy/magic in the world was intriguing and original. It was so much better constructed and used than that of the vast majority of self-published authors who think they can write fantasy novels just because they read a lot of them, and even many established mainstream fantasy writers. As a fan of genre fiction, I was truly impressed by this, and the ability of Gottheil to blend multiple genres of fiction into one work without it seeming forced.
Over all, Gateways was a fantastic book, and I am happy for it to have ended my 2014 reading and started off my 2015 reading on such a high note. I look forward to reading Gottheil's sophomore novel, whenever it gets written and published.
A quick disclaimer: I do know Brian Gottheil personally, as a friend. However, I paid for my copy of the novel and all opinions expressed in this review truly reflect how I feel about the book. I was not solicited for a positive review or compensated for writing one in any way. I have given novels written by friends and acquaintances bad reviews in the past, and am still entirely capable of doing so. I rated Gateways highly because I truly believe it to be an outstanding work of fiction which I would recommend to anyone.
December 17, 2014
Foreign Minister Caryn Hallom (aka Jayla Sullivan, Sorceress) had left Wassia (city, Old Empire) & moved to Deugan (Republic, city, New Empire).
Wassia was in economic turmoil & political unrest.
Deugan was at war with the Steffian terrorists.
Next stop the Government House to see the President Georg.
He wanted her to inspect the military & the Gateway Fort (Orastan Empire).
The ridiculous war had been going on way to long & the Commander-in-Chief wanted it stopped.
There were 2,500 military that would be stained at the Gateway Fort.
As always more political & war meetings.
Czemers has a population of 1 million. It was the next target. Winter was coming there is always the economic factor how to feed that many PPL.
What secrets did the Wassian Well hold?
And what about the Gateway Well & Kalidi Well?
Will Hans make it back OK?
What will happen to Brenth Nono?
Will the Deugans & the Breas come to a political agreement?
Or could the Steifens put a halt to peace with their magic weapon?
Margaret Thatcher in the making. Will Caryn Hollom be able to save her country & bring peace to the continuant?
It took a while to catch on to the story line, it’s pretty dry but after a while I was at Aahhh.
Political Science (P.S.) was 1 of my undergrad majors. I think that’s why I enjoyed reading this book. Budget cuts & pork belly projects for your constituents, clandestine/covert operations, military, wars, suicide & assassination attempts. As good as it gets. Just like the real government steal from 1 pot to put in the other pot. The only thing it left out was romance or banging the intern.
A very awesome book cover & map, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written YA historical fantasy political war book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were a few grammar/typo errors, but no repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, places, with several twists/turns. A huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make great YA historical fantasy political war movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free book (Making Connections ARR group, PDF)
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
Wassia was in economic turmoil & political unrest.
Deugan was at war with the Steffian terrorists.
Next stop the Government House to see the President Georg.
He wanted her to inspect the military & the Gateway Fort (Orastan Empire).
The ridiculous war had been going on way to long & the Commander-in-Chief wanted it stopped.
There were 2,500 military that would be stained at the Gateway Fort.
As always more political & war meetings.
Czemers has a population of 1 million. It was the next target. Winter was coming there is always the economic factor how to feed that many PPL.
What secrets did the Wassian Well hold?
And what about the Gateway Well & Kalidi Well?
Will Hans make it back OK?
What will happen to Brenth Nono?
Will the Deugans & the Breas come to a political agreement?
Or could the Steifens put a halt to peace with their magic weapon?
Margaret Thatcher in the making. Will Caryn Hollom be able to save her country & bring peace to the continuant?
It took a while to catch on to the story line, it’s pretty dry but after a while I was at Aahhh.
Political Science (P.S.) was 1 of my undergrad majors. I think that’s why I enjoyed reading this book. Budget cuts & pork belly projects for your constituents, clandestine/covert operations, military, wars, suicide & assassination attempts. As good as it gets. Just like the real government steal from 1 pot to put in the other pot. The only thing it left out was romance or banging the intern.
A very awesome book cover & map, great font & writing style. Wow, a very well written YA historical fantasy political war book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were a few grammar/typo errors, but no repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, places, with several twists/turns. A huge set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make great YA historical fantasy political war movie, animated cartoon, or mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.
Thank you for the free book (Making Connections ARR group, PDF)
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)
January 9, 2015
I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, there is a lot to love in this book. The main character is a complex, complicated, interesting, strong woman with an incredible emotional depth. Actually, I don't think there is a single character who was a shortcut, and in a book of this length, that is saying a lot. The plot is an intricate, yet action-packed saga of a world that has both the modern weaponry and military tactics of ours and the magical system of the highest of fantasies. As someone who is fascinated by the modern intrigues of the countries and non-state actors of the 19th and 20th century, I found much of the plotting to be realistic, complex and familiar.
That is, sometimes it was a little TOO familiar. At times I felt like I was reading a history of World War I (and I have, actually, multiple histories) that included ALL the behind the scenes diplomatic negotiations. (I also got distracted playing "guess the real-world inspiration"…) While these scenes reinforced the building of the world, and gave an added dimension to the novel that took it an extra mile, they sometimes got bogged down in the quagmire of their own intricacies.
One of my particular favorite things about the book is the honest way the author showed how the decisions made even by the most minor characters had multiple levels of consequences, some expected and some unforeseen. The author has created a world in which it is possible - and exciting - to get lost for hours, rapt in the machinations of what comes next. I enjoyed reading his work, and I look forward to more to come.
Honestly, there is a lot to love in this book. The main character is a complex, complicated, interesting, strong woman with an incredible emotional depth. Actually, I don't think there is a single character who was a shortcut, and in a book of this length, that is saying a lot. The plot is an intricate, yet action-packed saga of a world that has both the modern weaponry and military tactics of ours and the magical system of the highest of fantasies. As someone who is fascinated by the modern intrigues of the countries and non-state actors of the 19th and 20th century, I found much of the plotting to be realistic, complex and familiar.
That is, sometimes it was a little TOO familiar. At times I felt like I was reading a history of World War I (and I have, actually, multiple histories) that included ALL the behind the scenes diplomatic negotiations. (I also got distracted playing "guess the real-world inspiration"…) While these scenes reinforced the building of the world, and gave an added dimension to the novel that took it an extra mile, they sometimes got bogged down in the quagmire of their own intricacies.
One of my particular favorite things about the book is the honest way the author showed how the decisions made even by the most minor characters had multiple levels of consequences, some expected and some unforeseen. The author has created a world in which it is possible - and exciting - to get lost for hours, rapt in the machinations of what comes next. I enjoyed reading his work, and I look forward to more to come.
October 19, 2014
I received an advanced-reviewer copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And I loved it.
This is exactly the kind of historically-inspired fantasy I enjoy the most. The author takes all the backdrop, technology, political and economic dynamics of Europe at the start of World War I, but plants them differently into another world of his own devising. Into the mix he adds very intriguingly-limited magic and religious fanatics looking to advance their own agenda across the continent.
It reminded me a lot of Harry Turtledove's world war books in the scope of what is going on, with the richly detailed world with all the historical detail to make it come alive, and the addition and impact of magic. But in this case I found the two main viewpoint characters much more compelling and relatable, with their own agendas, backstory and issues. Caryn Hallom, the Foreign Minister of Deugan is a very intriguing and conflicted character, and Matthias the Steffian freedom fighter/terrorist is engaging as well. The non-viewpoint characters have their own conflicting desires and goals that have a great impact on the story with all its plots, counterplots and machinations, both on the local and continental scale.
Some might not like the excerpts from a variety of historical accounts that are used as many chapter introductions, but I thought they added a richness to the overall book, and the writing in general is clear and strong.
Excellent debut, and I'd love to read more.
This is exactly the kind of historically-inspired fantasy I enjoy the most. The author takes all the backdrop, technology, political and economic dynamics of Europe at the start of World War I, but plants them differently into another world of his own devising. Into the mix he adds very intriguingly-limited magic and religious fanatics looking to advance their own agenda across the continent.
It reminded me a lot of Harry Turtledove's world war books in the scope of what is going on, with the richly detailed world with all the historical detail to make it come alive, and the addition and impact of magic. But in this case I found the two main viewpoint characters much more compelling and relatable, with their own agendas, backstory and issues. Caryn Hallom, the Foreign Minister of Deugan is a very intriguing and conflicted character, and Matthias the Steffian freedom fighter/terrorist is engaging as well. The non-viewpoint characters have their own conflicting desires and goals that have a great impact on the story with all its plots, counterplots and machinations, both on the local and continental scale.
Some might not like the excerpts from a variety of historical accounts that are used as many chapter introductions, but I thought they added a richness to the overall book, and the writing in general is clear and strong.
Excellent debut, and I'd love to read more.
August 28, 2014
I received an ebook arc in exchange for an honest review.
Gateways has been described as a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction. Set in a world similar to Europe during the First World War, the book contains war, political intrigue, religious element, magic and most of all a cry for peace!
I enjoyed this novel, the first few chapters were a little slow to get started but I'm very glad I continued...
A story that was packed with details and I was intrigued as to how or who would win this battle for a continent.
Will the Deugans make peace with the Breas or will the Steifens put a holt to peace with their magical weapon?
What will become of Caryn Hollom and her country in this search for peace?
If you like fantasy which reads like historical fiction I recommend you read this book you won't be disappointed!!
Gateways has been described as a fantasy novel that reads like historical fiction. Set in a world similar to Europe during the First World War, the book contains war, political intrigue, religious element, magic and most of all a cry for peace!
I enjoyed this novel, the first few chapters were a little slow to get started but I'm very glad I continued...
A story that was packed with details and I was intrigued as to how or who would win this battle for a continent.
Will the Deugans make peace with the Breas or will the Steifens put a holt to peace with their magical weapon?
What will become of Caryn Hollom and her country in this search for peace?
If you like fantasy which reads like historical fiction I recommend you read this book you won't be disappointed!!
January 10, 2015
A little rough around the edges, but the characters and really fabulous world-building are so worth the read. Loved the mix of (pseudo-) historical setting and the fantasy elements.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews