The Gate By Author Brandi Schonberg Book Tour
Cover Blurb
Amarynn has no idea who she was before she became a Traveler: a fierce warrior magically transported to Earth to fight for a king she's never trusted or respected... a king she is bound to for eternity.
Desperate to be free from endless servitude, she unwittingly places the key to an immortal army in the wrong hands. A mistake that could destroy everything she's ever cared for.
Determined to right her wrongs, Amarynn enters into an uneasy partnership with the king's inexperienced son. As something more powerful than friendship pulls them together, she must rely on others to achieve what she wants most: an ending.
A story of fate, flawed heroes, incompetent rulers, and dangerous mages...
Other Titles By the Author
Brandi Schonberg
Author Bio
I am a native Texan, a former professional musician, and a self-proclaimed escapist who is passionate about writing characters that people can identify with personally. Applying my own experiences to my writing, I use my stories to navigate what it means to be a human - flaws and all. As a recent widow, I am finding that writing has been an excellent coping mechanism for dealing
with grief. I have three beautiful, grown children who are smart, funny, talented, and supportive (and exceptionally opinionated!). Applying their writing, theatre, musical, and artistic backgrounds, they play an active role in my storytelling and are excellent sounding boards for ideas. My cat, Persephone, is a judgmental thing and routinely scowls at me while I write. I live in the Texas Hill Country and frequent our Texas State Parks to hike and think. Having turned 50 this year, I am on a mission to defy time and age backward from this point on. I did my first Mud Run this year, and I plan on having many other grand adventures. My bedside table is typically piled high with epic fantasies and science fiction (and papers to grade, too). I binge-watch far too much Netflix and have developed a new addiction to collecting swords. I am a middle school teacher who finds every possible excuse to slip away from the demands of daily life and write.
The Book Tour
Day 1 - Favourite Quotes
Day 2 - Character Summaries
Amarynn - From a girl who wants to die in the very first chapter to the tenacious warrior by the end of the book, her development through the story is the core of the book and you get a real sense of who she is, as far as she understands herself, and that’s only a partial picture at best as she can’t remember her life before being transported to Karth. There is an emotional innocence about her that contrasts strongly with her abilities as a fighter, and the way she acts around Jael. There is also pride and a sense of honour, evidenced by the first chapter and her actions later in the book. She becomes the first fully developed character in the story and, as is necessary, the core of the story. (Andrew Oyston)
Amarynn. She is trapped in a situation; torn between living the life she is obliged to enact, and the existence in which she is destined. I think it is quite the universal emotion to which we can all relate, young and old. That’s why I like her character, her strength, and willingness to fight her struggle in the battle for supremacy over her self-control. “She feared, never knowing what could have been. While other Travellers revelled in their power to destroy, she took no joy in death-dealing. It was true, she was the best of them all, but she was certain there had to be more for her than blood and steel.” (Andrew Bell)
Sia: A character who turns out to be much more than they appear at first ‘meeting,’ I found that they bring a great deal of warmth to the narrative (sometimes literally) and serve as a pleasant tonal foil to many of the characters around them. They have a uniqueness within the setting while remaining very sympathetic. (Tim Marshall)
Amarynn: My connection with Amarynn, the principal character in this book, was immediate. In the first chapter it seems she is about to die, and the reader, without really knowing who she is, or why she should die, is instantly rooting for her survival. Amarynn is at the end of her tether and we readers are desperate to know what has caused that. Brandi doesn’t disappoint. With the turn of each page (which, in my case, was unstoppable) we get closer to Amarynn, feeling her anger and her pain, wishing we could alleviate her desperation. I love Amarynn! I can’t wait to read more about her quest and the second book in this series cannot come out quick enough for me. (Eleanor Dixon)
Amarynn: I admire her strength and resilience. It's wonderful to read about such a strong woman, who is more powerful than her physical form would suggest to others. She seems capable of handling whatever comes her way in any situation. She has patience and acceptance regarding what she has to deal with as the plot unfolds. (Eileen Tilley)
Amarynn is a wonderful character, and easy to form a connection with. At the beginning we see a vulnerable side to her as she struggles with her immortality, but as the story unfolds, she proves she is strong, resilient and resourceful. I do enjoy reading about characters who have an affinity with the animal kingdom, and so I loved the relationship she has with her horse, Dax, and the bond between the two of them. The author has developed Amarynn's character beautifully with a balance of strengths and flaws to make her a well rounded and believable protagonist that readers will root for and will continue to follow. (Kirsty McKay)
Day 3 - Favourite Excerpts
The opening chapter - her brawl in the alleyway that should lead to her death but instead sees her sulking in a bar before being contacted by former colleagues from the Legion. This leaves you with so many questions that the book mostly answers, leaving further queries for later books. (Andrew Oyston)
This conversation drew me in and made me wish to continue…“You can keep hiding or live the life you’ve been given, even if you don’t want it. You were bestowed the gift of immortality.” (Andrew Bell)
Regealth watched the door close and considered the girl. She was bright, and to his surprise, he sensed magical aptitude. She was small for her age; children with gifts were often the littlest. The power inside them drew on their energy from birth, stunting their growth. He could not sense what element she was bound to, but magic was most definitely there. With a sigh, he leaned forward onto his hands and knees. He reached out for the narrow bunk beneath the porthole and pulled his way up and onto the mildewed blanket. (Tim Marshall)
The very first paragraph pulled me into this book: I knew I was about to read something worth reading. The stone was just that — a stone. Permeated with crystalline veins of blue, it was a simple, white rock, but she held it in her pale hand like a dragon’s egg — a precious thing. The air around the woman’s slight form pulsed, thick with energy, vibrations of magic palpable in the moonlit night. Wind whipped her hair, tearing past the craggy outcropping above the shore. A clutch of ancient trees clung to the ledge just beyond her, refusing to give up their purchase on the cliff. (Eleanor Dixon)
Crack! The wooden staff collided with the warrior’s back with sickening force. It knocked the wind out of her as she fell, sprawled out on the ground. Her fingers curled in the dirt while resisting the urge to reach for her blade. “Goddess, take me. I won’t fight you this time,” she whispered. The opening lines of The Gate. It had me hooked from the first sentence. (Deborah Barwick)
Regealth looked to her hands and drew in a sharp breath. The delicate tendrils of mist she drew from the bowl coalesced into a dense fog beneath her hands. She shouldn’t be able to call the mist so soon! He placed his hands above hers and was surprised to sense her strength. She was proving to be more than extraordinary. (Eileen Tilley)
Amarynn sliced and beat at the sparring pole for a full hour before retiring. She made her way to the stables and found Dax in the last stall, lazily chewing oats and swishing his tail. He swung his massive head toward her as she opened the door, butting her with his nose. She gripped his ears and pulled his head into her chest, breathing in deeply when he blew softly and pushed against her. She slid to the ground, keeping one hand on his muzzle, and for the first time in three months, Amarynn, the legendary Traveler of the Legion of Karth, cried until she slid down into the hay and fell into a fitful, dreamless sleep. (Kirsty McKay)
Day 4 - Video Interview
Day 5 - Reviews
Overall Star Rating 4.5 Stars: The Gate is the first part of a fantasy series that begins with an intriguing premise and runs well with it. Amarynn is a Traveller, a person dragged via magic to the land of Karth, who as a result of the transportation is now effectively immortal. She is forced to fight for the King who controls the ability to “create” Travellers, and it’s through her eyes that you follow the core of the story. Add an unrequited love, a young girl who might be the most powerful magic wielder ever known and you have a decently paced and engaging story. The characters are well rounded, although the “evil” ones can be a bit one note at times. Some might like that kind of portrayal, so each to their own. Their actions are believable and true to their nature. The story builds to a good holding point for the planned sequel, and you never feel as if the author is padding the book. As to the future volume(s), it will be interesting to see if the author can avoid common fantasy tropes as she has done here, and I really would like to know the origins of the Travellers. A well written fantasy with a good premise and promise to come. (Andrew Oyston)
Overall Star Rating 4.5 Stars: Overall, a well-written story. Strong characters caught in an existence they must endure, a bloody and uncertain future they must confront. (Andrew Bell)
Overall Star Rating 4.5 Stars: As a long-time fan of fantasy settings, I was eager to dive into this book. For a first-time fantasy work and the start of a series, I felt that the writing was strong and the premise (always an important factor in such settings) was interesting. It’s a fairly dark tale, with a grim protagonist, and explores themes of self-harm as well as harm inflicted by others. The pace of the novel is a positive, though there will be some, like me, who will be left wondering at some of the world’s elements that are presented without comment or investigation before the story moves forward. For instance, who is Balan and why is he known for his flaming sword? Hopefully, these sorts of questions will be delved into as the Immortal Coil series progresses, as the seeds have been well-sown for the sequel, and I would love to have the context that the answers could provide. (Tim Marshall)
Overall Star Rating 4.5 Stars: I loved this book. I was drawn into it from the very first paragraph of the prologue. Brandi Schonberg has created a world that is believable and accessible. Her skilled writing takes you directly into the heart of it till you are battling evil with the heroine and experiencing every cut and thrust of her sword. I read many different genres, but I have to admit, fantasy is my favourite, and Brandi does not disappoint. The story is epic. The writing is professional and polished. In the copy I received, there were a few typographical errors, but I have been assured these have been corrected now. It would be a shame for such a wonderful story to be spoiled by lack of proof-reading. The plot is well thought out, and the pace is electric. It is a real page-turner. I sat up late into the night because I couldn’t put it down. I look forward to the sequel! (Eleanor Dixon)
Overall Star Rating 4.5 Stars: A pacy and action-packed fantasy tale of adventure and magic that I enjoyed from the first. This author has an accomplished writing style, making it easy to fall into the story without effort. Her characters are well rounded, believable and relatable and I cared about their fates, both good and evil. Amarynn is a worthy, yet flawed, heroine. She will have the reader rooting for her even while occasionally despairing of her decisions and ability to stir up trouble. I also ‘loved to hate’ the baddies; some were without redemption, but others I trust may return to fight again in a sequel? I do hope so. (Deborah Barwick)
Overall Star Rating 4.5 Stars: This is not normally a genre that I would choose, so I wasn't sure what to expect when embarking on the reading of this novel. I am a fan of time travel but this book focuses on dimension travel, which was a theme I hadn't explored before. I like the characters that Brandi has created, especially the female lead of Amarynn and Sia, the up and coming young mage and believe there is great promise for the upcoming sequel. (Eileen Tilley)
Overall Star Rating 4.5 Stars: A superbly written fantasy adventure with exciting and credible characters, that are well rounded, with a positive balance of strengths and flaws, that make them interesting and easy for the reader to invest in. The story progresses at a good pace keeping its audience engaged and turning the pages over. With believable dialogue that moves the story forward, and gives a good insight into the characters thoughts and intentions, there is plenty to love in this tale weaved by Author Brandi Schonberg. I really enjoyed reading, The Gate, and found it so easy to form an emotional connection with Amarynn, Venalise, Sia and Regealth. I loved Jael, not just as the romantic interest for Amarynn, but what I feel is to come, as his own gifts and abilities grow stronger. I also have a soft spot for the atranoch creatures, and I am looking forward to seeing what part they play in the next book, and whether more of their backstory will be shared. A great book and I am eager to read the next instalment. (Kirsty McKay)
Book Tour Reviewers
