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The Migax Cycle #1
Gateway
The planet Migax, owner of Gateways that allow travel through the fabric of spacetime, is bursting with technological breakthroughs. Accepted into the prestigious Aksel school, Summer and her friend Leafsong, a member of a humanoid, dragon, hope they have found a chance to secure a bright future within it. But the great city they find themselves in hides secrets. An underground organization is rising, a manufacturer of military weapons is testing a sinister, telepathic creation, and rumors of terrorism are sending the country into paranoia. As the government tightens its grip on the outcasts at the edge of the cities, Summer and Leafsong will be forced to navigate violence, school, family, mystery, and conspiracy in an effort to find their place.
319 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2019
4 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 16, 2022
I wrote this and I hope you all enjoy it!
March 2, 2022
I read Gateway a few years ago when it first came out and reread it when the sequel came out and really, no regrets. The novel constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat, eager to see what happens next and how everything will play out. The wide range of personalities among the characters is impressive- you have shy, quiet, and timid, and then snarky and sarcastic. It's well written, sweet, and sadly heartbreaking at some parts but absolutely worth the read. The plot and creatures are unique and very interesting and it's overall a very good read.
January 14, 2021
Gateway is an inspiring sci-fi story about a world where humans and skeefers (reptilian humanoids) struggle to get along and work towards lasting peace. This story deals with profound thought and ethics, interlaced with lighthearted humour and friendships. Dunn is greatly skilled at world-building and characterization. I was thrilled that this is to be a three-book series. Looking forward to more.
January 17, 2020
I love the start of this book with two moons. I have always loved the moon, it mesmerizes me. This already got me excited. So, this story is about summer and leafsong. I love their friendship, how they are best of friends even though they are very different from each other. I hated Sayra, instead of standing with her students she chooses to differentiate between them.
I know Mililabs is a weapon inventory company and has power over the government but what are its real motive. I think there is more than that meets the eye. Migax flag is of skeefer and a human handshake but migax doesn't really care about skeefers. I feel so bad for them. All the killings and pink decay disease.
The ending didn't feel satisfying. I know I know it's only the first book of the series but the ending was a little bit incomplete. We didn't get to know about what happened to leafsong and moonwafer after summer went to Mililabs. Maybe it's just me. I'm so excited about the second book. Hope it comes out soon.
I know Mililabs is a weapon inventory company and has power over the government but what are its real motive. I think there is more than that meets the eye. Migax flag is of skeefer and a human handshake but migax doesn't really care about skeefers. I feel so bad for them. All the killings and pink decay disease.
The ending didn't feel satisfying. I know I know it's only the first book of the series but the ending was a little bit incomplete. We didn't get to know about what happened to leafsong and moonwafer after summer went to Mililabs. Maybe it's just me. I'm so excited about the second book. Hope it comes out soon.
July 28, 2021
A fantastic science fiction novel! The worldbuilding is intriguing with lots of moral questions and themes of systematic oppression. I loved Summer and Leafsong’s relationship and watching their friendship grew! They were such great characters. I’m very interested to see where this story goes!
March 22, 2022
Gateway is a far-future novel set on a different planet with elements of dystopia in the form of the large, nearly untouchable MiliLabs corporation, a shady antagonist for the two main characters: Summer pulls herself from the city’s underbelly to attend school by selling five years of her life to MiliLabs as an indentured servant/lab experiment. Leafsong is a skeefer attending school so that she can find adventure and escape poverty, but is met with more and more proof that MiliLabs is hurting people of her species.
Gateway deals with themes of corruption, inequality, and the difficulty of changing a system set against you. It isn’t always an easy read because of the weight of its subject matter, but I believe the author handles this well. The humor and friendship that bloom between Summer and Leafsong, as well as Leafsong’s brother, Moonwafer lend the story a lightness and warmth that nicely contrasts the darker aspects. The pacing throughout is well done— the story progresses at an enthralling speed, and the prose is sharp and clear. Juliette’s use of dialogue is particularly good. She folds in character quirks and mannerisms into the way they speak, effortlessly giving her characters distinct voices that go a long way towards making them feel like unique individuals.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. On its surface, it is a heart-pounding read, layered with an examination of the failings of a corrupt capitalist society and the hope that stems from seeing the actions of a few make a real difference.
Gateway deals with themes of corruption, inequality, and the difficulty of changing a system set against you. It isn’t always an easy read because of the weight of its subject matter, but I believe the author handles this well. The humor and friendship that bloom between Summer and Leafsong, as well as Leafsong’s brother, Moonwafer lend the story a lightness and warmth that nicely contrasts the darker aspects. The pacing throughout is well done— the story progresses at an enthralling speed, and the prose is sharp and clear. Juliette’s use of dialogue is particularly good. She folds in character quirks and mannerisms into the way they speak, effortlessly giving her characters distinct voices that go a long way towards making them feel like unique individuals.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. On its surface, it is a heart-pounding read, layered with an examination of the failings of a corrupt capitalist society and the hope that stems from seeing the actions of a few make a real difference.
March 16, 2022
I love the endearing lead characters in this book and though the subject matter is heavy, I found myself laughing out loud more than once at the antics of Summer, Leafsong, and Moonwafer! Seriously a great read!
October 27, 2022
I received an advance reader copy of Gateway for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There’s a lot going on in Gateway: an alien world where humans and a reptilian, dragon-like race coexist, a school with secrets, mysterious underground organisation and conspiracy, a world besieged by terrorist attacks, and the threat of a powerful weapon. The book touches upon a variety of genres, including science fiction, young adult coming of age story, a conspiracy thriller, with a dash of cyberpunk thrown in for good measure. It’s a lot to get through, especially with a number of characters throughout, an intricate plot and strong themes. It is a testament to the author’s storytelling that it comes together so well.
Set on the planet Migax, it tells the story of Summer, a girl living a life of poverty, dreaming of a better future, which leads her to the prestigious school Askel, courtesy of a contract she signed with weapons manufacturer MiliLabs. Here she meets a skeefer (a reptilian species coexisting with humans) named Leafsong and her brother, Moonwafer. Together they navigate the issues at the school and a conspiracy associated with it and MiliLabs.
To provide more detail about the plot would spoil the fun of the story. It tells a story with plenty of twists, turns and revelations, up until its shock ending—something I didn't see coming. While it certainly tells a YA tale and a large part of it is Summer’s coming of age, the turns this story takes break from the genre’s tropes and provide a breath of fresh air.
Another fresh air is Gateway’s themes. The book’s content warnings include gun violence, animal cruelty and death, genocide and eugenics, ableism, classism, medical experimentation and police violence. These themes are heavy, particularly for a YA story, and the book doesn’t shy away from them. However, the author treats these with sensitivity, ensuring it is suitable and accessible to younger readers. The book touches upon humanity’s propensity to treat those different to ourselves, whether it be race or class, abuse of corporate power, propaganda, a sense of nationalism and patriotism, and the lengths people will go to when fearful of terrorism. It also features characters across the LGBTQI+ rainbow, including asexual and gender queer representation, treated sensitivity by the author.
The characters are entirely engaging. The two protagonists, Summer and Leafsong are a delight to follow, and their camaraderie is a joy, while the antagonists are layered. Gateway packs a number of other characters in, and they all feel fleshed out and fully formed. Their dialogue is engaging, and the characters all sound distinct from one another. The dialogue is entertaining, and often brings a sense of levity to the story.
The prose, however, was less successful for me. Some passages are beautiful, but at other points, I found it lacked colour, recounting events rather making me feel what's happening. The prose is easy to follow, though at times, it felt like an extra round of editing could have improved its flow.
The author has built a three-dimensional world that feels entirely lived in. While there are plenty of sci-fi elements to it, many of which feel futuristic, the planet felt very much like twenty-first century Earth. As it’s set on an alien planet and features some technology beyond our own, I would have liked a stronger focus on its sci-fi elements, creating a planet that feels alien, with technology completely separate to ours.
While the cover doesn’t mention it (though the listing here does), Gateway is the first in a series, The Migax Cycle. If you’re wary of starting a book series, rest assured it tells a complete tale. The book stands on its own merits and is a satisfying read.
While some of the prose doesn’t work for me and I'd have preferred some heavier sci-fi elements, this book remains a great read. It's packed with memorable characters who move through an excellent plot. The true star is its themes, which the author has realised beautifully, elevating it from an enjoyable young adult story to something that truly resonates.
My full review will be available on my website from 2 November. To read it, and a host of other reviews (including the second book, Seserance , click here.
There’s a lot going on in Gateway: an alien world where humans and a reptilian, dragon-like race coexist, a school with secrets, mysterious underground organisation and conspiracy, a world besieged by terrorist attacks, and the threat of a powerful weapon. The book touches upon a variety of genres, including science fiction, young adult coming of age story, a conspiracy thriller, with a dash of cyberpunk thrown in for good measure. It’s a lot to get through, especially with a number of characters throughout, an intricate plot and strong themes. It is a testament to the author’s storytelling that it comes together so well.
Set on the planet Migax, it tells the story of Summer, a girl living a life of poverty, dreaming of a better future, which leads her to the prestigious school Askel, courtesy of a contract she signed with weapons manufacturer MiliLabs. Here she meets a skeefer (a reptilian species coexisting with humans) named Leafsong and her brother, Moonwafer. Together they navigate the issues at the school and a conspiracy associated with it and MiliLabs.
To provide more detail about the plot would spoil the fun of the story. It tells a story with plenty of twists, turns and revelations, up until its shock ending—something I didn't see coming. While it certainly tells a YA tale and a large part of it is Summer’s coming of age, the turns this story takes break from the genre’s tropes and provide a breath of fresh air.
Another fresh air is Gateway’s themes. The book’s content warnings include gun violence, animal cruelty and death, genocide and eugenics, ableism, classism, medical experimentation and police violence. These themes are heavy, particularly for a YA story, and the book doesn’t shy away from them. However, the author treats these with sensitivity, ensuring it is suitable and accessible to younger readers. The book touches upon humanity’s propensity to treat those different to ourselves, whether it be race or class, abuse of corporate power, propaganda, a sense of nationalism and patriotism, and the lengths people will go to when fearful of terrorism. It also features characters across the LGBTQI+ rainbow, including asexual and gender queer representation, treated sensitivity by the author.
The characters are entirely engaging. The two protagonists, Summer and Leafsong are a delight to follow, and their camaraderie is a joy, while the antagonists are layered. Gateway packs a number of other characters in, and they all feel fleshed out and fully formed. Their dialogue is engaging, and the characters all sound distinct from one another. The dialogue is entertaining, and often brings a sense of levity to the story.
The prose, however, was less successful for me. Some passages are beautiful, but at other points, I found it lacked colour, recounting events rather making me feel what's happening. The prose is easy to follow, though at times, it felt like an extra round of editing could have improved its flow.
The author has built a three-dimensional world that feels entirely lived in. While there are plenty of sci-fi elements to it, many of which feel futuristic, the planet felt very much like twenty-first century Earth. As it’s set on an alien planet and features some technology beyond our own, I would have liked a stronger focus on its sci-fi elements, creating a planet that feels alien, with technology completely separate to ours.
While the cover doesn’t mention it (though the listing here does), Gateway is the first in a series, The Migax Cycle. If you’re wary of starting a book series, rest assured it tells a complete tale. The book stands on its own merits and is a satisfying read.
While some of the prose doesn’t work for me and I'd have preferred some heavier sci-fi elements, this book remains a great read. It's packed with memorable characters who move through an excellent plot. The true star is its themes, which the author has realised beautifully, elevating it from an enjoyable young adult story to something that truly resonates.
My full review will be available on my website from 2 November. To read it, and a host of other reviews (including the second book, Seserance , click here.
June 3, 2020
Read my full review here: https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/20...
4.5 stars rounded up to 5/5
Opinions: Besides a few continuity errors, Gateway is the epitome of a YA Science Fiction novel! Complete with LGBTQ representation, an immersive story arc, credible science woven with intriguing fantasy, and relatable characters, readers are in for a treat. I couldn't set the book down, nor could I read it any faster - I just had to devour the intense moments and awkward conversations that kept me entertained but also shed light on a few lessons that readers can take away from reading if they please. One of the themes is, of course, the relevancy of government and education in a magic-using system. Deep, thought-provoking themes like this bound the plot together into one magnificent story! Gateway is one of those books where you must see what happens but you never want to end. All in all, a thrilling read and a gateway into a trilogy with lots of potential!
My Favourite Thing: I love the LGBTQ representation in Gateway! If you read a queer YA book, it's going to be a realistic fiction or coming of age. Seeing positive, inclusive themes in a fantasy/sci-fi book was inspirational in a whole new way and will reach out to many more teen readers. My heart was warmed by the awkward yet overcoming conversations the characters had about asexuality, an orientation not commonly discussed - more points! In short, I love Dunn's awareness and optimism regarding teen sexuality and its lack of representation in genres outside of realistic fiction.
My Least Favourite Thing: I didn't dislike anything about Gateway, but there are a few small faults that caught my eye along the way. Simple things like spelling and grammar errors (eg "vandalizers") don't change the story, but as a reader, they often took my attention away from the story and broke my engagement. I only removed 1/2 of a star because Gateway was an epic read, but these tiny errors did make a difference to the overall experience.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5/5
Opinions: Besides a few continuity errors, Gateway is the epitome of a YA Science Fiction novel! Complete with LGBTQ representation, an immersive story arc, credible science woven with intriguing fantasy, and relatable characters, readers are in for a treat. I couldn't set the book down, nor could I read it any faster - I just had to devour the intense moments and awkward conversations that kept me entertained but also shed light on a few lessons that readers can take away from reading if they please. One of the themes is, of course, the relevancy of government and education in a magic-using system. Deep, thought-provoking themes like this bound the plot together into one magnificent story! Gateway is one of those books where you must see what happens but you never want to end. All in all, a thrilling read and a gateway into a trilogy with lots of potential!
My Favourite Thing: I love the LGBTQ representation in Gateway! If you read a queer YA book, it's going to be a realistic fiction or coming of age. Seeing positive, inclusive themes in a fantasy/sci-fi book was inspirational in a whole new way and will reach out to many more teen readers. My heart was warmed by the awkward yet overcoming conversations the characters had about asexuality, an orientation not commonly discussed - more points! In short, I love Dunn's awareness and optimism regarding teen sexuality and its lack of representation in genres outside of realistic fiction.
My Least Favourite Thing: I didn't dislike anything about Gateway, but there are a few small faults that caught my eye along the way. Simple things like spelling and grammar errors (eg "vandalizers") don't change the story, but as a reader, they often took my attention away from the story and broke my engagement. I only removed 1/2 of a star because Gateway was an epic read, but these tiny errors did make a difference to the overall experience.
April 9, 2020
Gateway is an awesome book for anyone who loves fantasy stories. The author builds the world of Migax seamlessly, letting the reader fall into the story. The character development of Summer and Leafsong was skillfully done, diving into their backgrounds without taking away from the main plot, giving you an understanding of what drives each character. There’s also plenty of action, not to mention an evil corporation with an unknown agenda.
I loved reading about Summer and Leafsong’s friendship, as well as experiencing the new world. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
I loved reading about Summer and Leafsong’s friendship, as well as experiencing the new world. I can’t wait for the next book to come out!
July 7, 2020
Gateway is the perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. It has dragons and magical port-ways, it has a diverse cast of characters of all sexualities, and it accurately portrays how people from poorer backgrounds can find themselves at a disadvantage in an unfair society.
Summer and Leafsong are both outcasts in their new school of Aksel, though for different reasons. Summer is a human that comes from a set of slums called The Spreads, while Leafsong is a Skeefer, a type of dragon that has been altered by science. Together, they discover the darker side of Aksel and Mililabs, the weapons and science lab that acts as a sponsor to their school.
It’s a really imaginative tale, filled with a lot of warmth and heart.
Definitely worth a read!
Summer and Leafsong are both outcasts in their new school of Aksel, though for different reasons. Summer is a human that comes from a set of slums called The Spreads, while Leafsong is a Skeefer, a type of dragon that has been altered by science. Together, they discover the darker side of Aksel and Mililabs, the weapons and science lab that acts as a sponsor to their school.
It’s a really imaginative tale, filled with a lot of warmth and heart.
Definitely worth a read!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews