What do you think?
Rate this book
P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy #3
Open Gates
P.J. Stone gets the answers to all her questions, but will she be able to handle the truth?
Bryn is gone, Jenna isn’t herself, and the world has been taken over by the alien Riders. The only constant in P.J.’s life is Khol, but even he might not be able to help pick up the shattered pieces of her existence. Will P.J. be strong enough to face her destiny when the time comes? Or will she lose everything, herself included?
Bryn is gone, Jenna isn’t herself, and the world has been taken over by the alien Riders. The only constant in P.J.’s life is Khol, but even he might not be able to help pick up the shattered pieces of her existence. Will P.J. be strong enough to face her destiny when the time comes? Or will she lose everything, herself included?
268 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2013
166 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 11, 2015
Well I'm not going to break tradition now. I fully intend to give every single one of my books a 5 star rating. Especially because I keep hearing how authors shouldn't do it... Shouldn't? Says who??? It kind of makes me want to do it more. Heh. ;)
April 11, 2013
****Spoilers***** Sorry, had to bitch it out!****Spoilers*****
****Spoilers*********Spoilers*********Spoilers*********Spoilers*****
While I’m writing this, I have tears pouring down my face. I’ve always has a huge fear of series endings. What if it doesn’t live up to the others? What if I don’t like the ending? So much runs through my mind before starting that last book. I can honestly say that this series takes the cake for my top series ever read. Open Gates just tore my heart wide open.
My heart was still broken when I started this book. I couldn’t believe Bryn was gone! It was like book one was Team Bryn, book 2 Bryn and Khol, and book three was pretty much Team Khol. I kept thinking..maybe hoping..that by some fucked up form of Dragon magic that Bryn would come back. I waited and waited to no avail.
But then you get to see the softer side of Khol. I couldn’t help but fall for him in book two and book 3 sealed my fate. I’m completely in love with a fictional character. Bryn who?? SIKE. I still love him but Khol so much more. Why the fuck am I still crying?! I thought for sure that shit was over and PJ would be stuck alone. That ending was DYNAMITE!! Fireworks, crack cocaine or whatever gets your rocks off but this book rocked my socks off. I can’t even breathe! I’m so happy and so sad. I can’t make up my mind. I want to kiss the author and strangle her simultaneously. I love her!! I want to have her babies. No homo.
D.T. Dyllin sure knows how to spin a story. I’m so glad that PJ FINALLY stopped being such a pain in the ass. I still love her though. She reminds me a lot of me :) I still can’t find the words to tell you all how absolutely amazing this series is. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles. I find there is always something clearly better than the other suitor. These lines were blurred to shit and it had me reeling. Goddamn, I’m going to miss all of these characters. I’ve grown to love every single one of them. I’m going to go back to bawling my eyes out now. I’ll definitely be coming back to update this when I can breathe and see clearly.
****Spoilers*********Spoilers*********Spoilers*********Spoilers*****
While I’m writing this, I have tears pouring down my face. I’ve always has a huge fear of series endings. What if it doesn’t live up to the others? What if I don’t like the ending? So much runs through my mind before starting that last book. I can honestly say that this series takes the cake for my top series ever read. Open Gates just tore my heart wide open.
My heart was still broken when I started this book. I couldn’t believe Bryn was gone! It was like book one was Team Bryn, book 2 Bryn and Khol, and book three was pretty much Team Khol. I kept thinking..maybe hoping..that by some fucked up form of Dragon magic that Bryn would come back. I waited and waited to no avail.
But then you get to see the softer side of Khol. I couldn’t help but fall for him in book two and book 3 sealed my fate. I’m completely in love with a fictional character. Bryn who?? SIKE. I still love him but Khol so much more. Why the fuck am I still crying?! I thought for sure that shit was over and PJ would be stuck alone. That ending was DYNAMITE!! Fireworks, crack cocaine or whatever gets your rocks off but this book rocked my socks off. I can’t even breathe! I’m so happy and so sad. I can’t make up my mind. I want to kiss the author and strangle her simultaneously. I love her!! I want to have her babies. No homo.
D.T. Dyllin sure knows how to spin a story. I’m so glad that PJ FINALLY stopped being such a pain in the ass. I still love her though. She reminds me a lot of me :) I still can’t find the words to tell you all how absolutely amazing this series is. I’m not a huge fan of love triangles. I find there is always something clearly better than the other suitor. These lines were blurred to shit and it had me reeling. Goddamn, I’m going to miss all of these characters. I’ve grown to love every single one of them. I’m going to go back to bawling my eyes out now. I’ll definitely be coming back to update this when I can breathe and see clearly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2013
It's so hard to review this book without giving anything away. There is so much that happens in the last book that to give my thoughts on certain things that happened in Open Gates would spoil huge moments from Broken Gates.
One thing I want to say is that I'm glad to see that P.J has matured some. In the first book she was really started to get on my nerves. She was all over the place and I felt like someone needed to shake some sense into her. By the end of the trilogy, she seemed to have gained some self dependency. She makes a huge decision that is really a self sacrifice on her part, and that decision is what made her mature in my eyes.
There was quite a bit of reminiscing in this book. However, you cannot simply jump into the middle of the story and know exactly what's going on. You've got to read it from start to finish in order to really grasp the characters. Otherwise you may find P.J. to be a flaky nympho, Jenna to be nuts and Khol to be possessively manipulative. No, you have got to start the series from the beginning to understand everything that's going on. There are reasons as to why the characters act the way that they do, and it all ties together in the story.
I liked that there were new characters introduced in this story. Even though the story was wrapping up, D.T. still managed to keep everything fresh and leave the reader guessing as to what was going to happen next. I can honestly say that the way she tied everything together and ended the story was never even a possibility in my mind.
The romance in this story was sweet. P.J is still torn between Khol and Bryn but Khol really steps up and shows his softer side to P.J. Even though I'm still a Bryn girl, I will admit, that I started to soften towards Khol. You can tell that he really does care for P.J. and just wants to see her happy.
"If you were anyone but you, I would never have fallen in love with you. And of course, you hurt me... that's what you do because you're young, and impulsive, and you're always following your heart. I just keep hoping that one day your heart will lead you to me. Just like mine led me to you."
However, I took a star away simply because at times I totally forgot about the aliens taking over the world. The story would focus so much on P.J. and Khol and how they were in their own little bubble that the aliens took the backseat. And with the story coming to a close, I really felt like the huge crisis that started it all seemed to fizzle out.
I'm really sad to see the series end and even though there isn't really closure at the end of the story for all of the characters, I still loved the ending. I look forward to what D.T. cranks out next.
Favorite quote...
"-he is my soul-and always will be-even after all others turn to dust." -P.J.
One thing I want to say is that I'm glad to see that P.J has matured some. In the first book she was really started to get on my nerves. She was all over the place and I felt like someone needed to shake some sense into her. By the end of the trilogy, she seemed to have gained some self dependency. She makes a huge decision that is really a self sacrifice on her part, and that decision is what made her mature in my eyes.
There was quite a bit of reminiscing in this book. However, you cannot simply jump into the middle of the story and know exactly what's going on. You've got to read it from start to finish in order to really grasp the characters. Otherwise you may find P.J. to be a flaky nympho, Jenna to be nuts and Khol to be possessively manipulative. No, you have got to start the series from the beginning to understand everything that's going on. There are reasons as to why the characters act the way that they do, and it all ties together in the story.
I liked that there were new characters introduced in this story. Even though the story was wrapping up, D.T. still managed to keep everything fresh and leave the reader guessing as to what was going to happen next. I can honestly say that the way she tied everything together and ended the story was never even a possibility in my mind.
The romance in this story was sweet. P.J is still torn between Khol and Bryn but Khol really steps up and shows his softer side to P.J. Even though I'm still a Bryn girl, I will admit, that I started to soften towards Khol. You can tell that he really does care for P.J. and just wants to see her happy.
"If you were anyone but you, I would never have fallen in love with you. And of course, you hurt me... that's what you do because you're young, and impulsive, and you're always following your heart. I just keep hoping that one day your heart will lead you to me. Just like mine led me to you."
However, I took a star away simply because at times I totally forgot about the aliens taking over the world. The story would focus so much on P.J. and Khol and how they were in their own little bubble that the aliens took the backseat. And with the story coming to a close, I really felt like the huge crisis that started it all seemed to fizzle out.
I'm really sad to see the series end and even though there isn't really closure at the end of the story for all of the characters, I still loved the ending. I look forward to what D.T. cranks out next.
Favorite quote...
"-he is my soul-and always will be-even after all others turn to dust." -P.J.
August 22, 2014
*I received a free copy of this book from the amazing Dara for beta reading. Thanks hun!*
So... It's over now... This trilogy is over...
This is the third and last part of the PJ Stone Gates Trilogy and it has been a hell of a ride. Love, friendship, magic, mystery, dragons, gatekeepers, guardians, seers, speakers and unexpected twists. And this is the last part. It answers all the questions we had, gives us new ones and answers those too. It's a perfect conclusion to a perfect story.
It starts of almost immediately after the last book ended and as usual, it doesn't build slowly. One of the things I love about Dara's writing. I loved everything about this book. I was on the edge of my seat clinging to my eReader when I came to the twists at the end. But when it was over and I 'turned' the last page, I couldn't have wished for a better ending. Awesome Dara!
Now the characters. PJ has grown a lot since the start of the first book. She's strong, loving, caring,... but not perfect though. She has her issues and works on them, but it's not always that easy for her. Plus other people tend to expect a lot from her, which makes it even harder. BUT she ends up being a very very KICKASS HEROINE. Oh yeah.
I still loved the other characters from the other books. Jenna, Jeremy, Macon,... And the new characters introduced in this book are also awesome. Except for Lorik. I hate him. And I don't trust Zen either... But I adore Morag! She's awesome.
Now Khol... I have a love/hate relationship with him. I loved him in the beginning, but when I came to a certain part in the book I was angry at him but some chapters later I loved him again, so yeah. I want my own Khol. Like now.
