What do you think?
Rate this book
The Spirit Gate
The magic of Polia is broken, the delicate connection between its male and female elements, sundered. Blame for this and other calamities both natural and political has long been laid at the feet of the White Mothers-rare adepts who can handle both male and female elements. The young widow, Kassia Telek, is one such woman. Barred from the legitimate use of her talents, she peddles herbs in the town square to feed herself and her son, Beyla . . . until, one day, she comes to the attention of Master Lukasha, head of Polia's foremost center of arcane learning.
Lukasha sees in the young widow a chance to mend his broken and besieged land and save Polia's king from the necessity of a disastrous political marriage to a daughter of the Frankish Empire. It seems his dearest hopes will be realized when Kassia's native curiosity and talent lead her to discover a trove of hidden knowledge. But Kassia gradually discovers that not everything that can be known should be known. The magic to which she holds the key, thrusts her into a battle with forces that can save Polia from its enemies or destroy everything she holds dear.
Lukasha sees in the young widow a chance to mend his broken and besieged land and save Polia's king from the necessity of a disastrous political marriage to a daughter of the Frankish Empire. It seems his dearest hopes will be realized when Kassia's native curiosity and talent lead her to discover a trove of hidden knowledge. But Kassia gradually discovers that not everything that can be known should be known. The magic to which she holds the key, thrusts her into a battle with forces that can save Polia from its enemies or destroy everything she holds dear.
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
2 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff
62 books73 followersMaya’s addicted to speculative fiction. For this, she blames her dad and Ray Bradbury. She’s authored eight novels of speculative fiction, short fiction that’s appeared in Analog, Amazing Stories, Interzone, and others, and has been short-listed for the Nebula, Sidewise, and British SF awards. She and writing partner Michael Reaves are responsible for the 2013 New York Times Bestseller STAR WARS LEGENDS: THE LAST JEDI.
Her newest novel is THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER, a Gina Miyoko Mystery
Maya is half of Maya & Jeff, a Pegasus Award-winning musical duo. They’ve collaborated on three amazing children and live in San Jose. You can read/listen to Maya’s work at www.bookviewcafe,com or www.mayabohnhoff.com and buy her books at Book View Café, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, CD Baby and iTunes.
Her newest novel is THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER, a Gina Miyoko Mystery
Maya is half of Maya & Jeff, a Pegasus Award-winning musical duo. They’ve collaborated on three amazing children and live in San Jose. You can read/listen to Maya’s work at www.bookviewcafe,com or www.mayabohnhoff.com and buy her books at Book View Café, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, CD Baby and iTunes.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 9, 2016
This book was certainly interesting and different. For one, it has a single mom as a main character. That's not often seen in fantasy. One of its themes is the treatment of women, and especially powerful women, because Kassia is rediscovering her kind of magic, which hasn't worked for tens of years, at an alarming rate. Kassia's mentor is all for it, but there is plenty of discouragement from other quarters. Another theme is Christian vs. pagans. I can't say that's my favorite theme in the world, but The spirit game does have an interesting take on it. I guess the whole struggle is not that new (well, perhaps the fact that the christian party is ), but the interesting part is that both the christian guy and the pagan guy are It can be a bit frustrating that Kassia is blind to the faults of her mentor at first. Quite frankly, the fact that he puts up with Damek in any way (his assistant who has a grudge against Kassia and is vindictive and spiteful) and only smiles at his more serious transgressions shows to me that there is something fundamentally wrong with him. Some of the things Damek does are completely unacceptable in anyone (), let alone in a trusted helper.
I was very happy that Kassia was adult enough not to , because that would have spoiled the whole book. She relies on her master a bit too much, but she has spunk and she follows her own heart. Her relationship is one of equals, and although it doesn't get much page time, she also has a few female friends. Admittedly, none have her magic, but they are not pushovers either.
Overall, the pacing is slow, which I really liked in the beginning, but I was getting a bit bored halfway through. Or perhaps impatient is a better word. It might have gotten 4 stars from me otherwise, but I think 3.5 is better now, and I'm not rounding that up.
I was very happy that Kassia was adult enough not to , because that would have spoiled the whole book. She relies on her master a bit too much, but she has spunk and she follows her own heart. Her relationship is one of equals, and although it doesn't get much page time, she also has a few female friends. Admittedly, none have her magic, but they are not pushovers either.
Overall, the pacing is slow, which I really liked in the beginning, but I was getting a bit bored halfway through. Or perhaps impatient is a better word. It might have gotten 4 stars from me otherwise, but I think 3.5 is better now, and I'm not rounding that up.
November 25, 2018
Boring. The heroine sails through all challenges without any problems. Issues that arise are basically resolved on the next page by the brave heroine who never ever makes a mistake of any consequence. Perfect Heroes without faults are simply boring.
