Hello everyone!
Because every once in a while in your life, you get extremely lucky.
I'm fortunate enough that, about a year ago last year, I was contacted through Goodreads by the lovely, lovely Hayley Reese Chow asking if I'd like to read the ARC for her upcoming fantasy book.
I said yes.
DUH.
And towards the end of 2020, she reached out once again, with another fantasy book, except this one is geared more towards middle graders, but keep in mind that I don't really know these rankings all that well because I'm not American.
I do know that when the protagonist is 12 though, that it's PROBABLY meant for a fairly specific audience haha.
But don't worry! It's an absolute blast to read even if you're an adult. So let's open the door and check out The Gatekeeper of Pericael.
You'll find the link to my Odriel's Heirs review down at the bottom of the page, and you may be delighted to learn Idriel's Children, the sequel, is in progress and should be coming soon. You better believe you should be excited for it - the first book was already amazing!
I digress, though.
This book has nothing to do with ancient demons and fire-wielding individuals.
This one's all about opening and closing doors.
The Gatekeeper of Pericael tells the story of Porter, a boy who just wants to be normal, take chemistry tests, play soccer, and not have to worry about a legacy connecting him to a dangerous parallel world and tying him down to the city he was born into. Pericael is a monster-infested place where nightmares come true, but the portal through to it is a door that leads right into a spare room in the home Porter's family owns.
And his mother is the current Kotalla, aka the Gatekeeper, which makes him the Kotalla kan, her son.
But whyyyyyyyyy, you'll hear Porter ask throughout the book. I DON'T WANNA!
Says practically every single Chosen One EVER.
Things turn from relatively normal (if you consider being chased through a jungle by some monsters in the middle of the night normal) to downright dangerous when, during a visit from his cousin Ames, a knock comes to the door and when Porter opens it, he finds his mentor on the other side, telling him to bring the Tok - a powerful spirit captured in a staff which gives the Kotalla its powers - because they're under attack.
Oh did I not mention? Where there's a Chosen One, there's also a Dark Lord.
This guy calls himself the Raspburn, and he feeds his power off severed souls (preferably children, who then become soulless zombie ape monsters). He's gunning for the Gate that will take him to our world, where children's spirits aren't protected by a ritual like in Pericael, making them easier to sever.
A battle ensues, during which Porter's mom arrives and creates a portal through which the Raspburn gets, well, deported, but not before grabbing onto Ames. Porter tries to yank him back, to no avail, and both of them land in the middle of nowhere in the jungle.
What's worse is that they're being hunted by the Raspburn because he wants the Tok, and also that the Hallowing is in six days, a ritual during which Porter and his mom need to bind the Gate as it's otherwise vulnerable. For this, they need the Tok, and the Tok is with Porter, so somehow or other they have to get back.
They're rescued from the jungle by fierce warriors, who take them to their village where they're joined on their quest by Kira and Conri, two sisters, of which Conri has a spirit actually bound to her because her heart failed when she was younger.
So about this spirit business: magic in Pericael is conducted through the help of spirits which populate the world, but you have to use your ranja, your own spirit, in a way, to direct and control it. Porter tends to fight this and is having a hard time, though through the adventure in the jungle he learns more and more how to successfully and quickly do it.
Because man, does he need to pick up the pace.
Not only is the village attacked by the Raspburn's shamans, but when the four escape along the river, they also land themselves in trouble in some random ass monster spider nets, and one of the creatures stings Ames so they need medicine for him, fast. With the Raspburn beating them to the next jungle village location, this forces them to flee without stopping and to look for the medicine in the jungle themselves.
Since this is highly dangerous after dark - one sound out of you and monsters come to do a chomp-chomp - it's naturally something Porter and Kira have to do.
They do manage to grab the medicine though and Ames is on the mend by the time Porter listens to the spirits and crash-lands the ship to get them to safety, to another village helpful to them, but they have to hurry - and as they travel on elephant-like creatures through the jungle to their next pitstop, time seems to be running out.
Especially as they get attacked there at this second location, because why would it be any less complicated, right?
But at this point Porter has enough and allows the Tok to guide him as he obliterates the things coming after them; and with Conri injured during the battle they have to leave her behind and continue on their own to the Gate, hurrying with the help of the spirits once again, and arriving on the original beachside location just in time ...
... for another battle.
But Porter's ready this time around and faces off with the Raspburn.
Until he pulls the rug right out from under his feet when he declares he bound the younger Moon spirit, Nishira, to him as a slave. Nishira being the Tok's lover and secret bride, the spirit refuses to help Porter in fear of harming her, so it's just him and Kira against the Raspburn now, and Kira pulls off a daring feat.
With her perfect recall, she makes a spirit circle and leeches Nishira's spirit from the Raspburn, Porter summons up a portal to suck the bad guy in, and Ames wallops him over the head with a rock after almost getting his spirit sucked.
Boo-ya!
With that, the story wraps up as Porter realizes he DOES actually want to continue his family's legacy - he IS the Kotalla kan, no one else. Ames respectfully declines to be tested for ranja since he has no taste for magic - in his own words, you can throw chupacabra apes at his head but don't mess with his soul, yo - and Porter's mentor takes Kira on as her new apprentice.
This is pretty big as we're haunted throughout the book by the death of the previous one, who grew too greedy, didn't understand how spirits worked, and they drove him mad until he killed himself.
With everything said and done, Porter and his mother head back to their own world, where he now has Ames to discuss Pericael with (making him feel less alone and isolated), and back IN Pericael he has Kira to train with.
Also to blush around and be awkward with, because, well.
All's well that end's well, right?
Right!
Absolutely delightful, wonderfully paced, and with a storyline I've never actually seen before in all my years of reading books, The Gatekeeper of Pericael takes you on a fun romp through a dangerous jungle but with light at the end of the tunnel so you never lose your way. It's fast-paced, but there are injections of peace where you and the characters can take just a bit of a breather before the next corner shows up around which danger lurks once more.
The characters are incredibly relatable, the differences between the two "normal" boys and the two Pericael girls naturally displayed and contrasted, but I loved most how it was easy to understand Porter's reluctance, how Ames was that one annoying cousin everyone has who JUST WON'T BE BOTHERED BY ANYTHING, and how the two sisters were both very wise in the ways of Pericael, and occasionally a little bit foolish too, as kids can be.
And while we may never know the exact origins of the Raspburn, you don't always have to have all the details - he's a bad guy. He wants to rule the world. He'll rule BOTH worlds if he gets the chance, so smack him with a rock to knock him out, will you? Do us all a favour that way, be like Ames.
A fun, entertaining romp through the jungle that I definitely recommend, and best of all kids will love this one too! It reminds me of Percy Jackson in a way, and as I'm deeply in love with that series I see no reason why this book can't follow in its footsteps.
Also, THIS is why I've been insisting on closing doors all my life. I just never knew the reason why!
So, you know, just remember: CLOSE THEM DOORS BEHIND YOU!
10/10 recommend.
xx
*images not mine
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