Customer Reviews

The Gatekeepers #3: Nightrise

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I may be a man, and not just a man, but a very, very old man. How old? Let's just say that I remember both the Great Depression AND the Last Great Hurrah, and by Last Great Hurrah I mean the 1925 Great Race of Mercy by sled dog teams carrying diphtheria antitoxin against an incipient diphtheria epidemic in Nome, Alaska. But even I like to recall the days of my youth, weak from hunger and backbreaking work, with the rare moment of leisure spent collecting metal for spare change, and lose myself in the latest Anthony Horowitz novel.

Now I don't know why some people consider his work juvenile fiction, since there is nothing juvenile about the characters or their situations. The protagonists may be young men and women, but they face situations that would curl the grey hairs of a WWII veteran! Assuming, of course, that he still had hair. And I'm not talking in the ears.

In "Nightrise", the third book of "The Gatekeepers" series, we leave Matt Freeman, the hero of the first two books, to focus on the fourteen-year-old twins Scott and Jamie Tyler. Boy, I remember being fourteen... wait, no, no I don't. That was sixteen presidents ago. I'm lucky to remember my pants. Who needs 'em anyway? One of the few benefits of being as old as I am is that I can go without pants and people don't give it a second thought. So refreshing. Not wearing any now. Ahhhh... Anyhow, these orphan twins, unaware of their own past and sharing extraordinary abilities, become targets of the mysterious and evil Nightrise Corporation, which kidnaps Scott and frames Jamie for murder. I was kidnapped once. No, I was a kid and I napped. Those were the good old days. Wait, I just had a nap. The twins can rely only on themselves, and Jamie eventually discovers that he and his twin are two of the five Gatekeepers, the only force standing between the Old Ones and their takeover of our world.

These stories may superficially resemble the Harry Potter series, but present a far darker, less fantastical world in which the teenage protagonists must rely on their own wits, skills and confidence to survive a deadly foe that has insinuated itself into modern society, much like the Freemasons. Readers need not be teenagers or Freemasons themselves, however, to fully enjoy the adventure, terror and chills that will keep you, dare I say it, nightrise.

Anthony Horowitz's THE GATEKEEPERS series continues with NIGHTRISE. The Old Ones are still a threat to the safety of the world, and the five young gatekeepers are the only ones equipped to help.

Previously, Matt and Pedro were in Peru attempting to close the second gate. Their attempt failed and Matt was seriously injured. The adventure continues in a new location - Reno, Nevada. A small, rundown theater is hosting a performance called The Circus of the Mind. The featured act involves twins named Jamie and Scott. They amaze the audience by reading each others' minds. No one seems to know the secret of the trick. Actually, the secret is, there is no secret. They really do read minds and not just each others'.

Readers will soon guess that Jamie and Scott are the next two of the special "five." The problem is how will they learn about their responsibilities and how will they find out about the others. When the evil corporation, Nightrise, becomes involved, it is clear that the Old Ones' power still reaches around the world.

When Scott is kidnapped by Nightrise and taken to an isolated juvenile detention facility in the desert, Jamie begins his rescue attempt with the help of Alicia McGuire. She wants inside the prison as much as Jamie because she suspects her son has been kidnapped, as well. Nightrise seems to be making it a habit to kidnap teens with various "special" abilities. Could they be looking for the five young gatekeepers?

Horowitz thrills readers with kidnapping, adventures in the present day world, a world 10,000 years in the past, and the dream world Matt became familiar with in the first books. There are shape-changers, fire-riders, and mutilated humans to be battled. Some might find the story filled with twists and turns a bit confusing, but fans of the earlier books will be pleased with the surprises Horowitz has hidden in this new episode. The "to be continued..." ending promises even more surprises to come.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

Being an avid reader and adoring fan of most fantasy books, I was highly disappointed when I finished Nightrise. The first novel in the series- Raven's Gate, was suspenseful and hard to put down (I have to say I loved the creepy black cat and portrait whose eyes seemed to move). The second one, Evil Star, had an incredibly thrilling beginning and then seemed to become dull a little before halfway into it, like soda without some of the fizz. Nevertheless, it was still a good book, even if it didn't completely live up to the expectations of the first. Matt is a very likeable character, and Pedro isn't that bad either. The Nazca Lines were a nice touch and there were many exciting action scenes.
However, Nightrise just killed it. Frankly, it seemed like an afterthought of a book- the beginning was enticing, but something seemed a little... off. I don't know if it was the rough transition of having Matt being the main character in the first two and then practically disappearing off the face of the earth until the end of Nightrise (figure of speech), but Scott and Jamie just didn't do it for me. As much as I hate to admit it, I had trouble getting through the end and practically forced myself to finish it. That bizarre dream world was awful and a bit confusing, as it was so abrupt. Overall, I don't recommend Nightrise, but if you like the series and feel like you *must* read it, you have been warned. Looking at the other three reviews, maybe I'm totally off, but you be the judge of the book, I'm just giving my own opinion. I just hope the others in the series are better....

"You and your brother are one of the five" This statement is made on page 302, and it was directed to Jamie. Everything revolves around that statement. For example on page 41 when they were attacked. Jamie's and Scott's lives change for ever after they learn the fact that they are 2 out of the 5 gatekeepers.

NIGHTRISE, by Anthony Horowitz, tells the story of how Scott gets taken away in Reno, Nevada. His twin brother, Jamie has to rescue him. Jamie and Scott posses super natural powers. Not only that they can read each others minds but they can read the mind of others. Jamie also travels 10000 years back from the present time to help fight the Old Ones. The book unlocks many questions from the two previous novels.

NIGHTRISE, an action adventure novel, Is a spectacular book. I would reccomend this book to any Anthony Horowitz readers. I wouldn't reccomned this book to anyone below grade 7, because there are many twist and turns.This novel is one of the best of Anthony Horowitz. Will Jamie save his brother, read this book to find out.

THIS SERIES JUST GETS BETTER AND BETTER WITH A STORY THAT GRIPS YOU AND NEVER LETS GO. I CAN'T WAIT TILL THE NEXT ONE! KEEP IT UP ANTHONY!!

The first time round when ANthony Horowitz wrote this series, this was the book that was nmy favourite. One of my all time favoutites perhaps. After reading his "Silver Citadel" (of which this book is a rewrite), I was desperate for the fourth novel of the sequence, and I spent many many years always looking under H for Horowitz in every bookstore I visited in the hope I would spot the next novel, but unfortunately it was never written until these rewrites.

So what did I think of this updated and enhanced version? I still liked it a good deal. Maybe because I was familiar with the story, I was less than fully captivated as I had been originally - but that is me, so I give it 5 stars - because the series is interesting, exciting and makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen next. The variety of settings across the books lends an authenticity too.

Don't start at this book, of course. Read the series in order - but this, for me, was the book where the story moved from enjoyable adventure to something more epic.

This series is different from some of Horowitz's other work. But it is good work, and highly recommended.

This book is exciting, you want to keep reading til the end. Looking forward to the next book in the series. Chapters 14-18 may be a bit confusing for younger readers.

This is definitely the best book I have ever read in my life! You have to read it! This book has got everything, adventure, action, mystery, supernatural powers and the biggest, baddest battle ever writen in the history of mankind between the old ones (monsters) and the 5 kids with powers! I am afraid I can't tell you the rest because you will have to read to find out what happens! By the way, the battle was one of many good parts in the book. Remember, remember the best book ever!

Nightrise
By Anthony Horowitz
Nightrise is a fantasy about a mythical battle between the chosen five children and the old ones, an ancient evil force. Although this series is supposed to be called a horror or as Anthony Horowitz put it ," Stephen King for kids," I find it to be more a Lord of the Rings for kids because of the action in this story mixed with the fantasy background.
Although this book hasn't quite lived up to its horror reputation, I find to be a well thought out fantasy. Once you put all the details together, they fit together like a puzzle. Although in one part of the book, the main character goes back to the past, leaving you puzzled because of the sudden scene change. For a while I didn't know if the main character was dreaming or not but it finally resolved. All in all, the creativity is amazing. In the book it says," The two boys could genuinely read each other's minds."; so that states that the two main characters had a special power because they were both one of the five children chosen to save the world.
I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who likes fantasy books because it is a really creative series that always keeps you turning the page. It's also good for anybody who likes action because this book is filled with it.
By Zac Cooper

I must say that I have yet to find an Anthony Horowitz book that I didn't like. There have been a couple of his books that I've picked up, not quite sure if I was really going to enjoy it or not -- and in the end... I always end up glad I did read them. NIGHTRISE, book three in THE GATEKEEPERS (aka THE POWER OF FIVE) series, continues his long streak of just good to read fiction.

The plot begins with two new characters, Jamie and Scott Tyler, twins, who happen to have the ability to read each other's minds. Someone is after them, and will stop at nothing to either separate them or kill them. And when Scott is taken, Jamie must do everything he can with the help of a lady with a missing child of her own, to bring him back. What ensues is a crazed romp throughout Nevada, Peru, and Earth as it was ten thousand years ago.

While well written with typical Horowitz-action and over-stylized British characters, NIGHTRISE does seem to fall prey to the dreaded middle-of-a-series-book syndrome. New readers might just pick this one up and do fine reading through, but about midway through the book, plot threads from EVIL STAR and RAVEN'S GATE pick up, and newcomers will be probably very lost. Also, there was a bit of a strange shift for a few chapters near the end of the book set back ten thousand years ago, and the scenes were just strange and felt different in tone from the rest of the book. Most of the story reads a bit like an ALEX RIDER novel mixed with one of Horowitz's horror stories.

All said, this is a good entry in the series, and sets things up for book four, NECROPOLIS. But new readers to the series should definitely jump back to RAVEN'S GATE and start there.