So Dara, there you have it. This is an awesome book, just as all the other ones you wrote and I can't wait to read more from you. I love you and thank you so much again for giving me a beta copy of this book and all the other things you've done to help me. You're an incredibly talented writer and a great friend.
---
This review will be up on my blog as soon as the cover is released.
---
So... It's over now... This trilogy is over...
...because everything I'd ever done had been for him... and it always would be... Always.
This is the third and last part of the PJ Stone Gates Trilogy and it has been a hell of a ride. Love, friendship, magic, mystery, dragons, gatekeepers, guardians, seers, speakers and unexpected twists. And this is the last part. It answers all the questions we had, gives us new ones and answers those too. It's a perfect conclusion to a perfect story.
It starts of almost immediately after the last book ended and as usual, it doesn't build slowly. One of the things I love about Dara's writing. I loved everything about this book. I was on the edge of my seat clinging to my eReader when I came to the twists at the end. But when it was over and I 'turned' the last page, I couldn't have wished for a better ending. Awesome Dara!
But then again... love makes us all do stupid things sometimes... even us dragons.
Now the characters. PJ has grown a lot since the start of the first book. She's strong, loving, caring,... but not perfect though. She has her issues and works on them, but it's not always that easy for her. Plus other people tend to expect a lot from her, which makes it even harder. BUT she ends up being a very very KICKASS HEROINE. Oh yeah.
I still loved the other characters from the other books. Jenna, Jeremy, Macon,... And the new characters introduced in this book are also awesome. Except for Lorik. I hate him. And I don't trust Zen either... But I adore Morag! She's awesome.
Now Khol... I have a love/hate relationship with him. I loved him in the beginning, but when I came to a certain part in the book I was angry at him but some chapters later I loved him again, so yeah. I want my own Khol. Like now.
"I don't want you to love me the way you did him. What you shared with Bryn was fleeting, like a shooting star streaking across the sky, hot and bright but gone too soon. I want our love to be like the sun itself."
So Dara, there you have it. This is an awesome book, just as all the other ones you wrote and I can't wait to read more from you. I love you and thank you so much again for giving me a beta copy of this book and all the other things you've done to help me. You're an incredibly talented writer and a great friend.
---
This review will be up on my blog as soon as the cover is released.
---
April 14, 2013
SPOILERS. SPOILERS. SPOILERS. AND MORE SPOILERS.
Okay - I've been lucky enough to beta read for Broken Gates and now the last book in the series, Open Gates.
In the end, I was one giant blubbering mess of emotions. I felt like my DT ripped my heart out, healed it, squeezed it and held it in limbo, and then stitched it all back together so it could heal. This book has it all - Adventure, new characters, love, heartbreak, sexy steamy scenes, friendship, and even moments where you want to throw the book against the wall because you don't want to face the reality of what happens next.
I think that's what makes this series so awesome. You struggle with PJ through everything. You are confused just like her. You feel all her emotions. You become PJ while you take in every word. I'm so sad to shut the book on these characters, but I knew they won't be far behind! This is a series I will re-read many times!
Okay - I've been lucky enough to beta read for Broken Gates and now the last book in the series, Open Gates.
In the end, I was one giant blubbering mess of emotions. I felt like my DT ripped my heart out, healed it, squeezed it and held it in limbo, and then stitched it all back together so it could heal. This book has it all - Adventure, new characters, love, heartbreak, sexy steamy scenes, friendship, and even moments where you want to throw the book against the wall because you don't want to face the reality of what happens next.
I think that's what makes this series so awesome. You struggle with PJ through everything. You are confused just like her. You feel all her emotions. You become PJ while you take in every word. I'm so sad to shut the book on these characters, but I knew they won't be far behind! This is a series I will re-read many times!
September 30, 2018
Spoiler Alert** I don't like the way it ended. What's the point of the whole series if the end of the book starts over again. I feel like I wasted so much time. These endings really make me mad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 24, 2013
*Genre* Paranormal Romance
*Rating* 3-3.5
*My Thoughts*
I want to take this opportunity to thank Ren @ Dragonfairy Press for sharing a copy of Open Gates with me, and for adding me to the Open Gates Blog Tour. Ren, you are awesome to work with and I hope we get a chance to do it again soon!
Now for the excruciating part of being a reviewer/blogger.....the review itself. There are times that I read my friends reviews of the same book that I just read and wonder if there is something horrifically wrong with me. I mean, there is a reason why I am rating this book 3-3.5 stars when everyone else has rated it 5 stars. Maybe romance novels are getting under my skin. Let me explain my reasoning and let you decide if I am off my rocker.
Open Gates is the last installment of the PJ Stone Gates Trilogy. If you have read Broken Gates, you were probably sobbing and rolling around on the floor with your blanket over your head because DT left you shattered to the point of mumbling nonsensically about how a major character, who you loved, was slain by the rancid Riders who have taken over the planet. :sigh:
Open Gates opens with a very emotional, and very distraught PJ who wonders how she will ever go on. She really doesn't care about the Riders or what they're ultimate plans are for the planet or that Khol has once again insinuated himself fully into her life not understanding that she needs time to grieve.
