Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee {review}

Gates of Thread and Stone
by Lori M. Lee
♦publisher: Skyscape
♦release date: August 5th, 2014
♦hardcover, 335 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦series: Gates of Thread and Stone, book 1
♦source: from publisher for honest review

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

Review: Gates of Thread and Stone is a true high fantasy, with a detailed world built from the ground up. There are hints that it is a futuristic society, with mentions of “how things used to be” that sound like the world of today, but the world that this story plays out in is definitely unique. I found it worked both for this story and against it, as it takes a while to really get into the thick of the story and get really immersed in the world, but once it takes hold, it’s really quite fascinating and immensely creative.  

I loved Kia's determination and her close relationship with her adoptive brother who raised her.  She never stops trusting in their bond, and that is what drives the story and her quest to find him after he suddenly disappears.  She is never deterred from saving him, and can never be convinced that he is lost to her, even when things look pretty grim.  The love interest, Avan even mentions feeling like there may be no room in her heart for anything else.  I did like the romance in this one especially with Kai and Avan’s long history together. There is a tiny bit of a love triangle---not sure if we’ll see more of that develop in the future of this series, especially with the way this one ended!

The description of her power to hold the threads of time was also really good and a unique gift to have, especially in a perilous moment!  Plus I love how it tied in to the mythology of the tale, a really well-thought out heirarchy of immortals that control death, famine, time, etc.

The pace of the story is up and down.  It's compelling and exciting as they set off on their journey, but after they get where they are going and make a few interesting discoveries, there is a bit of a long lull.  I find this often happens in stories where the hero has to go through some sort of training and then they are just waiting around for the next phase while picking up bits of backstory. It picks up again as they set their plan of attack into motion and barrels into an action-packed, suspenseful, and surprising ending.  As a matter of fact, it was just enough of a lift in the last third of the book to convince me to continue with this series!  I recommend giving this one a try---it's a solid start for this high fantasy series.

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Purchase Gates of Thread and Stone:  Indiebound  •  Bookdepository  •  BN.com