One additional point for a very mildly surprising plot twist in the last third when the heroine is actually guilty of an error of judgement (which of course turns out to be not an error but another opportunity to prove how perfect she is)
One additional point for a very mildly surprising plot twist in the last third when the heroine is actually guilty of an error of judgement (which of course turns out to be not an error but another opportunity to prove how perfect she is)
January 18, 2015
I won this book through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program and the ebook was sent to me via Book View Cafe. Thank you!
So I was unsure of this book at first because it's genre is speculative fiction and I've never read that subcategory of fiction. Let's just say I was not disappointed.
Summary from Amazon: “Blamed along with the other witches of the mountain for everything that goes wrong in the kingdom of Dalibor, the widow Kassia finds a chance for escape from Master Sorcerer Lukusha at his school of arcane learning.”
This story had me captive since the the very first page. I loved the whole story, mainly:
1. The characters.
I think Beyla is adorable. I shipped Zakarij with Kassia since we first meet him. They're so cute!! During some points of the story I felt a little dislike for Master Lukasha. The way he got really passionate about Kassia's shai magic made me uneasy and I guess that passion was what doomed him. As Shagtai said: “He is a man driven by his past.” I still felt sorry for him though. Throughout the book, Kassia is blamed for a myriad of calamities, has lost loved ones, and been betrayed. Despite that, she still maintains a clear head and doesn't let her anger or fear overtake her. Kassia is definitely my favorite character.
2. The plot.
There's just the right amount of action and suspense to keep you on your toes, but without overdoing it. A deep secret that can destroy Polia is dug out by Kassia and she has to fix her mistake. In my opinion, the main moral of this book is that everyone has a fatal flaw that can lead to their doom. Marija and Kassia's curiosity. Master Lukasha's passion. Damek's blind faith in his master. Michal Zelimir's trust. They all caused an amount of damage. Very well thought out plot!
3. The writing.
Maya's writing is so beautiful! The way she describe colors is breathtaking. There are thought-invoking quotes and clear descriptions. The romance in this book is so indescribably well-written. I'd love to read more of that writing style.
OVERALL: Captivating story with a beautiful writing style and likable characters. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes eloquent and brilliant stories.
So I was unsure of this book at first because it's genre is speculative fiction and I've never read that subcategory of fiction. Let's just say I was not disappointed.
Summary from Amazon: “Blamed along with the other witches of the mountain for everything that goes wrong in the kingdom of Dalibor, the widow Kassia finds a chance for escape from Master Sorcerer Lukusha at his school of arcane learning.”
This story had me captive since the the very first page. I loved the whole story, mainly:
1. The characters.
I think Beyla is adorable. I shipped Zakarij with Kassia since we first meet him. They're so cute!! During some points of the story I felt a little dislike for Master Lukasha. The way he got really passionate about Kassia's shai magic made me uneasy and I guess that passion was what doomed him. As Shagtai said: “He is a man driven by his past.” I still felt sorry for him though. Throughout the book, Kassia is blamed for a myriad of calamities, has lost loved ones, and been betrayed. Despite that, she still maintains a clear head and doesn't let her anger or fear overtake her. Kassia is definitely my favorite character.
2. The plot.
There's just the right amount of action and suspense to keep you on your toes, but without overdoing it. A deep secret that can destroy Polia is dug out by Kassia and she has to fix her mistake. In my opinion, the main moral of this book is that everyone has a fatal flaw that can lead to their doom. Marija and Kassia's curiosity. Master Lukasha's passion. Damek's blind faith in his master. Michal Zelimir's trust. They all caused an amount of damage. Very well thought out plot!
3. The writing.
Maya's writing is so beautiful! The way she describe colors is breathtaking. There are thought-invoking quotes and clear descriptions. The romance in this book is so indescribably well-written. I'd love to read more of that writing style.
OVERALL: Captivating story with a beautiful writing style and likable characters. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes eloquent and brilliant stories.
July 10, 2015
This is one of my favorite books of all time.
In Dark Ages Poland, a young woman named Kassia becomes the first 'shai' (a woman born with the mark of the Goddess) in generations to formally study magic. In a country struggling to heal from their long occupation by foreign conquerors who hated every native magic, she struggles with understanding her own power, facing the discrimination against her kind and gender, and in discovering the lost knowledge of shai ways.
The heroine Kassia, is refreshing. While still young (in her early 20's), she is an orphan, a widow, and the mother of six year old boy. This adds a level of maturity to her character that is often lacking. She has no interest in getting embroiled in the politics of the realm, or of falling in love with the handsome king. She wants to study magic and to serve her God and Goddess, and her country with that knowledge.
The magic of this world is probably my favorite thing about it. There is a strong (but not absolute) gender division. Male magic users - Mateu - serve the God, using the elements water and air. Aeromancy is formulaic - add this element, subtract this one, invoke this spirit - almost a series of equations to memorize and master. Very little inborn talent is needed, simply study and dedication. There are very specific levels of power and priesthood to graduate through. It is very much a 'magic of the mind'.
In contrast, the female magic user is shai - born with her powers, almost always inherited from her mother and grandmother. The Goddess presides over earth, fire, and "the things unseen". A shai's study involves just a much meditation, prayer and soul searching as learning from a teacher or book. Geomancy is instinctive, wild, and contradictory. There are no "levels" or "masters" - it is an organic, whole person study that requires the understanding of the spell in your very soul.
Finally, several characters deal with a very difficult question: It is wrong to stand by and do nothing when great evil occurs, but how far can you go to stop it? At what point does the great evil no longer outweigh the smaller one you are committing to stop it? Can evil ever be justified, even to stop a greater evil?
In Dark Ages Poland, a young woman named Kassia becomes the first 'shai' (a woman born with the mark of the Goddess) in generations to formally study magic. In a country struggling to heal from their long occupation by foreign conquerors who hated every native magic, she struggles with understanding her own power, facing the discrimination against her kind and gender, and in discovering the lost knowledge of shai ways.
The heroine Kassia, is refreshing. While still young (in her early 20's), she is an orphan, a widow, and the mother of six year old boy. This adds a level of maturity to her character that is often lacking. She has no interest in getting embroiled in the politics of the realm, or of falling in love with the handsome king. She wants to study magic and to serve her God and Goddess, and her country with that knowledge.
The magic of this world is probably my favorite thing about it. There is a strong (but not absolute) gender division. Male magic users - Mateu - serve the God, using the elements water and air. Aeromancy is formulaic - add this element, subtract this one, invoke this spirit - almost a series of equations to memorize and master. Very little inborn talent is needed, simply study and dedication. There are very specific levels of power and priesthood to graduate through. It is very much a 'magic of the mind'.
In contrast, the female magic user is shai - born with her powers, almost always inherited from her mother and grandmother. The Goddess presides over earth, fire, and "the things unseen". A shai's study involves just a much meditation, prayer and soul searching as learning from a teacher or book. Geomancy is instinctive, wild, and contradictory. There are no "levels" or "masters" - it is an organic, whole person study that requires the understanding of the spell in your very soul.
Finally, several characters deal with a very difficult question: It is wrong to stand by and do nothing when great evil occurs, but how far can you go to stop it? At what point does the great evil no longer outweigh the smaller one you are committing to stop it? Can evil ever be justified, even to stop a greater evil?
April 6, 2015
Received from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program
This book was on the more "meh" end of my fantasy preferences—there was enough strange alternate history droppings to be kind of obnoxious, and enough changes to the history to make me think it was probably trying to be more high fantasy than anything else.
...But now I'm not sure.
It was difficult to keep track of the names even as I got to be halfway through the book, and I really had trouble connecting with the characters. The writing is super stilted and really unnatural-sounding, as if the writer thought, "Ah, I will write a fantasy novel, so I must use my fantasy voice!" (which, unfortunately, is not uncommon). This could have been a really compelling book—I enjoyed this take on a magic system, and the characters seemed like you could probably like them well enough, but they were extremely two-dimensional.
I was also not a super huge fan of the "maybe it's alternate history" line; I'd rather it be obvious whether I'm reading an alternate history as opposed to a fantasy novel. I was inclined to think it was just "straight up" fantasy, but there are aspects that are clearly taken from actual history with the names changed a little bit, which strikes me as a little bit lazy (are we in an alternate-universe Poland? Why don't we just call everything by their Polish names, then? Why bother "fantasy-izing" all of the names?).
I'm glad this book seems to be a one-off and not part of a series (though that's certainly left open at the end). Thinking of a trilogy with books like this one... seems tedious.
This book was on the more "meh" end of my fantasy preferences—there was enough strange alternate history droppings to be kind of obnoxious, and enough changes to the history to make me think it was probably trying to be more high fantasy than anything else.
...But now I'm not sure.
It was difficult to keep track of the names even as I got to be halfway through the book, and I really had trouble connecting with the characters. The writing is super stilted and really unnatural-sounding, as if the writer thought, "Ah, I will write a fantasy novel, so I must use my fantasy voice!" (which, unfortunately, is not uncommon). This could have been a really compelling book—I enjoyed this take on a magic system, and the characters seemed like you could probably like them well enough, but they were extremely two-dimensional.
I was also not a super huge fan of the "maybe it's alternate history" line; I'd rather it be obvious whether I'm reading an alternate history as opposed to a fantasy novel. I was inclined to think it was just "straight up" fantasy, but there are aspects that are clearly taken from actual history with the names changed a little bit, which strikes me as a little bit lazy (are we in an alternate-universe Poland? Why don't we just call everything by their Polish names, then? Why bother "fantasy-izing" all of the names?).
I'm glad this book seems to be a one-off and not part of a series (though that's certainly left open at the end). Thinking of a trilogy with books like this one... seems tedious.
April 29, 2015
Quick paced story, interesting weaving of historical fiction with fantasy.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews