Last summer, I briefly overviewed K.B. Hoyle’s fantastic Gateway Chronicles. However, it’s difficult to do justice to a six-book series in one post! With Hoyle’s revised, re-released volumes hitting bookstores this fall, I decided it was time for a more in-depth look. The books fit naturally into paired groupings, so I’ll be reviewing them two at a time–come back next month for the second installment!
An Unexpected Adventure
The Gateway Chronicles center around six teenagers who initially have little in common besides the summer camp they’re attending on the shore of Lake Michigan. There’s bubbly, extroverted Sam; handsome, arrogant Perry; Amelia, a stylish musician; Lewis, the consummate book nerd; sneaky-ninja Dean; and primary protagonist Darcy Pennington, who’s smart, determined–and desperate to be far away from Cedar Cove Camp.
When the teens stumble through a magic gateway in the woods, they find themselves in the parallel world of Alitheia, and discover an intertwined destiny that will test them to the extreme. The Alitheians believe Darcy and her companions are the prophesied “Six” who will deliver their land from the shadow-demon Tselloch and his minions. But it will take many shared adventures and terrifying obstacles before the teens can fulfil their purpose.
An Unlikely Heroine
One of my favorite elements of the Gateway Chronicles is the way that Hoyle matures and develops her characters throughout the series. This transformation is especially evident in Darcy, as she moves from crippling self-absorption to sacrificial leadership.
The Six–the first Gateway Chronicle–reveals a thirteen-year-old girl who gets sweaty palms at the mere thought of meeting strangers, and who feels as if she doesn’t have one true friend in the world. As the story begins, Darcy’s only real connection point is with animals: “kind, quiet, unjudging animals.” But once she’s thrust into the magical world of Alitheia, building friendships and trust becomes a life-or-death matter. The shadow-lord 
The revised edition of The Six features a number of small but carefully-crafted insertions, many of them involving Darcy’s closest Alitheian friend, the nark Yahto Veli (if you’ve never met a nark, you can get a better idea of them–and the rest of Alitheia–via Hoyle’s wonderful Pinterest boards). There are also some new bits involving Prince Tellius, including a brief scene expansion near the story’s end.
The newer version also reads more smoothly than its predecessor, and draws readers more fully into Darcy’s perspective. Thanks to Hoyle’s careful efforts to offer a more consistent point of view, I found myself relating to Darcy much more empathetically than I did on my first reading of The Six.
Darcy’s initial introduction to Alithea still felt overwhelming to me, with its plethora of both human and fantasy characters (gnomes, fairies, wizards, dryads, naiads, royal princes…). But perhaps that’s partly the point—to underscore the teenagers’ sense of vertigo and wonder. If it leaves you feeling dizzy too, hang in there. Most characters throughout the rest of series are introduced more gradually.
My favorite part of The Six remains Darcy’s confrontation with Tselloch. The Shadow Lord is both horrifying and enthralling—a worthy adversary with enough mystique to grip readers for the duration of the series. Part of his complexity lies in his ability to take many forms: an inky darkness, a globular spider-monster, or a beautiful man with a face that appears chiseled from black onyx stone. As Darcy battles to withstand him, her mingled attraction/repulsion to the dark lord will keep you glued to the page.
An Irresistible Quest
In The Oracle, Darcy and her five friends return to Alitheia with excitement, ready to continue their training in magic and warfare. Their plans change, however, when Darcy invokes a mysterious Oracle, and is forced to embark on a dangerous quest to receive the Oracle’s answer.
The broadening of Darcy’s inner landscape as she continues to mature is echoed in her physical journey across the kingdom. The Oracle is a questing story, with echoes of Tolkein’s Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring. Like all good quests, there are some deliciously hair-raising adventures. My particular favorite is Darcy’s encounter with two dragons. Although these beasts often find their way into fantasy, you’ll rarely find them described so vividly.
The dragon turned and prowled the ridge, growling like a jackhammer…It was dull brown, like the ugly carapace of a spider or scorpion, and its scales clicked together unnervingly as it moved…
The silvery dragon advanced, each footfall causing the ground to shudder, its wing tips gripping the side of the mountain as it pulled itself forward. Step by step their party backed away, helpless against its advancing power. But it didn’t attack. Instead it seemed to be regarding them, a long, thin tongue slithering in and out of its mouth, tasting the air like a snake. (The Oracle, Chapter 27)
There aren’t as many changes in the revised Oracle as there are in The Six. However, Gateway fans will appreciate an extended scene at the book’s end between Darcy and Prince Tellius. I love the way Hoyle moves these two characters from mutual disgust in the first book to grudging tolerance in the second—and finally, in this closing scene, to possible friendship. It’s a great segue to Book 3, The White Thread, which is probably my favorite book in the series. But more on that next time!
Interesting article with great insights! Now I cannot wait to read the new edition of The Gateway Chronicles!
I’m sure you’ll love it! Thanks for reading my review.