I received this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. LeeSeries: Gates of Thread and Stone, #1
Published by Skyscape on 2014-08-05
Length: 335 pages
Reviewing eARC from Netgalley
Rating:
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.
Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee is the start of an exciting new series about Kai, a young woman with the mysterious power to control time and her search for her “brother” Reev after he doesn’t come home from work one night. With the help of her best friend (and crush) Avan, she starts on a journey to find Reev, but what she discovers is so much more.
I want to start by saying I liked this book…no LOVED this story so much that when I finished it I immediately went out and found book two so I could continue Kai’s story. It is that good! I love the characters, the unique story, and the world-building is fantastic.
Kai is seventeen and she has no memory of her life before Reev found her next to the river when she was eight. He has always been there, protected her and took care of her like she was his sister. So when he disappears she breaks all his rules to find him and I can’t blame her. He is her family and the only family she can remember. She also knows that if the shoe was reversed he would do the same. Kai is fascinating to me. She is shy to the extreme, having little to no friends except her brother and Avan, who really didn’t give her much choice but to like him, and then she has this disturbing yet really cool ability to manipulate time (slow it down, speed it up or just stop it altogether…like I said cool 😉 ) She really doesn’t know anything about herself or these powers and what’s awesome is she really doesn’t care. She just wants her brother back.
Avan is just amazing 😀 He is Kai’s rock throughout this story. He supports her and protects her throughout their journey to find Reev, even when he doesn’t necessarily agree with her. And did I mention he was hot? Because that’s important too 😉 Where Kai is concerned, Avan is always there, always willing to help her, and it is obvious to anyone who watches his actions how he feels about Kai, at least to everyone but her!
The plot really revolves around two things: finding Reev and what is Kai. The way the two plots converge though is what makes the story just awesome! Kai and Avan are in way over their heads as they travel for the first time into the lands outside the city’s walls and discover that not all of what they’ve learned their whole lives is true. They encounter gargoyles and Famine and his band of rebel sentinels. They learn the truth about their city Ninurta and it’s leader Ninu (which I must say he makes a fantastic villain 😀 ).
The world-building though is what really drew me in. Lee seamlessly incorporates her own version of the gods from ancient mythology into the story adding to the dystopian world that we read through the eyes of Kai. The mass destruction and basically the fall of humanity is evident in every description Kai gives of her home and life with Reev. I found myself drawn in instantly from the very first line:
Death lived in a glass tower at the center of the White Court.
Again just fantastic! I loved Kai and her world. Lee drew a complex story and threw in twists that I was not expecting. I can say with all certainty that I will be watching for more from this author as I loved her writing style as the characters and world came to life on the pages. If you enjoy young adult, dystopians, and fantasy I highly recommend you read this book!
Review in a Gif:
Final Conclusion:
Five stars?! I may need to read this soon. It is on my TBR pile already but I just haven’t gotten around to it. Plus, I love a good book where things escalate quickly. 😀 Not to mention that any book to do with time/time travel are must reads for me.
Kay @ It’s a Book Life recently posted…I Feel Like Gabbing Today – Library Edition
It’s awesome Kay!!! There’s not a lot of time travel in the book, it’s more of a mythology/dystopian which are my must reads 😉 and it’s fantastic in my opinion! Can’t wait to read more from this author 🙂
I am so loving these types of dystopian books here lately. Gates of Thread and Stone sounds mega interesting… I so want to know how Kai came to be and the story of her birth. not only that, I want to know who she is 😀 Fantastic review!
Sarah @ One Curvy Blogger recently posted…How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
I love Kai! She is perhaps my newest favorite character in a long time. If you don’t have the book yet definitely go check it out 😀
[…] Alert*** If you have not read book one Gates of Thread and Stone, there are minor, unavoidable spoilers in this review of its […]
[…] Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee – I don’t even know how to describe this book! It’s THAT good ? A perfect mix of mythology and fantasy with a dash of dystopian makes it a great book to curl up and sink your teeth into. The story focuses on a young woman who wants…no needs…to save her brother from the mysterious king. Just trust me…you need to read this book like yesterday! […]