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Title: Shadow Gate (Crossroads | Book 2) |
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Review of Shadow Gate (Crossroads, Book 2)
- The captivating, bestselling Spirit Gate swept readers into the turbulent world of the Hundred, where the peace and order of life under the protection of the immortal Guardians has given way to chaos and violence. In the face of a vast horde of marauders led by a rogue Guardian, the bravery and resourcefulness of a lone eagle-reeve and others who risk their lives for the common good have prevented death and destruction from overwhelming the Hundred.
Now in Shadow Gate, the enthralling sequel, the source of corruption of the Guardians is still a mystery to the mortals who fight to withstand the forces that have turned against them. And when three new Guardians emerge, a struggle begins among the immortals, with nothing less at stake than the future of the land and its gods.
With all the color, excitement, and narrative power that have made Kate Elliott an enormously popular writer, Shadow Gate weaves a powerful spell of action, romance, and magic that will entrance legions of readers.
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Comments for Shadow Gate (Crossroads | Book 2)
- Posted on 2008-07-04
The Corrupt Guardians
Shadow Gate (2008) is the second fantasy novel of the Crossroads series, following Spirit Gate. In the previous volume, the reeve Marit was stabbed through the heart upon the order of Lord Radas. Her reeve lover Joss became despondent and took to drink and women. Decades later, he was sent to Argent Hall and found it to be ruled by Marshall Yordenas.
Keshad returned to the Devourer temple in Olossi and traded the demon slave Cornflower for his sister Zubaidit, a Devourer hierodule and assassin. They then fled Olossi, but were cut off by the Star of Life army. Keshad pretended to be one of the army until they could escape.
The Guardian Jothinin came to the Devourer temple in Olossi and claimed Cornflower. The temple Hieros gave her to Jothinin and then declared the payment for Zubaidit to be nullified. The Hieros wanted Zubaidit returned.
When the Star of Life army attacked the city of Olossi, Captain Anji and his Qin soldiers organized the defense. Then Joss led his fellow reeves against the invaders. They dropped jars of naya oil onto the wagon and tents and then dropped burning rags to ignite the oil.
The invading army broke and ran, but the reeves tracked them from the air and the Qin rode down and killed as many as possible. The professional soldiers knew that another Star of Life army was conquering the north and would soon march south against Olossi.
In this novel, Marit finds herself alone and wrapped in a magical cloak on a Guardian altar. She remembers dying, so she must be a ghost. She even experiences a walk to the nearest town where none seem to see or hear her, but maybe that was a dream. She does seem to be alive now.
Marit is adopted by a flying horse. At first, the horse follows her around, but is not particularly responsive to her commands. Then she is attacked by an armed group and the horse allows her to mount and ride away through the sky.
The flying horse is not as swift as Flirt -- her lost eagle -- but it covers ground at a better rate than the attackers. The horse takes her to a Guardian altar and lands there despite her efforts to avoid the place. Such altars are Forbidden, but the magic there does not eject her from the shrine. Marit is beginning to believe that she is really a Guardian, but doesn't understand how that could have happened.
Joss is now the Marshall of Argent Hall by virtue of his seniority. He has extensive experience as a reeve and has led the other reeves in battle. Yet he knows little about administration and is quite concerned about his suitability for the role. He needs a drink.
Captain Anji is appointed as commander of all Olossi forces. Yet he knows that the city council will hinder his defensive efforts, so he starts recruiting for a regional force. Although keeping the command headquarters in Olossi, Anji looks in the western lands for a training center for these recruits.
Mai starts acquiring properties and funds for her husband. With the formation of the expanded armies, Captain Anji will have need for all of her negotiating and trading skills. In effect, she has become the paymaster and quartermaster for Anji's forces. Yet she is also building a source of revenue through trade that will make the army independent of the Olossi government.
Nallo leads her husband's children away from their village after the invaders devastated it. As the second wife, Nallo is little older than Avisha, the elder child. The boy Jerad is nine years old and the younger daughter -- Zianna -- is only two.
Keshad and his sister Zubaidit are fleeing the invaders as well as the Devourer temple in Olossi. They find Nallo and the children in Candra Crossing and help them cross the river. Later Nallo splits away from them and takes the children off in another direction.
Nallo and the children are attacked by a group of defeated invaders, but a giant eagle defends them. Joss and the Qin arrive soon afterward and take the children back to Olossi for safety. However, Joss also insists that the eagle has selected Nallo as a reeve and takes her to Argent Hall for training.
Nallo helps the fawkners treat the injured eagle -- Tumna -- that had selected her as a reeve. Then she learns that Tumna had killed her former reeve. So Nallo runs away from Argent Hall, but she doesn't know that Tumna is following her and the reeves are following Tumna.
The children are taken to a warehouse where women are gathered for marriage to the Qin. Avisha had decided to marry a Qin soldier, but soon becomes attached to Mai. Jerad starts to follow Jagi -- a Qin tailman -- around the compound and Zianna is soon playing with the other children.
In this story, Keshad and Zubaidit are spotted by the reeves. Joss flies in and accosts them. The Qin soon overtake them and they are returned to face the Hieros. Keshad argues that the slave Cornflower was legitimate salvage in the desert and her release to a Guardian had nothing to do with the trade for his sister.
The Hieros, Captain Anji and Marshal Joss do not necessarily agree with Keshad, but this council has another mission for Zubaidit. The Hieros agrees to forgive them the debt if Bai agrees to scout the forces of the Star of Life army in the north. Keshad agrees to remain with Captain Anji as a hostage while Zubaidit is scouting up north.
Captain Anji finds a good place for a training base near the naya seeps. It only has one spring, but an underground canal can be built to bring water down from the nearby mountains. The Qin start building the training facility and a town grows up around it.
The Qin teach cavalry tactics at the new facility. Recruits soon learn to ride in formation and to pursue the enemy. When a fleeing invader force is discovered by the reeves, a group of trainees and their Qin trainers rides out and destroys the enemy soldiers.
After an attack by the Red Hounds, Anji sends Mai to the new town to protect her and her unborn child. She supervises the construction of permanent housing and also has temples built for worship of the local gods as well as her own goddess. She rapidly becomes the de facto mayor of the town.
This tale tells more about the corrupt Guardians and their purpose. It introduces the nameless woman who leads these Guardians of the Shadow. It also reveals the fate of Hari, the missing uncle of Mai and brother of Shai.
This volume continues and expands the story of the resistance against the Shadow Guardians. Although leading toward the concluding volume, this novel is not just a bridge of little interest. It contains plenty of excitement and action as well as advancing the plot. Enjoy!
-Highly recommended for Elliott fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of evil menace, outnumbered heroes, and old-fashioned romance.
-Arthur W. Jordin
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-07-03
Good but!
I have a copy of all of Ms Elliott's books and liked all of them. I even
like this series. But, it is almost as if she took her other books, put
them in a bowl and picks out characters , etc , changes them a little and
puts them in the new series.
For instance, the blond girl Kirya and her people, are straight out of the
Jaran series. If you are a fan and have read the books, you can pick
various characters , etc out.
Despite this, I like the series and will probably get the next one.
Score: 3
- Posted on 2008-05-20
Shadow Gate (Crossroads) Book 2
[[ASIN:0765310562 Shadow Gate (Crossroads, Book 2)
I ordered this book for my son who is 26 years of age and married. He and his wife both enjoy Kate Elliott's books. According to them this book is a high quality book and makes a good read for those interested in fantasy books. If you have read Kate Elliott's Books then you will enjoy this one. If you have not then perhaps you should read some as you will find it interesting reading. Amazon has great prices on these hardback books which are good to have for your reading library.
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-04-19
tremendous epic fantasy
The eagle riding Marit the reeve died three years ago (see SPIRIT GATE) while working alongside her lover reeve marshal Joss as they and others tried to save the mortals of the Hundred from an attack led by a rogue Guardian. Now Marit awakens lying naked on a Guardian alter. She is bewildered to be alive as she remembers being murdered and knows her soulmate eagle is dead.
Marit begins to understand what has happened to her while wondering if Joss lives and if the war is over who won. As she concludes she somehow has become one of the Nine Guardians, she vows to be different than they were. She will directly help the Hundred instead of taking an apathetic position as the Guardians she served seemed to have taken until one of them turned rogue. Marit learns that the hostilities remain with the people struggling to survive against the horde led by hostile Guardians.
SHADOW GATE, the second Crossroads epic fantasy, is a tremendous thriller that grips readers from the moment Marit wakes up on the altar and never slows down in spite of numerous complex subplots that highlight a world turned from justice and order to injustice and chaos. Although the climax occurs suddenly and leaves major threads for book three, fans will appreciate the deep look at a world in trouble, but recommend perusing the previous tale first (see SPIRIT GATE) to fully comprehend the complexities of the Elliot cosmos.
Harriet Klausner
Score: 5 - Posted on 2008-04-15
Terrific Read
I spent Sunday devouring this book. The lawn didn't get mowed. Phone calls didn't get answered. But I didn't care. I was totally engrossed in Shadow Gate. I loved Spirit Gate, the first book in this series and the sequel maintains the high, no, very high standards of the first.
Kate Elliott has always been a top fantasy writer and seems to only get better with time. If you enjoy complex characters, excellent plotting and enough action and intrigue to keep you reading at the expense of your regular life, give Shadow Gate a try.
Score: 5