Gateway Hardcover – October 15, 2009

I haven't read a novel by Sharon Shinn that I didn't enjoy. I started with Dark Moon Defender (one of the Twelve Houses books), and then backtracked through the whole series. Since then, I've read several of her other series. I first borrowed a copy from the library, but enjoyed this story so much, I ended up buying it. Being Asian-American myself, I don't get many chances to ethnically identify with the protagonist. Daiyu was resourceful and relatable, although like any story, it's not perfect - but that doesn't mean I don't love it.The premises of the story really intrigued me. I could hardly imagine what it would be like being part of the majority race. This re-imagining of our country's culture and society was colorful and almost tangible in the way it was constructed and portrayed. It was also kind of scary, because it was like looking at our current society through a different pair of lenses. With so many parallels, it was hard not to notice the divide between races and classes... However, I wish that nuance was explored further through Daiyu's perspective. While her character acknowledges a lot of differences and similarities of geographical landmarks, she doesn't comment much about her identity (how it makes her feel, how it changes, etc). Even the supporting characters state she was chosen to carry out her mission because of her ethnicity and circumstances. I found myself thinking throughout much of the story that had I been in her shoes, I would've had many more conflicting feelings, trying to make sense of things. As a young adult, I wish identity was explored more in popular YA genres.That said, it was a great adventure story with a light romance threaded in. Kalen is a genuinely likable young man, who's also thoughtful and brave. It's no wonder Daiyu got attached to him almost immediately, especially when she finds herself uprooted and thrust headlong into danger. While I'm glad her trust wasn't misplaced, I missed the slow build up of rapport between characters that's more prevalent in some of Shinn's other work (citing dynamics of Senneth/Tayse, Zoe/Darien - working past the initial distrust and dislike made their relationships seem that much more solid).Minor gripes aside, the ending left me wishing there would be a sequel to tie up loose ends! Some supporting characters were very mysterious and only half explored. Would love to see their stories continued and their backgrounds revealed. I also wouldn't say no to seeing more development between Daiyu and Kalen. Overall, Gateway was a quick and memorable read that left me wanting more.

After reading some reviews that were lukewarm on this book of Ms. Shinn's, I was a little hesitant to purchase it on the Kindle, but since it's seldom that I dislike a book by Sharon Shinn, I decided to go ahead and order it on my Kindle, throwing caution to the winds.First, let me mention that, due to earlier reviews, I was expecting an excessive amount of formatting problems/"typos" due to the conversion to Kindle format, but frankly they were far fewer than I had been led to expect, and most were easily-decipherable mash-ups of words, and not frequent enough to be much noticeable to me. Your mileage may vary, as it were.As for the book itself, maybe it was because my expectations were lowered, but frankly, I don't think so. Being a St. Louis native, all of the descriptions of St. Louis settings/events just charmed and delighted me, and I instantly warmed to the main character and her family, a knack of imparting an instant connection that Shinn often has with her character depictions. The young man who was the romantic interest was also instantaneously likable and trustworthy, while Shinn conveyed the heroine's sense of distrust in other characters and her confusion and conflicting feelings regarding the charming villain with her usual deftness. The story was straightforward, yet still filled with the wonderful character-driven complexities and nuances of Shinn's best works. It was such a satisfying read that I was disappointed when it ended and would love to see a sequel.

I should start out by saying that I love Sharon Shinn's novels. Her Samaria Novels and The Twelve Houses Novels are my favorites. When I picked up Gateway I somehow failed to miss the fact that it's a young adult novel. Not that there's anything wrong with young adult novels. I read plenty of them. It's just not what I was expecting when I picked up Gateway. That said, even though it's not what I was expecting, this is an amazing story. I love Daiyu, and her quirky family reminded me of my own family. The descriptions of the worlds and the people were fascinated and rich with a new culture. Kalen and Daiyu stole my heart with their young love and innocence. As a bonus surprise Gateway didn't end the way that I thought it was going to. Usually I can have the ending of a novel figured out about halfway through reading it, and with Gateway I thought that I had. Nope, surprise! This was a delightful, quick read that I highly recommend.If you like this book you may want to read:Archangel by Sharon Shinn (ISBN: 978-0441004324)Abarat by Clive Barker (ISBN: 978-0062094100)[...]

I love (almost) all of Sharon Shinn's novels. To be honest, this one was one of my least favorite, but rereading it lately has changed my mind. One of the many things I love about Shinn's writing is the way she talks about love, and this book is about a love that surpasses literally every obstacle. In a world where hate seems to scream more strongly every day, this was a message that really soaked in to me.