Customer Reviews

Freedom's Gate

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Freedom's Gate is a wonderful read. Other reviewers have nicely presented the plot, so I'll write about the writing. Ms Kritzer presents ancient Kazakhstan with a believable fantasy twist. Lots of writers are using the djinn as their entrée to fantasy writing. Ms Kritzer presents the djinn as an intrinsic part of the story rather than the entire story. I'm continually impressed by this author's ability to serve up a dollop of history so skillfully that the reader doesn't realize that she has had a history lesson.

The writing in each of Ms Kritzer's books is beyond criticism. She never takes her readers for granted, her grammar and word usage is impeccable, the editing is sterling. She exemplifies great writing that also entertains splendidly. I heartily recommend this book and each of the previous volumes as well. You might as well buy this one. You'll want to reread it.

Too many fantasy novels are predictable. I'm not speaking only of those wherein the hero or heroine has to collect "plot coupons" (get the sword, pick up the magic stone, take them to the castle or you do not pass Go or collect $200). All too often, the author puts the main character in a situation that is obvious: she has to realize or accomplish Something Important and gosh, you think she will?

In this novel (and in her previous series), Kritzer avoids these traps. Others have summarized the story pretty well: our heroine is the servant of a big cheese among the longtime Greek conquerers (in an alternate history wherein Alexander lived to a ripe old age before ascending to godhood, and wherein djinn have been enslaved). She's sent on a mission to inflitrate the "bad guys"... and ends up rethinking everything she knows about her society.

The characters are well-drawn, even the minor ones. The writing held my attention. But what really impressed me was how often Kritzer surprised me: Lauria doesn't take the simple way out, she agonizes over her changing opinions, and at the end she is a very real, believeable character.

This isn't a huge tome, either: it's suitable for a fun weekend read, not a lifelong commitment. Recommended.

Freedom's Gate is the kind of book that immerses you in the life of the main character, as though Lauria were a living, breathing person taking you along on her journey. I felt as though I had been given a glimpse into her soul, as well as her life and experiences. Her journey, as well as the people she meets and befriends transform Lauria. I really liked the way this first book in the Dead Rivers trilogy had a satisfying conclusion of its own, while it left me wondering what adventures, trials and mishaps would befall Lauria on the next leg of her quest for self-discovery. Highly recommended for anyone who loves character driven fantasy.

I definitely plan to check out the next books in her series.

"Freedom's Gate" is an interesting, nicely paced, easy to read book. I would not say it is a book you can't put down, but it is a book that took me one week to read (I have a newborn who does not let me sleep, so one week is pretty fast).

The characters are well defined, and they grow through the book. Altough part of a series and the required lose ends for future books, this book is a self contained story.

I'd say it is a lighter version of the Kushiel trilogy, because both series are stories of the "what-if" kind that take place in the past, have a heroine, deal with slavery, and the magic in their worlds is subtle, not omnipresent. However, "Freedom's Gate" is not dark. There is betrayal, but is fit for young adult audiences because it does not get into too much detail.

I give it four stars because it is very good, but I would say it falls a little short of being excellent. I'd give it four and a half stars if possible.

The Macedonian Empire wanes after Alexander dies until Penelope, the founder of the Sisterhood of the Weavers, learned how to bend to her will the aeriika (djinn). The empire took back what it had lost. Most countries accepted that the Greeks were their overlords but the Danibeki fought for their freedom. As a result, the rivers Janarles and Oxus were dried up by the aeriika leaving the population to value water more than gold or jewels because it is much rarer in the occupied land.

Lauria, a free woman in service to military commander Kyros, is asked to infiltrate the Alashi, a warrior group made up of runaway slaves and free men and women unable to live under Greek rule. As part of the plan, she is to remain in Sophos' harem and after two weeks escape to find the Alashi. Before she is set free, Sophos rapes her and another harem slave takes care of her and accompanies her when she leaves because she hates her mater. They find the camp but the more time Lauria stays there, the less she wants to go back because she sees the truth about the Greeks like Kyros who has not punished Sophos for his attack on her.

The magical culture of the Greek Empire revolves around the djinn, how to bind and use them to further their own political and military goals. It is only when the heroine is among the Alashi does she realize that the bound djinn are as much slaves of their masters as those humans in bondage to their owner. FREEDOM'S GATE is a magical fantasy set in a powerful Greek Empire where magic and sorcery are everyday events accepted by the populace. Naomi Kritzer has written a charming fantasy that will leave readers eager to read for the next installment in what looks like a great series.

Harriet Klausner

I have to confess that I know the author of this book, we went to college together. That aside, I really did enjoy this book (and it has nothing to do with our acquaintance). It took a little while to get into, as Ms. Kritzer does not go through the tedium of explaining every little concept in the worlds she creates. Rather, she leaves it to the readers to figure out what various things are by reading more. I love this, as it annoys me to no end when authors remind you every five pages who a character is or what something means in their worlds. It's more like immersion learning of a language. Once I got to the point where unfamiliar concepts were figured out, I couldn't put the book down. My children were laughing at me because I was reading it as I went around the house, going through my daily routine. The characters are very engaging, and the problems they face are interesting, as is the way they get through their trials.

One of my favorite things about her books is that they are not remotely formulaic. Just when you think you know where something is going, you get thrown in a totally different direction. It's more like real life that way - you don't have just one problem come up that's neatly taken care of in 300 pages, you have many different things happening and sometimes problems aren't resolved nicely. But the characters go on, because that's just what you do.

All in all, a very satisfying read. I purchased the entire trilogy together, because I knew that I'd want to be able to read the next one right after finishing the first. I wasn't wrong. And as for the historical aspect of the book, don't let that put you off. It's interesting, but doesn't detract from the pure entertainment value of the story.

Only in retrospect does one realize just how much of a disappointment The Dead Rivers Trilogy really is. I first heard of the books after a mention on the InstaPundit blog, and as a fan of historical novels and fantasy/mythology (Mary Renault, e.g.), decided to give them a try.

Ms. Kritzer has an interesting story to tell but does so in a generally flat prose style; that the grammar and word usage are impeccable, as another reviewer noted, is the least that one expects from a published author with a decent editor. Nevertheless she does write in a comfortable and consistently safe style. A much more annoying and not so easily forgiven shortfall prevalent in these books is the disconnect between the character dialogue and the time-place of the supposed action. Some of the conversations between characters, especially between Lauria and her mother, would fit more comfortably in a novel set in modern day suburbia.

Ms. Kritzer's central themes borrow heavily from the Dune series. Now this is not necessarily a criticism as she does make them her own in many original and unexpected ways. At the top of my head: indigent nomadic tribes in control of a vitally precious resource; foreign conquering forces at war for monopoly of this resource; a secretive Sisterhood reliant on this resource for their power (Bene Gesserit-Lite, as I like to call the Weavers); the possibility that a male would learn the secret trade of this Sisterhood (something Kritzer barely touches on and leaves hanging so why bring it up in the first place); an unwilling main character thrown by fate in the middle of formidable events and intrigue- transformed into the saving hero; arid environment and vast concealed pools of water; etc.

Ultimately the novels are saved by brilliant, albeit all too brief bursts of imaginative writing of Lauria's revelation and transformation leading up to the story's climax. Although the first book is rather anemic when it comes to true Fantasy content (sorry, but a djin popping up here and there doesn't cut it in the genre), half way into the second book is when the Mystic World (borderland of the real and djin realms) becomes a character in its own right. And it is also when we first meet Zivar, my favorite character. This "Borderland-as-character" evolves in the final book to a splendid hallucinatory realm, and it was at this point that I felt like yelling "More! More of this Naomi! What took you so long?!"

It is unfortunate that nearly fifty percent of this series, to me at least, seems as superfluous content oddly misplaced in the Fantasy genre.

Twenty-year-old Lauria works for the Greek warlord Kyros. Her job is catching his runaway Danibeki slaves, despite that fact that she is half Danibeki herself. Now, he is asking her to volunteer for a much more difficult task. She is to pose as a Danibeki slave, a virgin concubine, and infiltrate the Alashi, a tribe of Danibeki ex-slaves who fight against Greek control. Her task is to spy on them by feed Kyros information about their upcoming attacks. At least, that is the plan. Soon after Lauria goes under cover as a slave, something goes traumatically wrong. Now Lauria is questioning everything, her role as a slave catcher, her opinions on the Alashi, and ever her loyalty to Kyros. Eventually Lauria is going to have to make a decision about who she really is, but what will she choose?

"Freedom's Gate" has everything you could possibly want in the first book of a fantasy trilogy. I could barely put it down! The characters are wonderfully made. Lauria is a strong protagonist as she is a brave, resourceful woman, but is also confused about her life. During the book she is placed between two opposing forces and struggles to choose where her loyalties lie. The reader has no choice to feel her pain as we also experience her pull to each side of the debate. Will she side with Kyros, who has always showed her kindness, or the Alashi who have given her a new home? The plot is also quite interesting. Although the idea of someone being torn between two words is far from new, the fact that it is set in a fantasized ancient Greece makes it something special. The fantastical, magical elements are interesting as well. Magic is not huge and dramatic in this world, but subtle and effective. As Lauria learns more about it, I found myself fascinated by the djinnis. I hope that we get to learn more about them in the next installment, "Freedom's Apprentice." I also enjoyed how the book really got into the psychology of what being a slave meant. Many books that deal with fantasy slavery often forget the mental burden a slave will carry, but this book does not.

The book ends on quite a cliffhanger. Lauria has made her decision but she is going to have a lot of difficult ones in front of her. I have the second book on my shelf, waiting to be read. I can't wait to see where the story goes!