I loathe to say this outloud, but I thank DT for showing readers a different side to Lord Khol. Thank you for showing me that I was wrong in my dislike towards him for pushing himself onto PJ and for not just giving readers what they want in having that character return so PJ could have a HEA.
Khol is still someone that I would take a baseball bat to had he attempted to force himself onto me. Then again, this is a story about Dragons not humans. In Dragon-land, it is totally fine for a male dragon to claim a Female dragon by forcing the issue at hand, as it were. Just as long as you don't cross the line to pure unadulterated rape, I'll restrain my commentary.
I regret to inform you that PJ was for the most part, in her Aunt Morag's own words, exasperating and hard to deal with. Can you blame her whining and crying and indecision making and ****s loss on her pregnancy? There will be those who can, and do, but I think it runs so much deeper than that.
PJ is a 19 year old Dragon Queen who was raised as a human. She's also a powerful Seer, and probably the only one left in existence. As a female dragon, apparently it also makes her quite frisky in needing sex every 30 seconds. Since this is PNR, readers will definitely find themselves satiated with the amount of times PJ and Khol do the horizontal mambo. I actually found myself turning the pages a bit quicker to get to the part where PJ finds a way to defeat the Riders part and perhaps learns more about her heritage and what the future will bring.
There are quite a few questions that went unanswered for me, and I am maybe hopeful that DT will answer them for me, or perhaps in the future, writes a novella that wraps up this series a bit more tightly. I would have liked to learn about PJ's so called Dragon side as well as read about her flying with Khol. I would have liked to know about PJ's other abilities as a Dragon that weren't explored. It was laid out for readers to grasp, but it never quite took hold. I was pleasantly surprised that the deceased character wasn't fully written out of this series and made some appearances in key situations throughout the book. After reading about a certain other books final ending, I was hopeful that nobody major would lose their lives in Open Gates.
In the end, my overall experience with this series was a positive one. I liked the variation on Dragons in society and the fact that PJ comes from a long line of powerful women. I did find the 3 way love triangle loathsome, but I am in the minority on this point. I will be looking forward to seeing what DT comes up with in the future and wish her luck in her endeavor.
Expected publication: November 12th 2013 by Dragonfairy Press
*Rating* 3-3.5
*My Thoughts*
I want to take this opportunity to thank Ren @ Dragonfairy Press for sharing a copy of Open Gates with me, and for adding me to the Open Gates Blog Tour. Ren, you are awesome to work with and I hope we get a chance to do it again soon!
Now for the excruciating part of being a reviewer/blogger.....the review itself. There are times that I read my friends reviews of the same book that I just read and wonder if there is something horrifically wrong with me. I mean, there is a reason why I am rating this book 3-3.5 stars when everyone else has rated it 5 stars. Maybe romance novels are getting under my skin. Let me explain my reasoning and let you decide if I am off my rocker.
Open Gates is the last installment of the PJ Stone Gates Trilogy. If you have read Broken Gates, you were probably sobbing and rolling around on the floor with your blanket over your head because DT left you shattered to the point of mumbling nonsensically about how a major character, who you loved, was slain by the rancid Riders who have taken over the planet. :sigh:
Open Gates opens with a very emotional, and very distraught PJ who wonders how she will ever go on. She really doesn't care about the Riders or what they're ultimate plans are for the planet or that Khol has once again insinuated himself fully into her life not understanding that she needs time to grieve.
I loathe to say this outloud, but I thank DT for showing readers a different side to Lord Khol. Thank you for showing me that I was wrong in my dislike towards him for pushing himself onto PJ and for not just giving readers what they want in having that character return so PJ could have a HEA.
Khol is still someone that I would take a baseball bat to had he attempted to force himself onto me. Then again, this is a story about Dragons not humans. In Dragon-land, it is totally fine for a male dragon to claim a Female dragon by forcing the issue at hand, as it were. Just as long as you don't cross the line to pure unadulterated rape, I'll restrain my commentary.
I regret to inform you that PJ was for the most part, in her Aunt Morag's own words, exasperating and hard to deal with. Can you blame her whining and crying and indecision making and ****s loss on her pregnancy? There will be those who can, and do, but I think it runs so much deeper than that.
PJ is a 19 year old Dragon Queen who was raised as a human. She's also a powerful Seer, and probably the only one left in existence. As a female dragon, apparently it also makes her quite frisky in needing sex every 30 seconds. Since this is PNR, readers will definitely find themselves satiated with the amount of times PJ and Khol do the horizontal mambo. I actually found myself turning the pages a bit quicker to get to the part where PJ finds a way to defeat the Riders part and perhaps learns more about her heritage and what the future will bring.
There are quite a few questions that went unanswered for me, and I am maybe hopeful that DT will answer them for me, or perhaps in the future, writes a novella that wraps up this series a bit more tightly. I would have liked to learn about PJ's so called Dragon side as well as read about her flying with Khol. I would have liked to know about PJ's other abilities as a Dragon that weren't explored. It was laid out for readers to grasp, but it never quite took hold. I was pleasantly surprised that the deceased character wasn't fully written out of this series and made some appearances in key situations throughout the book. After reading about a certain other books final ending, I was hopeful that nobody major would lose their lives in Open Gates.
