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**Description Contains Book 2 Spoilers**
Two months have passed since Ember Lyons nearly died killing the powerful Root Demon threatening the Los Angeles Gateway. Physically healed, images of the day still haunt her and she can no longer access the power she once wielded. She can't talk about it with anyone at The Institute--not even her handsome, demon-hunting boyfriend, Taren. Besides there are bigger things to worry about: Gateways around the world are weakening, Keepers' Marks are fading, escaped lesser demons are populating Los Angeles, and it looks like the Root Demon wasn't alone.
When the Institute sends Ember and a team to Europe, she hopes to find answers and security on the journey, but another attempt on her life reminds her she's never really safe.
Then she's thrust together with the mysterious Alexander. Ember can't be sure if this charismatic man is her most formidable enemy or greatest ally. Either way, she needs him, because he's the only one who can bring her to... the Chasm.
**Description Contains Book 2 Spoilers**
Two months have passed since Ember Lyons nearly died killing the powerful Root Demon threatening the Los Angeles Gateway. Physically healed, images of the day still haunt her and she can no longer access the power she once wielded. She can't talk about it with anyone at The Institute--not even her handsome, demon-hunting boyfriend, Taren. Besides there are bigger things to worry about: Gateways around the world are weakening, Keepers' Marks are fading, escaped lesser demons are populating Los Angeles, and it looks like the Root Demon wasn't alone.
When the Institute sends Ember and a team to Europe, she hopes to find answers and security on the journey, but another attempt on her life reminds her she's never really safe.
Then she's thrust together with the mysterious Alexander. Ember can't be sure if this charismatic man is her most formidable enemy or greatest ally. Either way, she needs him, because he's the only one who can bring her to... the Chasm.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2012
56 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Christina Garner
22 books139 followersChristina Garner writes page-turning YA urban fantasy, witchy romance, and paranormal women’s fiction with women owning their power.
When she’s not dreaming up new characters and the worlds they inhabit, you’ll find her traveling, enjoying good food with great friends, and hiking the Hollywood Hills.
When she’s not dreaming up new characters and the worlds they inhabit, you’ll find her traveling, enjoying good food with great friends, and hiking the Hollywood Hills.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 11, 2014
(Read using Kindle Unlimited)
I read this book because I couldn’t bring myself to delete it off my kindle without reading it first. I don’t think it was quite as bad as the first, but I think this author’s writing style just doesn’t work for me.
The storyline in this was a little more interesting than in the previous book, but something about the story just irritated me a bit, and left a bit of a bad taste behind. Again, I think that’s maybe just me though.
One thing I liked about this book – the explanation as to why more Daemons should be allowed through the Gateway to the earth
The ending – massive cliff-hanger
4.5 out of 10
I read this book because I couldn’t bring myself to delete it off my kindle without reading it first. I don’t think it was quite as bad as the first, but I think this author’s writing style just doesn’t work for me.
The storyline in this was a little more interesting than in the previous book, but something about the story just irritated me a bit, and left a bit of a bad taste behind. Again, I think that’s maybe just me though.
One thing I liked about this book – the explanation as to why more Daemons should be allowed through the Gateway to the earth
The ending – massive cliff-hanger
4.5 out of 10
September 22, 2022
This book was surprisingly more exciting than the first book in the series; Gateway. In book one, we learned who's who, and got the plot down, so the author really loaded book two with intrigue, love, and what Ember is really made of. There's some concerning situations which ended in a cliffhanger! It's a good thing book three was available to purchase already. I don't think I would have been able to wait before finding out what's going to happen next.
December 27, 2016
If the prophetic nightmare that's been building in intensity is anything to go by, then Ember's upcoming path as the prophesied one is filled with great pain and suffering. Doubt surely wracks her subconscious mind. Two months ago she found the inner strength and wisdom to do what no other Keeper before her has done. How, or if, she'll find it in her to do so again is undoubtedly one of the fears that lead to the subconscious mind playing out what it deals with on our behalf in her dreamscape. Dr. Meade's ministrations are finally down to removing the last vestiges of the physical consequences her courageous dive into the core of the Root Demon and the abyss of the Gateway caused. But as Ember now moves into the third month since the Gateway was dissolved, in order to be rebuilt properly, the physical might disappear altogether but the psychological is still gripping with teeth and claws.
In many ways it is hard to say if a nightmare is even a dream when its based in actual memories. Worse still, no doubt this thought leads to so many others: for example, how can she not have these nightmares if indeed they're derived from her memories; or, can she ever forget such traumatic experiences given there's every possibility something like them is soon or bound to happen again; and, if the former are 'I don't see how' and 'yes', then will I ever get a peaceful sleep again (to name but a few). The very anxieties that plague Ember's thoughts during the quiet times when there are insufficient distractions to keep her mind from wandering, have almost complete free reign to elucidate themselves when the conscious mind gives up control to the subconscious. I'm certain any mental health professional will be of the opinion that with so many thoughts and emotions embroiled in the conscious and subconscious mind, then its inevitable that the pathway leads to psychological ill health. The very road that set Ember's troubling past events into motion in the first place..
One could only wonder what life will be like when the fantastical is realised as natural, and when they come to know that they're a descendant of a mythical and powerful race; at one time thought to be lost to evolution by the warring between fanatics and those who had no trouble with a world filled with two different kinds of beings. The paranoia and unacceptance of difference by humankind spawns untold and unending death. The hatred of the Daemons exiled knows no bounds. On both sides of the gateways between realms there are those that contribute to the conflicts and there are those that just like to live their lives without being drawn into unnecessary troubles created by people and beings with tunnel vision. As for the demons, once being no different to daemons, they show the evolutionary cost of those consumed by rage and soul deep hate; their exterior bodies twisted and dysmorphic in ways that now reflect the unabated hunger to kill.
What should've been the perfect test case, an example of the consequences of holding on to hatred and the desire to kill those who are different, or any other of the plethora of prejudices, quickly becomes forgotten. Despite the devastating potential, it still fails to halt the pathways to madness, the move away from enlightenment, in the many races that hate and discriminate others dissimilar to themselves to turn away from that which will be their undoing. Not only did the ways the daemons in the alternative realm hold on so fiercely that they became twisted killing machines, their combined hatred reshaped the once beautiful and bountiful world they lived in until it too became shaped in like ways, reshaping a world so twisted that the land itself became as capable of killing as easily as it's inhabitants. That there had been waves of lesser demons escape their world during the time the Gateway was down bodes ill for Earth.
Troubles at other gateways are now compounding the problem exponentially. Adding to Ember's overwhelming fears and worry she has also learnt that other Root Demons exist. There are at least as many Root Demons as there are gateways. That she might be called upon to repeat the hitherto never considered solution to the problem of failing gateways leads her to immense doubt over whether she's willing to repeat her past performance. Still not recuperated fully from her sacrifice its such concerns that, between the long school days and shifts guarding the LA Gatewsy, are among the many considerations plaguing her nightmares. In the unending conflict of the demonic realm, the natural selection of a species constantly in the fight where only the strongest survive, this has resulted of course in the most devasting army of demons being those looking to return to the realm they were ejected from. Should they succeed in breaching another, with so many already roaming and in hiding, the inhabitants of Earth will experience the greatest killing force they're ever likely to encounter.
Ember has now become the first recruit to have made the rank of Keeper before their eighteenth birthday: adding to her other accolades: that of the oldest age without intervention put in place to prevent spiralling into insanity or becoming a Red; and of course being born unmarked but instead seeing/drawing the full gateway symbol she'd had tattoed along the hairline of her neck. I'm sure she would much prefer to be very average and not have any exalted status if it meant the things in her past and those possibilities for her future were to never have been or be, respectively. Having had the Root Demon be the one telepathically communicating with her was a double edged sword.
Yes it reduced the clatter and chatter in her head by not having to experience hundreds of different voices, each vying to out do the others, but it also meant the one single voice she did hear was so much more powerful; out of all the potential voices that might be heard the Root Demons' are amongst the most powerful. The edge of the blade Ember would prefer to deal with is the side with the cacophony of lesser demons. However, I'd be pretty sure that those dealing with this edge would prefer Ember's edge. Its the old adage that we often see our own plight as the one that's worse than any other's. Being part Daemon has, and very likely will further yet, come with certain costs. Any tangible benefits remain elusive as she continues to struggle with accessing the abilities she used that fateful time. The only thing others might see as a benefit, her abilities that allowed her to fight the Root Demon, are a benefit for the world but not something that could be easily seen as one for Ember herself.
As Ember and Gretchen get themselves ready to start a working tour of sorts, the various Gateways they're set to visit have had to step up their own efforts to keep them closed. At the same time both Taren and Ember get set to enjoy a half-day away from the sanctuary to celebrate some semblance of a party for Ember's birthday. Having accepted that somewhere throughout her experiences with Taren she has fallen in love, Ember expectantly awaits Taren's confirmatory declaration, knowing that she too has not yet made the declaration; despite her acceptance that it nonetheless exists. Being on lockdown for her safety and the hall monitor mentality of those in positions of authority at the sanctuary, their relationship on sanctuary grounds has been stifled from any acts of affection. Heart fluttering and breath halting kisses are all they've managed to steal thus far. If not Taren as well, then Ember at the least has high hopes for her birthday date, but having such a large entourage is likely to put a dampener of storts on their intimacy.
Thinking, as she departs in the SUV convoy, that this is going to be the best birthday yet should have in some ways alerted Ember to the rather high likelihood that the opposite might be true instead. The start was as wonderful as she could've hoped. That the convoy was attacked homeward bound is disconcerting if the reason the Reds attacking knew when and where to make their run at capturing Ember involves a leak of information from someone who knew that the outing was occurring. Theoretically its possible to make that deduction, although its not the only possible explanation so I doubt any ground will be gained along that path. It doesn't bode well though for the upcoming worldwide trip to various other gateway locations leaving two days later; which regardless of the latest incident the possibility of a security leak could mean failure or worse, ever before they even set out.
Getting her mother's approval, and even more of a challenge, getting her to hand over her passport, were always going to be difficult bridges to cross. Rachel's current spate of being medicated and thus being in more control of her emotions, thoughts and decision making faculties, is going on strong and is one less worry Ember need consider. The number of times Ember has waited on the metaphorical plateau, waiting for the other shoe or penny to drop, have been incalculable. Even though Ember has kept the majority of the danger she's in from her mother, hoping to stave off the perceived inevitable plummet into another new episode, she sees her mother as being sad and worried, but perhaps more importantly she sees her mother's happiness and pride in her daughter.
Never being the type to lay faults of her own at Ember's feet, Rachel accepts the ways her illness has drastically impacted their lives. Gaining steady and half-decent employment with a steady pattern of keeping up with her bills and her rent-controlled home, necessary for her to be within close enough proximity to visit her daughter frequently is giving Rachel back her pride, in hard fought for step-by-steps. Ember realises shortly before the worldly tour of Gateway sites departs that for the first time she can remember, her mother is legitimately doing well without Ember being there to keep her on target. There's no signs of merely pretending to hold down the fort, or the more common, doing so only because she's riding the wake of a current episodic high. Holstered with this new acceptance, Ember too must acknowledge her pride she feels toward her mother.
Ember knows all to well that the medications helping her mum do more than just stabilise and cut out the destructive lows, also remove in the same way the haloed highs. Subsequently, after a while, sufferers feel the perceived baroness of having no jubilant and ecstatic highs which inevitably lead back to stopping the medications that help to maintain stability in their lives. The sad structure of the cycle of bipolar disorders is that sufferers must sacrifice the overwhelmingly glorious positive emotions, or the highs, in order to stave off the destructive lows, often leaving medicated sufferers to feel a sense of robotic autonomy, lacking in sufficiently positive experiences that otherwise motivate them to stick to the controlled regime. In a first that Ember hasn't had in a really long time, she realises she'll have one less nagging worry when she leaves for the flight to her first pit stop.
As the day arrives to depart Ember suffers nihilistic worries over whether she'd make it back to the LA institute's sanctuary alive, over whether she'd be returning at all. Six to twelve months ago there wouldn't have been any considerations of what would be lost if she perished by others' or her own hand(s). There were no close friends, school was a torment, there was no sense of accomplishment, her mother was only ever leap-frogging from one bad episode to the next, she did not feel desirable to anyone, and she herself had no desires, save perhaps the misconstrued understanding of the Root Demon in her head telling her to commit suicide.
Now that she has things in her life that'd devastate her to loss, Ember begins experiencing flashes of panic. Having more to live for brings a greater sense of fulfillment and joy in one's life, but it concurrently creates more fear of losing those things; the inevitable conundrum of seeking things that enrich our experiences. Despite fears and uncertainties a new drive also builds in their wake, the drive to one day gain enough strength in her skills and bloodline to be able to permanently close the gateways forever; and thus, get back the purpose of her life so that she can decide, without the cares of the world, to do as she pleases with her present and future,
As much as her confinement within the sanctuary's grounds brought with it the sense of being a prisoner, leaving adds feelings of vulnerability and fear, especially given the recent attempts by Reds on her birthday. But given the burden of guilt she feels over the Keeper and Guardian deaths which took place before Ember was able to reconstruct and seal the Gateway, which could lead at any moment to breaches at any of the locations and therefore more innocent deaths, her conscience will not permit her to not do whatever she must to protect her world. For a young woman only just turned seventeen, the weight baring down on her shoulders is immense. For her to function properly and to learn to grow into her abilities soon enough, Ember must learn to partition her grievances lest they swallow her whole, as the last Root Demon did. Never before has the metaphor of diving into the belly of the beast been more literal.
The tour begins but before ever having a chance to see the other Sanctuaries, her party comes under attack. Ember, having come to mistrust any foreign communications she receives telepathically misses the warning signs; as to the actual intent of the sender, or who that is, is as yet unrealised. What is realised is that another player is entering the fray. Telling friend from foe, or from merely those intent on manipulating her becomes the immediate problem to solve. If Ember is to survive the machinations in play, she'll need to quickly discern the loyalties of the parties involved. The inevitable truth that her own Institute contains parties working against the bigger picture, and who would betray their supposed friends and allies, brings with it the realisation that in some ways Ember might be alone in her fight to continue attempts to protect the ones she loves. What is definitely unavoidable is the blatant requirement staring her in the face: in order to proceed in any way at all, Ember must learn how to identify, use and strengthen any abilities open to her because of her daemon heritage. Therein lies one of her current biggest problems of whether she can gain anything from charismatic Alexander; or if she does will the cost be too high.
In many ways, just as Gateway was a book about the lives of people who through no fault of their own experience the devastating consequences of ill psychological health, Chasm too is about psychological health. Indeed its much like the flipside of a coin that determines psychological experiences of the world we live in. As opposed to the heads side of the coin, for argument's sake, which denotes the spiral down to rock bottom, the Chasm - or tails side of the coin - denotes what happens when the spiral is reversed and instead travels up to recovery and moving forward. Ember, the other keepers around the world, Rachel and Gretchen too, have made it through the worst of their experiences and have thus earnt a greater autonomy and potential to not only move on, but to also begin directing the plane instead of it being only on autopilot. Choices now stem from the need to determine where their roads through life need to pass and lead if they're to successfully avoid the heads on their coin. Its about moving on from the painful lessons in life and the decisions needed to avoid facing them again, and/or having the resilience to have the fortitude to prevent them from affecting you in the same ways they previously had.
The originality of the lore within The Gateway Trilogy comes into its own more fully than it had in Gateway, not that in any way Gateway wasn't original itself. The assimilation of psychological ill-health was not only intuitive, it was also groundbreaking in the way it promotes the conceivable imaginings that the fantastical could be natural. Not only that, it also enjoys the distinctions often left unsaid between daemons and demons. Throughout fantasy genres and stories you'd be forgiven for presuming that daemon/demon are no more than slightly different concepts for ultimately the same thing; essentially similar for example as fey/fae/fairy. This trilogy delineates and makes the essential distinctions more important. So its not just the incorporation of psychological illness and disorders into the lore that makes the trilogy so original. With the context and lore now built before the pages of Chasm open, its free to race along in the storyline making up the trilogy.
Anticipation and excitement build from page one and continue throughout. Ember's life and intrinsic characteristics are one of the reasons reading the trilogy is enticing, and now that is consolidated a lot further by the imagined possibilities of where the plot might go. The opening up of the Pandora's Box containing a reality filled with the awareness that the ancient race of powerful beings didn't die out completely or has alternately risen again from the forces of evolution, offers much supposition of what the storyline might hold. Creating a storyline that's captivating entirely for it's own sake to the exclusion of the desirability of the characters isn't a commonly found element, it is exciting furthermore. The characters are captivating so The Gateway Trilogy has it all, a medley of elements to make the experience all the more fulfilling. I predict readers who enjoyed book one will enjoy book two even more. Christina has a great style, intriguing characters and captivating worlds. Five definite stars!
In many ways it is hard to say if a nightmare is even a dream when its based in actual memories. Worse still, no doubt this thought leads to so many others: for example, how can she not have these nightmares if indeed they're derived from her memories; or, can she ever forget such traumatic experiences given there's every possibility something like them is soon or bound to happen again; and, if the former are 'I don't see how' and 'yes', then will I ever get a peaceful sleep again (to name but a few). The very anxieties that plague Ember's thoughts during the quiet times when there are insufficient distractions to keep her mind from wandering, have almost complete free reign to elucidate themselves when the conscious mind gives up control to the subconscious. I'm certain any mental health professional will be of the opinion that with so many thoughts and emotions embroiled in the conscious and subconscious mind, then its inevitable that the pathway leads to psychological ill health. The very road that set Ember's troubling past events into motion in the first place..
One could only wonder what life will be like when the fantastical is realised as natural, and when they come to know that they're a descendant of a mythical and powerful race; at one time thought to be lost to evolution by the warring between fanatics and those who had no trouble with a world filled with two different kinds of beings. The paranoia and unacceptance of difference by humankind spawns untold and unending death. The hatred of the Daemons exiled knows no bounds. On both sides of the gateways between realms there are those that contribute to the conflicts and there are those that just like to live their lives without being drawn into unnecessary troubles created by people and beings with tunnel vision. As for the demons, once being no different to daemons, they show the evolutionary cost of those consumed by rage and soul deep hate; their exterior bodies twisted and dysmorphic in ways that now reflect the unabated hunger to kill.
What should've been the perfect test case, an example of the consequences of holding on to hatred and the desire to kill those who are different, or any other of the plethora of prejudices, quickly becomes forgotten. Despite the devastating potential, it still fails to halt the pathways to madness, the move away from enlightenment, in the many races that hate and discriminate others dissimilar to themselves to turn away from that which will be their undoing. Not only did the ways the daemons in the alternative realm hold on so fiercely that they became twisted killing machines, their combined hatred reshaped the once beautiful and bountiful world they lived in until it too became shaped in like ways, reshaping a world so twisted that the land itself became as capable of killing as easily as it's inhabitants. That there had been waves of lesser demons escape their world during the time the Gateway was down bodes ill for Earth.
Troubles at other gateways are now compounding the problem exponentially. Adding to Ember's overwhelming fears and worry she has also learnt that other Root Demons exist. There are at least as many Root Demons as there are gateways. That she might be called upon to repeat the hitherto never considered solution to the problem of failing gateways leads her to immense doubt over whether she's willing to repeat her past performance. Still not recuperated fully from her sacrifice its such concerns that, between the long school days and shifts guarding the LA Gatewsy, are among the many considerations plaguing her nightmares. In the unending conflict of the demonic realm, the natural selection of a species constantly in the fight where only the strongest survive, this has resulted of course in the most devasting army of demons being those looking to return to the realm they were ejected from. Should they succeed in breaching another, with so many already roaming and in hiding, the inhabitants of Earth will experience the greatest killing force they're ever likely to encounter.
Ember has now become the first recruit to have made the rank of Keeper before their eighteenth birthday: adding to her other accolades: that of the oldest age without intervention put in place to prevent spiralling into insanity or becoming a Red; and of course being born unmarked but instead seeing/drawing the full gateway symbol she'd had tattoed along the hairline of her neck. I'm sure she would much prefer to be very average and not have any exalted status if it meant the things in her past and those possibilities for her future were to never have been or be, respectively. Having had the Root Demon be the one telepathically communicating with her was a double edged sword.
Yes it reduced the clatter and chatter in her head by not having to experience hundreds of different voices, each vying to out do the others, but it also meant the one single voice she did hear was so much more powerful; out of all the potential voices that might be heard the Root Demons' are amongst the most powerful. The edge of the blade Ember would prefer to deal with is the side with the cacophony of lesser demons. However, I'd be pretty sure that those dealing with this edge would prefer Ember's edge. Its the old adage that we often see our own plight as the one that's worse than any other's. Being part Daemon has, and very likely will further yet, come with certain costs. Any tangible benefits remain elusive as she continues to struggle with accessing the abilities she used that fateful time. The only thing others might see as a benefit, her abilities that allowed her to fight the Root Demon, are a benefit for the world but not something that could be easily seen as one for Ember herself.
As Ember and Gretchen get themselves ready to start a working tour of sorts, the various Gateways they're set to visit have had to step up their own efforts to keep them closed. At the same time both Taren and Ember get set to enjoy a half-day away from the sanctuary to celebrate some semblance of a party for Ember's birthday. Having accepted that somewhere throughout her experiences with Taren she has fallen in love, Ember expectantly awaits Taren's confirmatory declaration, knowing that she too has not yet made the declaration; despite her acceptance that it nonetheless exists. Being on lockdown for her safety and the hall monitor mentality of those in positions of authority at the sanctuary, their relationship on sanctuary grounds has been stifled from any acts of affection. Heart fluttering and breath halting kisses are all they've managed to steal thus far. If not Taren as well, then Ember at the least has high hopes for her birthday date, but having such a large entourage is likely to put a dampener of storts on their intimacy.
Thinking, as she departs in the SUV convoy, that this is going to be the best birthday yet should have in some ways alerted Ember to the rather high likelihood that the opposite might be true instead. The start was as wonderful as she could've hoped. That the convoy was attacked homeward bound is disconcerting if the reason the Reds attacking knew when and where to make their run at capturing Ember involves a leak of information from someone who knew that the outing was occurring. Theoretically its possible to make that deduction, although its not the only possible explanation so I doubt any ground will be gained along that path. It doesn't bode well though for the upcoming worldwide trip to various other gateway locations leaving two days later; which regardless of the latest incident the possibility of a security leak could mean failure or worse, ever before they even set out.
Getting her mother's approval, and even more of a challenge, getting her to hand over her passport, were always going to be difficult bridges to cross. Rachel's current spate of being medicated and thus being in more control of her emotions, thoughts and decision making faculties, is going on strong and is one less worry Ember need consider. The number of times Ember has waited on the metaphorical plateau, waiting for the other shoe or penny to drop, have been incalculable. Even though Ember has kept the majority of the danger she's in from her mother, hoping to stave off the perceived inevitable plummet into another new episode, she sees her mother as being sad and worried, but perhaps more importantly she sees her mother's happiness and pride in her daughter.
Never being the type to lay faults of her own at Ember's feet, Rachel accepts the ways her illness has drastically impacted their lives. Gaining steady and half-decent employment with a steady pattern of keeping up with her bills and her rent-controlled home, necessary for her to be within close enough proximity to visit her daughter frequently is giving Rachel back her pride, in hard fought for step-by-steps. Ember realises shortly before the worldly tour of Gateway sites departs that for the first time she can remember, her mother is legitimately doing well without Ember being there to keep her on target. There's no signs of merely pretending to hold down the fort, or the more common, doing so only because she's riding the wake of a current episodic high. Holstered with this new acceptance, Ember too must acknowledge her pride she feels toward her mother.
Ember knows all to well that the medications helping her mum do more than just stabilise and cut out the destructive lows, also remove in the same way the haloed highs. Subsequently, after a while, sufferers feel the perceived baroness of having no jubilant and ecstatic highs which inevitably lead back to stopping the medications that help to maintain stability in their lives. The sad structure of the cycle of bipolar disorders is that sufferers must sacrifice the overwhelmingly glorious positive emotions, or the highs, in order to stave off the destructive lows, often leaving medicated sufferers to feel a sense of robotic autonomy, lacking in sufficiently positive experiences that otherwise motivate them to stick to the controlled regime. In a first that Ember hasn't had in a really long time, she realises she'll have one less nagging worry when she leaves for the flight to her first pit stop.
As the day arrives to depart Ember suffers nihilistic worries over whether she'd make it back to the LA institute's sanctuary alive, over whether she'd be returning at all. Six to twelve months ago there wouldn't have been any considerations of what would be lost if she perished by others' or her own hand(s). There were no close friends, school was a torment, there was no sense of accomplishment, her mother was only ever leap-frogging from one bad episode to the next, she did not feel desirable to anyone, and she herself had no desires, save perhaps the misconstrued understanding of the Root Demon in her head telling her to commit suicide.
Now that she has things in her life that'd devastate her to loss, Ember begins experiencing flashes of panic. Having more to live for brings a greater sense of fulfillment and joy in one's life, but it concurrently creates more fear of losing those things; the inevitable conundrum of seeking things that enrich our experiences. Despite fears and uncertainties a new drive also builds in their wake, the drive to one day gain enough strength in her skills and bloodline to be able to permanently close the gateways forever; and thus, get back the purpose of her life so that she can decide, without the cares of the world, to do as she pleases with her present and future,
As much as her confinement within the sanctuary's grounds brought with it the sense of being a prisoner, leaving adds feelings of vulnerability and fear, especially given the recent attempts by Reds on her birthday. But given the burden of guilt she feels over the Keeper and Guardian deaths which took place before Ember was able to reconstruct and seal the Gateway, which could lead at any moment to breaches at any of the locations and therefore more innocent deaths, her conscience will not permit her to not do whatever she must to protect her world. For a young woman only just turned seventeen, the weight baring down on her shoulders is immense. For her to function properly and to learn to grow into her abilities soon enough, Ember must learn to partition her grievances lest they swallow her whole, as the last Root Demon did. Never before has the metaphor of diving into the belly of the beast been more literal.
The tour begins but before ever having a chance to see the other Sanctuaries, her party comes under attack. Ember, having come to mistrust any foreign communications she receives telepathically misses the warning signs; as to the actual intent of the sender, or who that is, is as yet unrealised. What is realised is that another player is entering the fray. Telling friend from foe, or from merely those intent on manipulating her becomes the immediate problem to solve. If Ember is to survive the machinations in play, she'll need to quickly discern the loyalties of the parties involved. The inevitable truth that her own Institute contains parties working against the bigger picture, and who would betray their supposed friends and allies, brings with it the realisation that in some ways Ember might be alone in her fight to continue attempts to protect the ones she loves. What is definitely unavoidable is the blatant requirement staring her in the face: in order to proceed in any way at all, Ember must learn how to identify, use and strengthen any abilities open to her because of her daemon heritage. Therein lies one of her current biggest problems of whether she can gain anything from charismatic Alexander; or if she does will the cost be too high.
In many ways, just as Gateway was a book about the lives of people who through no fault of their own experience the devastating consequences of ill psychological health, Chasm too is about psychological health. Indeed its much like the flipside of a coin that determines psychological experiences of the world we live in. As opposed to the heads side of the coin, for argument's sake, which denotes the spiral down to rock bottom, the Chasm - or tails side of the coin - denotes what happens when the spiral is reversed and instead travels up to recovery and moving forward. Ember, the other keepers around the world, Rachel and Gretchen too, have made it through the worst of their experiences and have thus earnt a greater autonomy and potential to not only move on, but to also begin directing the plane instead of it being only on autopilot. Choices now stem from the need to determine where their roads through life need to pass and lead if they're to successfully avoid the heads on their coin. Its about moving on from the painful lessons in life and the decisions needed to avoid facing them again, and/or having the resilience to have the fortitude to prevent them from affecting you in the same ways they previously had.
The originality of the lore within The Gateway Trilogy comes into its own more fully than it had in Gateway, not that in any way Gateway wasn't original itself. The assimilation of psychological ill-health was not only intuitive, it was also groundbreaking in the way it promotes the conceivable imaginings that the fantastical could be natural. Not only that, it also enjoys the distinctions often left unsaid between daemons and demons. Throughout fantasy genres and stories you'd be forgiven for presuming that daemon/demon are no more than slightly different concepts for ultimately the same thing; essentially similar for example as fey/fae/fairy. This trilogy delineates and makes the essential distinctions more important. So its not just the incorporation of psychological illness and disorders into the lore that makes the trilogy so original. With the context and lore now built before the pages of Chasm open, its free to race along in the storyline making up the trilogy.
Anticipation and excitement build from page one and continue throughout. Ember's life and intrinsic characteristics are one of the reasons reading the trilogy is enticing, and now that is consolidated a lot further by the imagined possibilities of where the plot might go. The opening up of the Pandora's Box containing a reality filled with the awareness that the ancient race of powerful beings didn't die out completely or has alternately risen again from the forces of evolution, offers much supposition of what the storyline might hold. Creating a storyline that's captivating entirely for it's own sake to the exclusion of the desirability of the characters isn't a commonly found element, it is exciting furthermore. The characters are captivating so The Gateway Trilogy has it all, a medley of elements to make the experience all the more fulfilling. I predict readers who enjoyed book one will enjoy book two even more. Christina has a great style, intriguing characters and captivating worlds. Five definite stars!
August 26, 2023
After surviving her battle with the root demon, Ember has learned a little more about demons and daemons and made some friends. Now she is preparing to travel the world with her boyfriend and his parents to try to close Gateways around the world. But despite her new skills, she finds herself facing unexpected dangers. She may not survive these new dangers unless someone can help her unleash the powers that have lain dormant since her brave and selfish leap to save the world.
This book begins with a major focus on Ember and Karen’s burgeoning relationship, which made me struggle to get into it, but her struggle to discover how to use her powers to save the world kept me chugging along. A few interesting twists throughout made it worth it and I am sure more lie ahead in the next installment.
This book begins with a major focus on Ember and Karen’s burgeoning relationship, which made me struggle to get into it, but her struggle to discover how to use her powers to save the world kept me chugging along. A few interesting twists throughout made it worth it and I am sure more lie ahead in the next installment.
August 18, 2025
Chasm (The Gateway Trilogy Book 2)
Chasm (The Gateway Trilogy Book 2) by Christina Garner ~~ Chasm takes everything I loved about Gateway and turns it up a notch. The stakes are higher, the relationships more complex, and the dangers far more intense. Ember’s growth as a character really shines here — she’s braver, sharper, and more determined, but also facing heartbreaking choices that kept me emotionally invested. The tension between the human and supernatural worlds felt palpable, and there were twists I didn’t see coming. Christina Garner masterfully blends romance, betrayal, and action, making this sequel even more addictive than the first. That ending… wow. It had me gasping and instantly diving into book three. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series. ❤️
Chasm (The Gateway Trilogy Book 2) by Christina Garner ~~ Chasm takes everything I loved about Gateway and turns it up a notch. The stakes are higher, the relationships more complex, and the dangers far more intense. Ember’s growth as a character really shines here — she’s braver, sharper, and more determined, but also facing heartbreaking choices that kept me emotionally invested. The tension between the human and supernatural worlds felt palpable, and there were twists I didn’t see coming. Christina Garner masterfully blends romance, betrayal, and action, making this sequel even more addictive than the first. That ending… wow. It had me gasping and instantly diving into book three. I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read the next in the series. ❤️
March 25, 2020
Fascinating
Ember is a daemon and the only one capable of destroying the Root. She takes out the one in LA and is informed that there are seven more gateways. She and Gretchen will have to secure those. In the way, she is kidnapped by reds and taken to Alexander. What he wants with her series anything she can comprehend.
Will she escape? Will Tarin find her in time?? What happens to the other gates??
Read on my friends....
Ember is a daemon and the only one capable of destroying the Root. She takes out the one in LA and is informed that there are seven more gateways. She and Gretchen will have to secure those. In the way, she is kidnapped by reds and taken to Alexander. What he wants with her series anything she can comprehend.
Will she escape? Will Tarin find her in time?? What happens to the other gates??
Read on my friends....
August 19, 2020
Book 2 in a Daemon-based trilogy
I got the first book as a free e-book. I liked it enough to buy the second, and now the third. I enjoy light fantasy, books that are rooted in our world but with fantastical elements. In this case, we find out early in book one that our protagonist, Ember, is half-daemon. She has some high-level tasks ahead of her. I find the read intriguing and enjoyable.
I got the first book as a free e-book. I liked it enough to buy the second, and now the third. I enjoy light fantasy, books that are rooted in our world but with fantastical elements. In this case, we find out early in book one that our protagonist, Ember, is half-daemon. She has some high-level tasks ahead of her. I find the read intriguing and enjoyable.
February 26, 2019
Absolutely wonderful
Absolutely wonderful. I'm so wrapped up in this trilogy. So full of twist and turns. These characters have an h strong morals. And will power. I love the adventure with this story. I'm so ready to.read Tether book three
Absolutely wonderful. I'm so wrapped up in this trilogy. So full of twist and turns. These characters have an h strong morals. And will power. I love the adventure with this story. I'm so ready to.read Tether book three
June 6, 2020
Captivating
Throughly enjoyed this story. It’s entertaining. Not at all predictable. The ending is a bit of a surprise and a cliffhanger. But in this case I am excited to read the next book.
Throughly enjoyed this story. It’s entertaining. Not at all predictable. The ending is a bit of a surprise and a cliffhanger. But in this case I am excited to read the next book.
February 19, 2019
Thrilling sequel to The Gateway. It was interesting reading how Ember's relationship with Alexander evolves, as does her understanding of her own powers.
March 16, 2019
Better than the first! Very excited to read the last instalment.
April 1, 2019
Living this trilogy
I find myself really enjoying this series. It's different from what I normally read. I can't wait to read the final book in this trilogy. It truly is unique
I find myself really enjoying this series. It's different from what I normally read. I can't wait to read the final book in this trilogy. It truly is unique
April 26, 2020
Brilliant read.
October 2, 2020
This one compared to the first book is even much better.
A lot more gasping and teenage giggles because it’s so darn cheesy! 😅
I did like the fact Ember was able to learn more of her background of being a daemon to control her powers better just the twist at the end is what made it like WOAH lol
A lot more gasping and teenage giggles because it’s so darn cheesy! 😅
I did like the fact Ember was able to learn more of her background of being a daemon to control her powers better just the twist at the end is what made it like WOAH lol
October 19, 2012
http://readtomyhearts.blogspot.com/20...
I really enjoy Ms. Garner's exciting young adult fantasy/paranormal trilogy, The Gateway. If you would like to check out my review of the first book, Gateway, click here.
In this second book, we see that Ember actually has a little more confidence in herself and is a vital part to the Institute in Los Angeles , even if the Elders don't like it.
I like the fact that our main heroine, Ember, has a lot more going on. She isn't the broken fragile girl we meet in the first book, but more sure of herself. This is not to say she still doesn't fear the demons; hell, I don't blame her for still being afraid of something that can take over her mind and freewill like it did. Ember has grown a lot but we can still glimpse that scared little girl too. To me, this makes her more realistic and a lot more likable character.
Speaking of characters, I love all the supporting ones in this story, good and bad. The antagonists are true evil and yet...you can't help but enjoy their view on the world. We have a lot of different types of demons that are explained in this story and it always brings to mind, Supernatural. (I know, I know...I tend to compare books to T.V. shows. Don't judge me.)
Alexander is a mystery, even though I found myself questioning his motives the entire time. He is a charismatic man and you can see potential through his eyes.
Taren is a great YA boyfriend. He is your typical strong, loyal, protective and gorgeous male lead. I think he is good for Ember, especially being the one that found her in the first book.
Ms. Garner does know how to write a steamy sexy scene for YA eyes, just enough "ummph" to make you sweat, yet it doesn't cross the line into no man's land.
The main plot is basically the same as in the first book and at first I thought this would get a little boring but instead Ms. Garner inserted different twists into the book that made it even more exciting. I did feel like some minor plot lines were left unsettled, especially having to do with the marks fading.
I was at times, wanting to scream at Ember to think; actually think about what was happening! But even through this, I still felt this strong connection with Ember and I like her as our female lead.
But my most favorite character in this book? Kat! This girl totally rocks! She is funny, smart, sexy, a kick ass Guardian, and yes...she is snarky!(My coveted word for those I truly treasure)
Oh and of course there is a cliffhanger that will have you pulling your hair out by the roots but I completely understand why it had to happen...but still.
There is a lot of grammatical errors in this story though. I usually try to look past these but there was a few times I got a little distracted by these mistakes. Thankfully, though, the plot is strong enough to keep my interest in this story.
I can't wait till book three when we get to meet Cole, in person, and I have a feeling he will play a major part (and perhaps love interest for one of Ember's shy friends?) in the finality of the Gateways. I just hope he and Taren will get along...
Update: I did find out from the author that the copy I received was more of ARC copy but the final copy that is available for purchase and download is free of these errors. Awesome!
I really enjoy Ms. Garner's exciting young adult fantasy/paranormal trilogy, The Gateway. If you would like to check out my review of the first book, Gateway, click here.
In this second book, we see that Ember actually has a little more confidence in herself and is a vital part to the Institute in Los Angeles , even if the Elders don't like it.
I like the fact that our main heroine, Ember, has a lot more going on. She isn't the broken fragile girl we meet in the first book, but more sure of herself. This is not to say she still doesn't fear the demons; hell, I don't blame her for still being afraid of something that can take over her mind and freewill like it did. Ember has grown a lot but we can still glimpse that scared little girl too. To me, this makes her more realistic and a lot more likable character.
Speaking of characters, I love all the supporting ones in this story, good and bad. The antagonists are true evil and yet...you can't help but enjoy their view on the world. We have a lot of different types of demons that are explained in this story and it always brings to mind, Supernatural. (I know, I know...I tend to compare books to T.V. shows. Don't judge me.)
Alexander is a mystery, even though I found myself questioning his motives the entire time. He is a charismatic man and you can see potential through his eyes.
Taren is a great YA boyfriend. He is your typical strong, loyal, protective and gorgeous male lead. I think he is good for Ember, especially being the one that found her in the first book.
Ms. Garner does know how to write a steamy sexy scene for YA eyes, just enough "ummph" to make you sweat, yet it doesn't cross the line into no man's land.
The main plot is basically the same as in the first book and at first I thought this would get a little boring but instead Ms. Garner inserted different twists into the book that made it even more exciting. I did feel like some minor plot lines were left unsettled, especially having to do with the marks fading.
I was at times, wanting to scream at Ember to think; actually think about what was happening! But even through this, I still felt this strong connection with Ember and I like her as our female lead.
But my most favorite character in this book? Kat! This girl totally rocks! She is funny, smart, sexy, a kick ass Guardian, and yes...she is snarky!(My coveted word for those I truly treasure)
Oh and of course there is a cliffhanger that will have you pulling your hair out by the roots but I completely understand why it had to happen...but still.
There is a lot of grammatical errors in this story though. I usually try to look past these but there was a few times I got a little distracted by these mistakes. Thankfully, though, the plot is strong enough to keep my interest in this story.
I can't wait till book three when we get to meet Cole, in person, and I have a feeling he will play a major part (and perhaps love interest for one of Ember's shy friends?) in the finality of the Gateways. I just hope he and Taren will get along...
Update: I did find out from the author that the copy I received was more of ARC copy but the final copy that is available for purchase and download is free of these errors. Awesome!
March 23, 2015
review also in my blog:
http://licareads.blogspot.com/2015/03...
Ember is plagued with memories of defeating the Root Demon and almost dying in the process. Now she is training how to access the power she used with Master Dogan and Gretchen but she’s not exactly having success. After a birthday party going wrong Ember realizes that she’ll never be safe and that her nightmares are now interfering with her concentration. But while traveling to Italy to help the demon gate there, Ember gets kidnapped and she discovers there’s a island full of daemons that don’t want anything to do with the demon gates.
This book is even more intriguing than the first one. Ember is having all these problem dealing with her recurring memories of the Root Demon she killed and she doesn’t want to share this problem with anyone. Being all busy learning how to access her hidden power and guarding the gate on top of her lessons make Ember too busy to even be around Taren for a few minutes, since he’s always busy patrolling and killing the demons that escaped the gate.
I gotta say that I didn’t know what to think about Alexander, could there be good daemons or was he just manipulating Ember, he did explain a lot of things that not even the institutes knew or they didn’t reveal, and I was in doubt if his intentions were genuine, but there were times that I did feel he was building up Ember trust in him for some reason, and the new voice in Ember’s head kept saying to not trust him and that may be the reason why Ember was so assured to trust Alexander, she didn’t want to obey the intruder in her head.
I was shocked with the ending of this book because I just had to read the last book of the trilogy right away, I think the last one will be the most interesting of the three books.
http://licareads.blogspot.com/2015/03...
Ember is plagued with memories of defeating the Root Demon and almost dying in the process. Now she is training how to access the power she used with Master Dogan and Gretchen but she’s not exactly having success. After a birthday party going wrong Ember realizes that she’ll never be safe and that her nightmares are now interfering with her concentration. But while traveling to Italy to help the demon gate there, Ember gets kidnapped and she discovers there’s a island full of daemons that don’t want anything to do with the demon gates.
This book is even more intriguing than the first one. Ember is having all these problem dealing with her recurring memories of the Root Demon she killed and she doesn’t want to share this problem with anyone. Being all busy learning how to access her hidden power and guarding the gate on top of her lessons make Ember too busy to even be around Taren for a few minutes, since he’s always busy patrolling and killing the demons that escaped the gate.
I gotta say that I didn’t know what to think about Alexander, could there be good daemons or was he just manipulating Ember, he did explain a lot of things that not even the institutes knew or they didn’t reveal, and I was in doubt if his intentions were genuine, but there were times that I did feel he was building up Ember trust in him for some reason, and the new voice in Ember’s head kept saying to not trust him and that may be the reason why Ember was so assured to trust Alexander, she didn’t want to obey the intruder in her head.
I was shocked with the ending of this book because I just had to read the last book of the trilogy right away, I think the last one will be the most interesting of the three books.
September 3, 2012
This book was amazing! I didn't want to put it down once I started reading it.
Chasm begins immediately when Book 1 ends. Ember is dealing with the trauma of killing the Root Demon at her gateway and is getting ready to travel to each gateway. She hasn't left the sanctuary of the Institute until her birthday. Something traumatic happens to her while she's out, yet she still plans on leaving to go overseas to visit the gateways all over the world.
While out traveling, the traumatic event that she barely escapes come to fruition while traveling on a train. The story just gets even better from here! She meets a man who can teach her these things, but can we really trust him? Can she? Does she even have a choice?
Christina Garner takes us on a journey of Ember, trying to discover what she really wants regarding her true nature and how she can access the powers that keep eluding her.
Looking forward to Book 3!!
Chasm begins immediately when Book 1 ends. Ember is dealing with the trauma of killing the Root Demon at her gateway and is getting ready to travel to each gateway. She hasn't left the sanctuary of the Institute until her birthday. Something traumatic happens to her while she's out, yet she still plans on leaving to go overseas to visit the gateways all over the world.
While out traveling, the traumatic event that she barely escapes come to fruition while traveling on a train. The story just gets even better from here! She meets a man who can teach her these things, but can we really trust him? Can she? Does she even have a choice?
Christina Garner takes us on a journey of Ember, trying to discover what she really wants regarding her true nature and how she can access the powers that keep eluding her.
Looking forward to Book 3!!
March 6, 2013
I have been waiting for this book since I finished The Gateway.
Once again the characters were all well developed. We got to know Ember even better. She has grown as a person and as a character. I love Kat. She is so funny and totally kick ass. Taren is great! He is super strong and protective. Alexander is a new addition to the story. I didn't like him from the beginning. My gut was sending major warnings. Oh and there major warnings. Oh and there is Cole. I'm not sure what to think about him but I can't wait to learn more about him.
The plot was interesting and definitely kept my attention the entire time. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. You will not want to put this book down. I do have to warn you it ends with a major cliff hanger that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Once again the characters were all well developed. We got to know Ember even better. She has grown as a person and as a character. I love Kat. She is so funny and totally kick ass. Taren is great! He is super strong and protective. Alexander is a new addition to the story. I didn't like him from the beginning. My gut was sending major warnings. Oh and there major warnings. Oh and there is Cole. I'm not sure what to think about him but I can't wait to learn more about him.
The plot was interesting and definitely kept my attention the entire time. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. You will not want to put this book down. I do have to warn you it ends with a major cliff hanger that will have you on the edge of your seat.
July 8, 2013
This was a great sequel to Gateway- with the fantastic characterization and balanced story line following through to this second novel. The story is fast-paced, exciting, and surprising. Although different, I almost liked this book more than the first, the continuation of the story being more interesting, and the focus being more on the storyline as the characters were already known. Altogether, I feel that this is a great mid-point in the trilogy, and I can't wait to see what will happen in the final segment.
July 29, 2016
This one was every bit as exciting as the first. The characters were developed even more, and I loved that. I loved Taren and Ember, and was excited to see their relationship develop more. I went back and forth on Alexander, and that for me is the mark of a good writer, that I couldn't decide if I liked him or hated him. And even though I usually hate cliffhangers, this one was needed and has me biting my nails to know what happens next!
January 19, 2013
This book made me insane! I loved it! We're watching a teenager be.... A teenager! She's naive, emotional, confused, scared...all while I'm reading fast, flipping pages and thinking "no! Don't listen! Stop! Ugh Ember, come on! Yes! Thats it! wow! Good job!" Watching her find self awareness and doing what she knows is right! Making her own decisions based on her own morals and gut feelings. A real turning point in her self. Book 3....I'm waiting!
April 25, 2015
The story picks up 2 months later with Ember still living at the institute. This was another quick read- because of the length in general but also because you wanted to read faster to see what happens next. Two new characters are introduced- Alexander and Cole. In addition to everything else going on, Ember now gets to deal with another gate, more voices, and Institute power and control. This was a great sequel to the first book. If you liked the first book then you will like this one as well.
December 27, 2016
Having only read Gateway by Christina Garner I had high expectations, the book continues seamlessly from Gateway. Garner jumps right into it in the beginning of the book. I need to buy the next book so I can continue reading about these characters & this story line.
February 28, 2014
This one is even better than the first, and leaves me wanting the third one so bad!! :)
Read
June 22, 2015I enjoyed this book, it was pretty entertaining and interesting.
July 15, 2016
Chasm
Great storyline and unique characters, great reading for young adults and adults. I love the world the author has created. I'm ready to read the next in series.
Great storyline and unique characters, great reading for young adults and adults. I love the world the author has created. I'm ready to read the next in series.
August 23, 2016
Great read
I really enjoyed reading this book. Couldnt wait to see what would happen next! Looking forward to reading the next book
I really enjoyed reading this book. Couldnt wait to see what would happen next! Looking forward to reading the next book
April 21, 2017
Surprisingly quite the page turner!
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