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The Seven Sleepers #2
The Gates of Neptune
After a harrowing escape from the army of the Sanhedrin, Joshua Adams and his six young companions are thrust into yest another battle against Elmas, Chief Interrogator of the Sanhedrin and servent of the dark Lord Necros.
Fulfilling the legend of old, the Seven Sleepers seek to follow their Spiritual leader Goel's instructions and are led into a most beautiful and frightening part of Nuworld.
The evil Lord Necros is in control of most of the land; now he desires to conquer it all - even the cities under the sea! Josh and his friends are asked to help fight in the battle to save the lost city of Atlantis, but they must face unbelievable odds: the seven of them against an army of traitors and an ocean of terrifying creatures.
150 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1994
11 people are currently reading
216 people want to read
About the author
Gilbert L. Morris
23 books24 followersalso publishes under the name Gilbert Morris
Gilbert Morris is one of today's best-known Christian novelists. He lives in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He is the father to Lynn Morris and Alan Morris
Gilbert Morris is one of today's best-known Christian novelists. He lives in Gulf Shores, Alabama, with his wife, Johnnie. He is the father to Lynn Morris and Alan Morris
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
April 14, 2016
I had originally planned on reading the entire series as I remember liking them when I was a child. Unfortunately the blatant sexism and erasure of all races and cultures except western white has infuriated me to the point where I can't continue reading these.
I was severely disappointed with the sexualization of children (namely 13 year old Abigail) and the lack of character development across the board. There is also an enormous lack of research and large continuity errors throughout the series.
I would suggest skipping this entire series and reach for something much more engrossing and well written.
I was severely disappointed with the sexualization of children (namely 13 year old Abigail) and the lack of character development across the board. There is also an enormous lack of research and large continuity errors throughout the series.
I would suggest skipping this entire series and reach for something much more engrossing and well written.
December 7, 2024
As the second installment to The Seven Sleepers series, The Gates of Neptune establishes the formula that Gilbert Morris will use for the remainder of the series: the Seven Sleepers being sent by Goél to a themed section of Nuworld, where one Sleeper in particular must learn a lesson through a moral challenge, all while trying to escape the clutches of the Dark Lord. The writing and dialogue is actually a tad bit of an improvement from Flight of the Eagles, though the story still suffers from the shoddy worldbuilding, predictable plot, and overly simplistic Christian message.
After narrowly escaping the Sanhedrin, the Seven Sleepers are sent by their spiritual leader Goél to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, which is in the middle of a civil war led by the good King Cosmos and the traitorous Lord Aramis, who is under the control of the Dark Lord. The Sleepers begin learning the history and training in Atlantis’ military arts, while Sarah Collingwood is charmed by the king’s nephew Valar. Sarah soon receives a commission from Goél to lead the Sleepers to the Citadel of Neptune where Aramis is leading the revolution against Atlantis, but she must make choices between following what her heart desires and what Goél has instructed her to do.
Sarah is the protagonist of The Gates of Neptune, and her story (though not as compelling as Josh Adam’s story in Flight of the Eagles) is a moral lesson in following God’s instructions and trusting your instincts instead of your hormones. We also get a bit more development of the attraction between Josh and Sarah that was introduced in the previous book; Morris actually spends a good bit of time on the love triangle between Josh, Sarah, and Valar, . Other relationships (Dave Cooper and Abbey Roberts, Wash Jones and Reb Jackson) get a little more development, though Jake Garfield of course is largely unnoticeable as the only Sleeper without a buddy. We finally get a glimpse at the big bad of the series, Lord Necros (yay for unoriginal names, especially ones that will never be mentioned again in the series!), who is quite intimidating if totally one-sided. The villain storyline involves Necros punishing Chief Interrogator Elmas of the Sanhedrin for his incompetence, but that storyline is totally abandoned after maybe two scenes.
The setting of The Gates of Neptune is fun, featuring the lost city of Atlantis as the Sleepers’ new destination, and some of the elements included (shark-, whale-, and dolphin-riding, giant squids, underwater volcanoes) are unsurprising but aesthetic. Morris’ worldbuilding, however, still suffers from enough holes to make it comparable to a slice of Swiss cheese. Morris offers bare-bones explanations for how Atlantis functions, and his depiction of the city is one of a noble centuries-old culture… when he established in Flight of the Eagles that the nuclear war (now called the Burning) happened only fifty years ago — and Atlantis is a very technologically-advanced society for a ragtag group of nuclear survivors. Morris’ pacing is slower than the previous book (to the point of boredom occasionally), and his conflict is unoriginal and pedestrian, though we do actually see a small improvement in his dialogue-writing skills.
Goél establishes himself as the Aslan of The Seven Sleepers series, appearing occasionally to offer spiritual advice and task the Sleepers with a new quest. The whole premise of the series is irrational and contrived, but Morris does attempt to bring genuine Christian lessons into the books: using the weak to overthrow the mighty, not being distracted by worldly things, forgiving people who have made mistakes, etc. The Gates of Neptune features a lesson on following God’s instructions and not being overly trusting just because you like someone; Morris could have done some interesting things with Sarah’s guilt over disobeying Goél, but I guess that’s asking a little much of this series. Still, there’s a definite Aslan-and-Lucy-Pevensie vibe to Sarah’s relationship with Goél, which is a nice touch.
Also, to begin a list of little inconsistencies with previous books that will be one of the few recurring elements through The Seven Sleepers series:
• Abbey has blonde hair now after being dark-haired in Flight of the Eagles.
• Goél’s name is now inexplicably spelled as Goel.
• Reb seems to imply that he is from Texas instead of Arkansas, as he stated in the first book.
• Reb also says he has been to two county fairs and three snake-stompings instead of three fairs and four stompings. Yes, I went back and checked, because it’s the little things.
The Gates of Neptune boasts no real creativity beyond what other authors have established about Atlantis in stories like Aquaman and Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and you’re certainly not going to be surprised by any of the plot twists if you’re older than eight years old. Still, it’s not a bad read for a kid who is interested in Atlantis or who liked Flight of the Eagles. I wish Morris’ prose was better, because a book about futuristic Atlantis could have been really entertaining and beautiful with a better author.
After narrowly escaping the Sanhedrin, the Seven Sleepers are sent by their spiritual leader Goél to the underwater kingdom of Atlantis, which is in the middle of a civil war led by the good King Cosmos and the traitorous Lord Aramis, who is under the control of the Dark Lord. The Sleepers begin learning the history and training in Atlantis’ military arts, while Sarah Collingwood is charmed by the king’s nephew Valar. Sarah soon receives a commission from Goél to lead the Sleepers to the Citadel of Neptune where Aramis is leading the revolution against Atlantis, but she must make choices between following what her heart desires and what Goél has instructed her to do.
Sarah is the protagonist of The Gates of Neptune, and her story (though not as compelling as Josh Adam’s story in Flight of the Eagles) is a moral lesson in following God’s instructions and trusting your instincts instead of your hormones. We also get a bit more development of the attraction between Josh and Sarah that was introduced in the previous book; Morris actually spends a good bit of time on the love triangle between Josh, Sarah, and Valar, . Other relationships (Dave Cooper and Abbey Roberts, Wash Jones and Reb Jackson) get a little more development, though Jake Garfield of course is largely unnoticeable as the only Sleeper without a buddy. We finally get a glimpse at the big bad of the series, Lord Necros (yay for unoriginal names, especially ones that will never be mentioned again in the series!), who is quite intimidating if totally one-sided. The villain storyline involves Necros punishing Chief Interrogator Elmas of the Sanhedrin for his incompetence, but that storyline is totally abandoned after maybe two scenes.
The setting of The Gates of Neptune is fun, featuring the lost city of Atlantis as the Sleepers’ new destination, and some of the elements included (shark-, whale-, and dolphin-riding, giant squids, underwater volcanoes) are unsurprising but aesthetic. Morris’ worldbuilding, however, still suffers from enough holes to make it comparable to a slice of Swiss cheese. Morris offers bare-bones explanations for how Atlantis functions, and his depiction of the city is one of a noble centuries-old culture… when he established in Flight of the Eagles that the nuclear war (now called the Burning) happened only fifty years ago — and Atlantis is a very technologically-advanced society for a ragtag group of nuclear survivors. Morris’ pacing is slower than the previous book (to the point of boredom occasionally), and his conflict is unoriginal and pedestrian, though we do actually see a small improvement in his dialogue-writing skills.
Goél establishes himself as the Aslan of The Seven Sleepers series, appearing occasionally to offer spiritual advice and task the Sleepers with a new quest. The whole premise of the series is irrational and contrived, but Morris does attempt to bring genuine Christian lessons into the books: using the weak to overthrow the mighty, not being distracted by worldly things, forgiving people who have made mistakes, etc. The Gates of Neptune features a lesson on following God’s instructions and not being overly trusting just because you like someone; Morris could have done some interesting things with Sarah’s guilt over disobeying Goél, but I guess that’s asking a little much of this series. Still, there’s a definite Aslan-and-Lucy-Pevensie vibe to Sarah’s relationship with Goél, which is a nice touch.
Also, to begin a list of little inconsistencies with previous books that will be one of the few recurring elements through The Seven Sleepers series:
• Abbey has blonde hair now after being dark-haired in Flight of the Eagles.
• Goél’s name is now inexplicably spelled as Goel.
• Reb seems to imply that he is from Texas instead of Arkansas, as he stated in the first book.
• Reb also says he has been to two county fairs and three snake-stompings instead of three fairs and four stompings. Yes, I went back and checked, because it’s the little things.
The Gates of Neptune boasts no real creativity beyond what other authors have established about Atlantis in stories like Aquaman and Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and you’re certainly not going to be surprised by any of the plot twists if you’re older than eight years old. Still, it’s not a bad read for a kid who is interested in Atlantis or who liked Flight of the Eagles. I wish Morris’ prose was better, because a book about futuristic Atlantis could have been really entertaining and beautiful with a better author.
October 16, 2019
Picking up right where book one, Flight of the Eagles left off, Gilbert Morris continues the fantasy adventure of The Seven Sleepers in book two, The Gates of Neptune. Sarah and the other six sleepers must travel underwater to save the lost kingdom of Atlantis as darkness threatens to overtake not only the land, but also the seas. If they can't stop the Dark Lord in time, then all of the ocean will belong to the powers of evil instead of the mysterious Goel.
While book one focused in on Josh as a main character, this second volume continues the story from Sarah's point of view. While the storyline here is fairly pedestrian and obvious, what is so incredible is the amazing setting Morris has given us. From the sunken city of Atlantis to the Sea of Rays to riding dolphins and sharks and killer whales through the water, I was continually enthralled with the locations the characters traveled through.
We do find out some new information about the villains of the series, which offer some intriguing counterbalance to the Sanhedrin, which so far has taken prominence as the main antagonists against Goel.
Again, this series continues to come across as slightly edgy for a Christian fantasy series for younger readers. Romance is at play here, and while it is hopelessly tame compared to other books, The Gates of Neptune is surprisingly filled with relationships between characters. It was a little bit shocking, especially since the main characters are all supposed to be young teens, and in most Christian fantasy fiction geared for this age range, romance is barely a thought.
All said, this continues to be an intriguing fantasy series. I remain somewhat shocked that I have never picked them up until now, but here we are, on to book three!
While book one focused in on Josh as a main character, this second volume continues the story from Sarah's point of view. While the storyline here is fairly pedestrian and obvious, what is so incredible is the amazing setting Morris has given us. From the sunken city of Atlantis to the Sea of Rays to riding dolphins and sharks and killer whales through the water, I was continually enthralled with the locations the characters traveled through.
We do find out some new information about the villains of the series, which offer some intriguing counterbalance to the Sanhedrin, which so far has taken prominence as the main antagonists against Goel.
Again, this series continues to come across as slightly edgy for a Christian fantasy series for younger readers. Romance is at play here, and while it is hopelessly tame compared to other books, The Gates of Neptune is surprisingly filled with relationships between characters. It was a little bit shocking, especially since the main characters are all supposed to be young teens, and in most Christian fantasy fiction geared for this age range, romance is barely a thought.
All said, this continues to be an intriguing fantasy series. I remain somewhat shocked that I have never picked them up until now, but here we are, on to book three!
July 19, 2023
As a kid this was the Sleepers book I personally owned. I attempted to read it more times than Sandersons Mistborn, with the difference of finally succeeding. I went into this, as an adult, incredibly skeptical. I genuinely assumed this is where my Sleepers challenge would die, shamefully, pathetically, at the beginning.
Alas, I HAVE DONE THE THING.
SO - Just to start off the bat, I must admit I loved the concept and setting of Atlantis. If anything I am a literal nerd for all things cryptic, so this should be up my alley. ...but I don't like water settings EVER. This, out of the gate, was always going to be the book to grit my gizzard.
I believe it makes logical sense that the focus for book two is on Sara. She was the second sleeper we met, and we had more time with her in the "old world". It was a fair choice if you can look past her incredibly dull personality. I appreciate there being a "love triangle" in this aged tween christian fiction of a story. It's by no means Edward vs Jacob, but ...it will do.
Remarkably, Sara's less annoying moments are when she is dwelling on Goel. It's the least insufferable of her characteristics that she seems to have a Lucy - Aslan connection. I can't knock that.
Josh was still a nark until the last few chapters of this book. I feel like he grew into his gangly self with the last trial moment. (Do I even need to worry about spoilers? I don't think these books are still being printed? ..... should I just come out and say things BAHHAHHAA)
....There's a giant squid... *sigh
and a shark tank, even though they are UNDER WATER?
*-_-
Concept 3/5
Setting 2/5
Characters 2/5
Spiritual Elements 3/5
Magical Objects/creatures 2/5
Plot 2/5
Coherence 5/5
Romance 2/5
Audio Reader- 3.5/5 (weak women voices)
Final Verdict- Drown me please
Alas, I HAVE DONE THE THING.
SO - Just to start off the bat, I must admit I loved the concept and setting of Atlantis. If anything I am a literal nerd for all things cryptic, so this should be up my alley. ...but I don't like water settings EVER. This, out of the gate, was always going to be the book to grit my gizzard.
I believe it makes logical sense that the focus for book two is on Sara. She was the second sleeper we met, and we had more time with her in the "old world". It was a fair choice if you can look past her incredibly dull personality. I appreciate there being a "love triangle" in this aged tween christian fiction of a story. It's by no means Edward vs Jacob, but ...it will do.
Remarkably, Sara's less annoying moments are when she is dwelling on Goel. It's the least insufferable of her characteristics that she seems to have a Lucy - Aslan connection. I can't knock that.
Josh was still a nark until the last few chapters of this book. I feel like he grew into his gangly self with the last trial moment. (Do I even need to worry about spoilers? I don't think these books are still being printed? ..... should I just come out and say things BAHHAHHAA)
....There's a giant squid... *sigh
and a shark tank, even though they are UNDER WATER?
*-_-
Concept 3/5
Setting 2/5
Characters 2/5
Spiritual Elements 3/5
Magical Objects/creatures 2/5
Plot 2/5
Coherence 5/5
Romance 2/5
Audio Reader- 3.5/5 (weak women voices)
Final Verdict- Drown me please
March 16, 2024
DNF @ 45%
Continuing on from having loved this series as a kid and not remembering it & never having finished it.
As an adult, it's stupid.
And I didn't think that book 2 could be worse than book 1 but it is.
Continuity errors, no real personalities, trite conversation and emotional conflicts, and it reads like a bunch of kids going back and forth in a make believe sesh like, "okay now this happens", "okay and then this happens","okay and then we do this".
I'd wanted to read them all and find out, after 20 years, how it ends, but I think it's time to let go and move on.
Continuing on from having loved this series as a kid and not remembering it & never having finished it.
As an adult, it's stupid.
And I didn't think that book 2 could be worse than book 1 but it is.
Continuity errors, no real personalities, trite conversation and emotional conflicts, and it reads like a bunch of kids going back and forth in a make believe sesh like, "okay now this happens", "okay and then this happens","okay and then we do this".
I'd wanted to read them all and find out, after 20 years, how it ends, but I think it's time to let go and move on.
January 2, 2022
This doesn't feel quite as rushed as the first book, but it's still got all the other problems, and the casual sexism and Christian propaganda are dialed up a bit higher in this one.
Also now it's suddenly "Goel" instead of "Goél"? Weird to just... change the name of your deity in the middle of the story, but okay.
Also now it's suddenly "Goel" instead of "Goél"? Weird to just... change the name of your deity in the middle of the story, but okay.
February 23, 2021
Amazing! My daughter (6) loved this book! I read it to her, and the characters are captivating, sweet, and the storyline intriguing. Great read!
May 31, 2021
Much better than the first. The ending was surprising and the story was well written.
November 27, 2021
Book 2 down, and my son is looking forward the the next 8. It is an interesting take on End Times (loosely, very loosely) for kids.
November 27, 2024
It wasn't bad. Just a little cheesy.
May 23, 2013
*3 Stars*
My review of the First Volume of the Series where I talk mostly about the series as a whole.
Perhaps a bit stronger then the first book because it doesn't suffer from Introduction Syndrome. All Seven Sleepers are here with Sarah being the Sleeper focused on. She makes both good and bad choices and learns and grows from those choices. The new characters are interesting and the setting is incredible.
The underwater city of Atlantis (shocking, I know) has been a haven from the Sanhedrin for years but at last the bad guys have a foothold and Goél sends the children to combat the evil that has befallen the kingdom.
What makes this story cool is the underwater aspect. How the people live and work in such an anti-human environment is really neat. And riding dolphins and sharks for transportation...super cool.
We also finally see the REALLY BIG BAD who wouldn't seem such when this was written (cuz this was written first) but he does physically remind me of Voldemort...only eviler. His name is Lord Necros (LOL).
If you read the first book and didn't hate it, I'd go on and read this.
My review of the First Volume of the Series where I talk mostly about the series as a whole.
Perhaps a bit stronger then the first book because it doesn't suffer from Introduction Syndrome. All Seven Sleepers are here with Sarah being the Sleeper focused on. She makes both good and bad choices and learns and grows from those choices. The new characters are interesting and the setting is incredible.
The underwater city of Atlantis (shocking, I know) has been a haven from the Sanhedrin for years but at last the bad guys have a foothold and Goél sends the children to combat the evil that has befallen the kingdom.
What makes this story cool is the underwater aspect. How the people live and work in such an anti-human environment is really neat. And riding dolphins and sharks for transportation...super cool.
We also finally see the REALLY BIG BAD who wouldn't seem such when this was written (cuz this was written first) but he does physically remind me of Voldemort...only eviler. His name is Lord Necros (LOL).
If you read the first book and didn't hate it, I'd go on and read this.
Read
May 19, 2008I read them when i was a bit younger(2-3 years ago) but from what i can remember they were good and i still haven't read them all. Not even sure how far along i got before i had to stop because i couldn't find anymore at the local library... :(
March 5, 2014
The book The Gates Of Neptune is an amazing book where the 7 sleepers rise to conquer the Sanhedrin.
The lesson I learned in this book was that you can't always trust everybody even if they are just about the last person you can run to.
The lesson I learned in this book was that you can't always trust everybody even if they are just about the last person you can run to.
Read
January 6, 2016Over all it was a great book. I loved how the author brought in the characters in the beginning of the book as if it was the first book of the series. Thank you for this book series, it is a true blessing.
May 31, 2015
This book is my favorite in the whole series. I love the part when Wash defeats the giant squid and I could feel my heart pumping during the battle at the end. All in all, Gilbert Morris has written a great books for kids.
July 6, 2008
This series is great if you're a parent and you want to train your children to love long fantasy series.
As an adult, it's kind of stupid. Still, it entertained me as a child.
As an adult, it's kind of stupid. Still, it entertained me as a child.
September 12, 2008
This was my second-favorite, following the Sword of Camelot.
Read
November 21, 2009i think this is a great book if you like some fantasy and some reality it all depends what you like!
February 24, 2010
It was interesting, I got kinda lost...
Read
April 27, 2010F MOR ss bk.2
November 8, 2012
This was better than the first, so I'm happy to get on board with my eager kids and go on to the next one.
July 9, 2012
This was my all-time favorite of the series, mostly because they were in the ocean (it enthralled me as a kid), & because it centered around Sarah, my favorite character.
March 1, 2021
Dolphins. Sharks. Killer whales. Giant squid. What more do you want from Atlantis?
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March 20, 2011This book is really good!!! im reading it for the 2nd time and its just as awesome!!!
March 15, 2010
Enjoying this series with Eli.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews