Orson Scott Card’s The Lost Gate is the first book in the Mithermages series from the New York Times bestselling author of Ender’s Game.
Danny North knew from early childhood that his family was different—and that he was different from them. While his cousins were learning how to create the things that commoners called fairies, ghosts, golems, trolls, werewolves, and other such miracles that were the heritage of the North family, Danny worried that he would never show a talent, never form an outself.
He grew up in the rambling old house, filled with dozens of cousins and aunts and uncles, all ruled by his father. Their home was isolated in the mountains of western Virginia, far from town, far from schools, far from other people.
There are many secrets in the House, and many rules that Danny must follow. There is a secret library with only a few dozen books, and none of them in English—but Danny and his cousins are expected to become fluent in the language of the books. While Danny’s cousins are free to create magic whenever they like, they must never do it where outsiders might see.
Unfortunately, there are some secrets kept from Danny as well. And that will lead to disaster for the North family.
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"Danny is one of most interesting, relatable and unpredictable characters I have ever read about. Being able to get inside his head was great, for me this wasn't just a book, it was an experience. Danny, thinking he was a drekka (has no magic affiliation), felt like he didn't belong in the compound like everyone else. But he then finds out he is a gatemage, a strictly prohibited magery. Any gatemage found inside one of the family compounds is to be killed and a body part sent to each family to prove that it was done. Danny even though to himself "I should just fling myself out of this tree and save them the trouble of killing me.". Danny had no choice, he had to run. There hadn't been a gatemage in over 2000 years, not one that lived anyway. But he had to run, he had to get training from someone so he could learn how to open a Great Gate. A Great Gate is a portal to another world, any mage who passed through a Great Gate would come back 1000 times stronger in their magic affiliation. Gate mages were killed because 2000 years ago Loki, a very powerful Gatefather, closed every Great Gate and all mages were cut off from their power. 2000 years later the families are weaker, much weaker. Nobody is permitted to have a gatemage because then they would make a great gate and no other family would be any match for the particular family that got the gatemage. So Danny slowly learns some new skills by himself, but he needed some kind of teacher. He eventually found one of sorts, more of a colleague. He learns all kinds of new tricks, some I'm not going to give away. I though this was one of the best books I have ever read and I plan on reading it multiple more times after this.
Fiction - 14+"
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Derric (5 out of 5 stars)