In the end, my overall experience with this series was a positive one. I liked the variation on Dragons in society and the fact that PJ comes from a long line of powerful women. I did find the 3 way love triangle loathsome, but I am in the minority on this point. I will be looking forward to seeing what DT comes up with in the future and wish her luck in her endeavor.
Expected publication: November 12th 2013 by Dragonfairy Press
November 15, 2013
Have you ever read a book on your Kindle that makes you nervous as you see the reading progression ticker thing count down? This book was one of those books for me. I'm seeing the percentage and "time left" and freaking out because there is SO MUCH RESOLUTION TO BE HAD how the HELL is she going to wrap it up? OMG I thought this said TRILOGY. Is there going to be another cliffhanger?! (Hey, the last one was quite cruel, people!) So much freaking out was happening on my end. Tugging my hair, snapping at my poor little furkids who just want to go out and pee, etc.
I got what I wanted in this book. I did. Peej is who I wanted her to be with and he is luscious and perfect and so freaking Alpha-male. And then, just when I'm happy, I noticed the Kindle reading-progression ticker. And there's so much to be answered. And...the percentage ticker is high so how the hell will there be any solutions that I'm gonna like? Suddenly, I'm no longer punching my kindle pages to get to the next one, I'm slowly sliding my finger to turn the page because I'm afraid of what's coming. Is this going to end badly? Is the author going to go from this great writing and then give me a short sarcastic solution a la Jon Lovitz in "A League of Their Own"? "You see..the way it works is, the train moves, not the station!" I was nervous. I was scared. Here's Peej with whom I desired her to be with, it looks like this is solved, but I know it's hanging in the balance til she takes off that damn bracelet and I am SO scared that my HEA is gonna be ruined. RUINED. Is it?
And YEP. I was right to be scared!
I really started this series with no expectations. And then I was slammed back in my seat by just how well written, woven, and crafted this story is. I was hooked, I was lined, and I was sinkered. What I thought was gonna be a fun YA paranormal turned into this tense, NA, paranormal romance drama that I want to read again and again. Actually, I WILL read this again and again. And anything else D.T. Dyllin writes.
Did I say my HEA was ruined? ;) I'm not ranting, I'm telling you that I loved this series, so there is a HEA. Just not in the way you might have expected... ;)
Would I recommend? Hell. Yes. I'm buying these for my fellow PNR junkie friends! And uh...probably the finished ebooks and print copies for myself. ;)
January 30, 2016
I finally did it. I finally finished the P.J. Stone trilogy and let me tell you it wasn't easy. I was suffering through the last pages because I knew that was it, there wouldn't be any more of P.J. once it was over. I fell in love with the series three years ago and I witnessed the name change, the covers change but I always re-read only the first two books. Reading the final wasn't an option because it was scary and I wasn't ready to move on. Until now... the series had a makeover and Dara sent me again all the books and reading the acknowledgements on the first book gave me all the strength I needed to do this.
So here is my review for Open Gates...
In this final book P.J. is grieving Bryn and living with the open wound caused by his tragic death. Queen duties can be meaningless for a young woman who is pregnant, barely an adult and now has the fate of humans on her hands. Taking sanity by the few strands left, P.J. manages to find a way to get rid of the Riders.
There are encounters with the past, tons of revelations (some very enlightening) and the action is always there. Of course there is romance and tension; it wouldn't be a D.T. Dyllin's book if romance wasn't in order. This time Khol has to fight against a ghost, Bryn's presence is not physical but is way too strong at times. He has to do everything in his power to convince P.J. that he is the right man-dragon for her.
I was shocked by the turn of events, the book took a path I didn’t see coming and I applaud how convincing and believable the outcome sounds.
The characters were always great and they all had defined personalities. But for me this book was about P.J., she had an extraordinary experience along the story and she made it through as a whole new person. She definitely is not the same as the one on the first page in Hidden Gates. She has grown to become a strong, kind, generous, brave and complete human (even though she is not exactly one) with flaws and all. She had to endure terrible things and yet she made it in one piece. I love her and I’m happy for how it all turned out for her.
I will make a small note about the magic, the dragons and the rest because if you've read the previous books you know what to expect when it comes to them. They are all great additions.
Overall, Open Gates is the perfect finale for my favorite paranormal trilogy. It gives closure and happiness despite creating a void that no other series will complete.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
So here is my review for Open Gates...
In this final book P.J. is grieving Bryn and living with the open wound caused by his tragic death. Queen duties can be meaningless for a young woman who is pregnant, barely an adult and now has the fate of humans on her hands. Taking sanity by the few strands left, P.J. manages to find a way to get rid of the Riders.
There are encounters with the past, tons of revelations (some very enlightening) and the action is always there. Of course there is romance and tension; it wouldn't be a D.T. Dyllin's book if romance wasn't in order. This time Khol has to fight against a ghost, Bryn's presence is not physical but is way too strong at times. He has to do everything in his power to convince P.J. that he is the right man-dragon for her.
I was shocked by the turn of events, the book took a path I didn’t see coming and I applaud how convincing and believable the outcome sounds.
The characters were always great and they all had defined personalities. But for me this book was about P.J., she had an extraordinary experience along the story and she made it through as a whole new person. She definitely is not the same as the one on the first page in Hidden Gates. She has grown to become a strong, kind, generous, brave and complete human (even though she is not exactly one) with flaws and all. She had to endure terrible things and yet she made it in one piece. I love her and I’m happy for how it all turned out for her.
I will make a small note about the magic, the dragons and the rest because if you've read the previous books you know what to expect when it comes to them. They are all great additions.
Overall, Open Gates is the perfect finale for my favorite paranormal trilogy. It gives closure and happiness despite creating a void that no other series will complete.
*** I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. ***
May 1, 2013
I feel like a broken record with this author. Seriously she just keeps amazing me. She can't help herself really. She's a gifted writer than can transport her readers to a whole new world and she gives us the best view of a different species that you never knew you could fall in lust with...errr love with!
What I love about her books...okay we won't delve into that list we will be here all day, but lets mention that she starts it off right where we leave off!! I love when an author does that!! You feel like you didn't miss a thing and you're still experiencing it with them. Which is a fantastic thing to give a reader because these characters become our friends. We want to be there for them. We want to see and feel it too. DT Dyllin gives you this every time.
This is book 3 and its bittersweet because once it's done. It's done. We say goodbye to this adventure we've been privileged to be a part of!
Pj Stone is now a queen. She is now a dragon leader. But will she let all her emotional turmoils ruin her? She can't get passed the tragedy that has hit her hard and it is unrelenting in the pain it causes deep within her heart. She has to live though. There is still a fight for Earth. There are still humans and friends she has to fight for. There is a war and her species is the only one willing and strong enough to make a stand. The obstacles are still there. It takes a strong woman to go through what she has to. Will she finally get the answers she seeks in all the realms she's transported to?
Khol *sigh* his love knows no boundaries for PJ. He does everything in his power to help her, guide her. He does anything to be hers. But how many times can a male get turned down before its enough!? How many things will stand in his way? He may have to come to a realization that its not in the stars for them to be together.
Pj will face the biggest obstacle yet. She will have to make a decision that will blow your mind!! THIS. WILL. CHANGE. EVERYTHING! Or does it change nothing? Hmmmm something to ponder! I give this book my thumbs up!
What I love about her books...okay we won't delve into that list we will be here all day, but lets mention that she starts it off right where we leave off!! I love when an author does that!! You feel like you didn't miss a thing and you're still experiencing it with them. Which is a fantastic thing to give a reader because these characters become our friends. We want to be there for them. We want to see and feel it too. DT Dyllin gives you this every time.
This is book 3 and its bittersweet because once it's done. It's done. We say goodbye to this adventure we've been privileged to be a part of!
Pj Stone is now a queen. She is now a dragon leader. But will she let all her emotional turmoils ruin her? She can't get passed the tragedy that has hit her hard and it is unrelenting in the pain it causes deep within her heart. She has to live though. There is still a fight for Earth. There are still humans and friends she has to fight for. There is a war and her species is the only one willing and strong enough to make a stand. The obstacles are still there. It takes a strong woman to go through what she has to. Will she finally get the answers she seeks in all the realms she's transported to?
Khol *sigh* his love knows no boundaries for PJ. He does everything in his power to help her, guide her. He does anything to be hers. But how many times can a male get turned down before its enough!? How many things will stand in his way? He may have to come to a realization that its not in the stars for them to be together.
Pj will face the biggest obstacle yet. She will have to make a decision that will blow your mind!! THIS. WILL. CHANGE. EVERYTHING! Or does it change nothing? Hmmmm something to ponder! I give this book my thumbs up!
October 31, 2013
Open Gates expected publication date is November 12, 2013 so I feel very fortunate that I was privledged to get an ARC of this wonderful continuation of what has to be one of my favorite trilogies!!
P.J.'s life is in utter turmoil and the heartbreak she feels goes to the very core of her soul. Will she recover from this unspeakable loss and do what she was born to do or will she let the darkness overtake her and all those she loves? Her emotions are up and down, hot and cold and Kohl is trying his best to console her, love her and make her understand that her life is not over but only just beginning. P.J. wants nothing more but revenge and to wallow in her own despair but Kohl has other ideas or desires as it may be and will stop at nothing to make P.J. his again. *The passion that ignites between these two in this book is to die for*
Despite her many troubles and heartbreak P.J. still has a duty to save the world, her friends and family and must find the strength to do just that. In this book she discovers even more about herself and what she must do to end this war and fulfill her destiny. This book is filled with just as many twists & turns as Book 2 and much will be revealed to P.J. in this book.
I loved that the author made P.J. a character of strength, perseverance, courage and loyalty - she has grown immensely from a girl into a woman over the three books and that is seldom the case with many characters today. She has made many choices throughout her life but in this book the very important life changing, time altering choice she will make will affect all that she knows and loves. It is a huge decision and if she was still the girl from book 1 I think she would have chosen wrong.
I really cannot say much more without major spoilers but I will leave you with this thought - shame on you if you do not read this series!!!! Whether you love fantasy, romance or the paranormal this series has a bit of everything for everyone. Have I mentioned there are dragons in this book?? I must have left that part out...happy reading.
5/5 stars!!
P.J.'s life is in utter turmoil and the heartbreak she feels goes to the very core of her soul. Will she recover from this unspeakable loss and do what she was born to do or will she let the darkness overtake her and all those she loves? Her emotions are up and down, hot and cold and Kohl is trying his best to console her, love her and make her understand that her life is not over but only just beginning. P.J. wants nothing more but revenge and to wallow in her own despair but Kohl has other ideas or desires as it may be and will stop at nothing to make P.J. his again. *The passion that ignites between these two in this book is to die for*
Despite her many troubles and heartbreak P.J. still has a duty to save the world, her friends and family and must find the strength to do just that. In this book she discovers even more about herself and what she must do to end this war and fulfill her destiny. This book is filled with just as many twists & turns as Book 2 and much will be revealed to P.J. in this book.
I loved that the author made P.J. a character of strength, perseverance, courage and loyalty - she has grown immensely from a girl into a woman over the three books and that is seldom the case with many characters today. She has made many choices throughout her life but in this book the very important life changing, time altering choice she will make will affect all that she knows and loves. It is a huge decision and if she was still the girl from book 1 I think she would have chosen wrong.
I really cannot say much more without major spoilers but I will leave you with this thought - shame on you if you do not read this series!!!! Whether you love fantasy, romance or the paranormal this series has a bit of everything for everyone. Have I mentioned there are dragons in this book?? I must have left that part out...happy reading.
5/5 stars!!
October 20, 2013
This review was rewritten due to re-reading the book as part of a blog tour. To see my full review of the series take a look on my blog Booky Ramblings
Despite the fact this isn’t my first time reading this book I am seriously struggling with how to articulate my feelings for what I have just read. Reading the book for the second time has not lessened the blows that I knew where coming. Every thing that smacked me in the gut and had me bawling like a baby the first time round hit me exactly the same this time round.
The beginning of the book I kind of read in a trance like state, I was on auto pilot in much the same way PJ was,my poor Bryn was gone, I was heartbroken. When I first read the book I spent this early section hoping and praying (to DT) that Bryn would come back in a mystical dragony type manoeuvre. It took several chapters before i finally accepted that wasn’t going to happen, and this time round my heart felt heavy with the knowledge that he was truly gone. Bear in mind I started reading this right after finishing broken gates, there was no months of recovering like last time, my lovely husband fetched me some chocolate from the shops to try and cheer me up because I was so upset.
PJ grows up so much in this book. I mean she just lost the love of her life, her Anam Cara. She’s pregnant and unsure who the father is. And she’s trying to save the world from the Riders. I guess she really doesn’t have a choice to do anything but grow up, and it does take her a while but she gets there. She becomes this super strong dragon queen who in the end makes such a big personal sacrifice that I again was an emotional wreck that my husband had to pick up off the floor. The PJ from the first book would most likely have crumpled up into a ball and rocked herself into oblivion.
Despite the fact this isn’t my first time reading this book I am seriously struggling with how to articulate my feelings for what I have just read. Reading the book for the second time has not lessened the blows that I knew where coming. Every thing that smacked me in the gut and had me bawling like a baby the first time round hit me exactly the same this time round.
The beginning of the book I kind of read in a trance like state, I was on auto pilot in much the same way PJ was,my poor Bryn was gone, I was heartbroken. When I first read the book I spent this early section hoping and praying (to DT) that Bryn would come back in a mystical dragony type manoeuvre. It took several chapters before i finally accepted that wasn’t going to happen, and this time round my heart felt heavy with the knowledge that he was truly gone. Bear in mind I started reading this right after finishing broken gates, there was no months of recovering like last time, my lovely husband fetched me some chocolate from the shops to try and cheer me up because I was so upset.
PJ grows up so much in this book. I mean she just lost the love of her life, her Anam Cara. She’s pregnant and unsure who the father is. And she’s trying to save the world from the Riders. I guess she really doesn’t have a choice to do anything but grow up, and it does take her a while but she gets there. She becomes this super strong dragon queen who in the end makes such a big personal sacrifice that I again was an emotional wreck that my husband had to pick up off the floor. The PJ from the first book would most likely have crumpled up into a ball and rocked herself into oblivion.
November 5, 2013
You finally get all of the answers you’ve been seeking, just as P.J. does.
The war is raging, many people are lost, and P.J. struggles to fulfill her destiny.
I’m going to warn you, the beginning is a shocker, it happens so fast.
P.J. is devastated. Her world is being destroyed and her heart has been shredded.
Her best friend Jenna is unavailable, so she turns to the one person who is always there, always
offering his shoulder to lean on, Khol.
How do you go on when all you love is being destroyed and taken from you?
P.J. has no idea how to continue. How she’ll find the strength to face the fight that is coming.
They’ve fought a tough battle, but things don’t look good for them. There is a clue to getting rid of the
Riders and P.J. has to draw on all that she is to find the one thing that can save them all.
I got everything I was looking for in this final book.
You’ll need to set aside enough time to read this straight through. I read this in about 3 hours, but
I’m a fast reader. I also reread a few parts that really touched me.
You’ll get a huge surprise with the ending. I haven’t read one that left me feeling like this
one did for a long time, maybe never.
I read it twice, then read it again, always thinking, “How did the author come up with this ending? Did
she know when she was writing the books that the end would be this?”
I liked it. I really liked it. And I’m still thinking about it. Still wondering…..
I received this book for my honest review. My thoughts weren't influenced in any way.
The war is raging, many people are lost, and P.J. struggles to fulfill her destiny.
I’m going to warn you, the beginning is a shocker, it happens so fast.
P.J. is devastated. Her world is being destroyed and her heart has been shredded.
Her best friend Jenna is unavailable, so she turns to the one person who is always there, always
offering his shoulder to lean on, Khol.
How do you go on when all you love is being destroyed and taken from you?
P.J. has no idea how to continue. How she’ll find the strength to face the fight that is coming.
They’ve fought a tough battle, but things don’t look good for them. There is a clue to getting rid of the
Riders and P.J. has to draw on all that she is to find the one thing that can save them all.
I got everything I was looking for in this final book.
You’ll need to set aside enough time to read this straight through. I read this in about 3 hours, but
I’m a fast reader. I also reread a few parts that really touched me.
You’ll get a huge surprise with the ending. I haven’t read one that left me feeling like this
one did for a long time, maybe never.
I read it twice, then read it again, always thinking, “How did the author come up with this ending? Did
she know when she was writing the books that the end would be this?”
I liked it. I really liked it. And I’m still thinking about it. Still wondering…..
I received this book for my honest review. My thoughts weren't influenced in any way.
April 26, 2014
Open Gates had been on my tbr list for a long time, and I was eager to get started after reading Broken Gates, however something always held me back but I finally managed to fit it in.
The story continues and I still found myself on team Bryn although he was gone, Kohl just didn't seem to match up and I found that made it all worse for me. I found PJ very frustrating in this book, where she constantly torn between her loyalty towards Bryn and her feelings for Kohl, which although I preferred Bryn, it was obvious the way she felt and I wanted to throw the book at the wall sometimes were she couldn't see it. Those sort of feelings in a book I enjoy, as to me, if I feel strongly it feels the author has done a good job pulling out those feelings and making me care.
I loved the ending and felt it showed how much PJ had matured over the 3 books to do something so selfless for others, and to lose the life she wanted. The only thing I felt needed more was the end of the Riders, I felt for such a big part of the story it seemed to come to a fast conclusion.
Overall I loved the book and loved the trilogy, and it feels quite sad its all come to an end.
The story continues and I still found myself on team Bryn although he was gone, Kohl just didn't seem to match up and I found that made it all worse for me. I found PJ very frustrating in this book, where she constantly torn between her loyalty towards Bryn and her feelings for Kohl, which although I preferred Bryn, it was obvious the way she felt and I wanted to throw the book at the wall sometimes were she couldn't see it. Those sort of feelings in a book I enjoy, as to me, if I feel strongly it feels the author has done a good job pulling out those feelings and making me care.
I loved the ending and felt it showed how much PJ had matured over the 3 books to do something so selfless for others, and to lose the life she wanted. The only thing I felt needed more was the end of the Riders, I felt for such a big part of the story it seemed to come to a fast conclusion.
Overall I loved the book and loved the trilogy, and it feels quite sad its all come to an end.
August 6, 2016
This is a combined review of the trilogy that I am posting only here on Goodreads.
The author has no doubt built an amazing world of Dragons and I loved the basic concept of the book.
When I had picked up this series, I knew to expect certain sexual content as a part of New Adult genre. But the sexual content of the book overwhelmed me as it was just too much and I feel this should be tagged as erotica. I have no doubt that if the sex scenes and the sex talk were to be removed, this series could automatically be made into one book.
Frankly, I have nothing against such content and once in a while I do read books with explicit content, but when sex overwhelms the plot, I know there is something wrong with the book. The concept of Dragons, Clans, Transformations, Magic and War is interesting in itself and the author has created an enchanting backdrop - but that's all it is - backdrop :(
The author has no doubt built an amazing world of Dragons and I loved the basic concept of the book.
When I had picked up this series, I knew to expect certain sexual content as a part of New Adult genre. But the sexual content of the book overwhelmed me as it was just too much and I feel this should be tagged as erotica. I have no doubt that if the sex scenes and the sex talk were to be removed, this series could automatically be made into one book.
Frankly, I have nothing against such content and once in a while I do read books with explicit content, but when sex overwhelms the plot, I know there is something wrong with the book. The concept of Dragons, Clans, Transformations, Magic and War is interesting in itself and the author has created an enchanting backdrop - but that's all it is - backdrop :(
April 18, 2013
Review to come!!! 4 1/2 stars!!!
Want to read
July 18, 2013I need this book. NOW.
December 30, 2013
wow!! its 4 am, and Im finished. I did not expect this book to end the way it did, but I was not disappointed. I do not give 5 stars out easily, but this book deserved it.
Want to read
December 18, 2013After the way the second one ended I am craving this one, where is it?!?!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews