As a writer, I like to study other authors’ books and try to figure out how they cast their magic (or why the spell fails to stick). The downside of all that analysis, however, is that it’s hard to turn off. It’s difficult to simply let the story carry me away, without ticking off plot points in my head.
So it’s been a joy to read through K.B. Hoyle’s updated Gateway Chronicles and lose myself completely. Her characters are so compelling, and the storyline so tense and deep, it’s impossible not to be swept away.
Rescue and Reconaissance
In my last two blog posts, I’ve reviewed Books 1 and 2 and Books 3 and 4 of the Gateway Chronicles. By the last two books of the series—The Scroll and The Bone Whistle—Hoyle’s protagonists are “in all the way” as well. Darcy Pennington and her friends still struggle at times with fear and doubt, but they’re willing to face anything—even death—to free the kingdom of Alitheia from the grip of the dark lord Tselloch.
The central relationship of the story—that of Darcy and the young king of Alitheia, Tellius—has come a long way by this point. They’ve moved from stubborn antagonism in The Six and The Oracle, to deepening friendship in The White Thread, to thrilling love in The Enchanted. But when Darcy returns to Alitheia in The Scroll, she learns that Tellius is a prisoner of Lord Tselloch—and no one knows where to find him. It’s up to Darcy and her friends to discover the location of Tselloch’s invisible fortress, get past the hordes of shadow-forces, and set Tellius free. And there’s more at stake here than one man’s rescue. Despite Tselloch’s claims of invincibility, Darcy is sure there’s a way to defeat him. The only trouble is that Tselloch alone can reveal his secret weakness. How can she possibly convince the dark lord to give himself away?
There are fewer big changes in the revised version of The Scroll than in the preceding books. However, Gateway fans are sure to enjoy an expanded scene following Darcy’s escape attempt with Tellius. And the best change of all comes near the end. Hoyle’s revised version of Tellius’s proposal is, in my opinion, what it always wanted and needed to be: a beautiful picture of public forgiveness and reconciliation.
A Climactic Conclusion
And now we come to the final book of the series, The Bone Whistle. Just as with the original books, I came to this revised version with both a hunger to see the story to its completion, and a wistful longing to keep the tale going on. The Bone Whistle satisfies on so many levels as Hoyle takes threads from all the previous books and weaves them into a breathtaking tapestry. All the riddles, characters and settings fall into place like the final twists of a Rubik’s cube.
In fact, one of my favorite aspects of this series is that Hoyle never treats heroism as a zero sum game. Although Darcy is just as skillful and courageous as any teen heroine I’ve seen, she’s not a one-woman show. She needs her friends just as much as they need her. Together, they accomplish more than they ever could on their own. Nowhere is this clearer than with Darcy and Tellius. Far from diminishing one another’s strength, they enhance and complete it…sometimes quite literally, as when Tellius’ skills with fire and water combine with Darcy’s talents in harnessing earth and air to create a magical completion.
Most of Hoyle’s revisions in this new release, in fact, involve this pivotal relationship between Tellius and Darcy, the young king and queen of an embattled kingdom that seems to crumble at every turn. With a deft touch and a light hand, Hoyle fine-tunes their exchanges in a way that gives these central characters greater depth and dimension. As a final crowning touch, Hoyle lovingly reworks and expands The Bone Whistle’s epilogue in a way that feels absolutely, perfectly right.
Fantasy at its Best
The Gateway Chronicles do exactly what good fantasy should: they sweep us away to another world and give us deeper understanding of our own. They take us on an incredible journey and return us home changed for the better—more courageous, clear-sighted and compassionate. If you haven’t yet experienced their magic, let these books be your next great read.
All six volumes of the revised Gateway Chronicles are available at Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions. They are also being released in a fantastic audiobook form, with Book 1, The Six, currently available, and the rest of the series coming soon!
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