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Gatekeeper #2
Echo City
City of shadows.
City of monsters.
Art student and reluctant paladin Kay Darrow thought that being life-bonded to a magic sword with its own agenda was the worst thing that could happen to her.
Turns out she was wrong. Because now there's a city after her.
Not the people in the city. The city itself.
Welcome to New York. But not the one you know.
A standalone urban fantasy sweeping you away to a otherworldly New York City, where tigers lurk in the shadows and 1800s gangsters rule the streets.
City of monsters.
Art student and reluctant paladin Kay Darrow thought that being life-bonded to a magic sword with its own agenda was the worst thing that could happen to her.
Turns out she was wrong. Because now there's a city after her.
Not the people in the city. The city itself.
Welcome to New York. But not the one you know.
A standalone urban fantasy sweeping you away to a otherworldly New York City, where tigers lurk in the shadows and 1800s gangsters rule the streets.
- GenresUrban Fantasy
434 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 11, 2020
33 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Layla Lawlor
44 books35 followersLayla Lawlor is the author of KISMET (science fiction webcomic) and the forthcoming GATEKEEPER series (urban fantasy), as well as assorted short fiction. She also writes paranormal romance as Lauren Esker, and the BODYGUARD SHIFTERS series as Zoe Chant. She lives in Alaska, on the highway north of Fairbanks.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 14, 2021
I have not read the first book in this series, but this one was on sale, and I've enjoyed other works by this author, so I thought I'd take a chance on it. And I'm glad I did, because it's terrific. Kay is an ordinary young woman who becomes accidentally bonded with a powerful magic sword. This obligates her to take on the role of a monster-hunter, complete with a stern and mysterious mentor who has to quickly bring her up to speed on a world of magic and danger that she never knew existed. Kay reluctantly takes up the job, "until they can find someone better", but comes to realize that she has stakes in this battle as well. In this volume, she learns of the existence of "Shadow New York", a sort of magical echo of the real city, filled with ghosts, legends, and myths. Dark forces there threaten to spill out into the normal world, and Kay may turn out to be the key to their defeat...or their victory.
Urban fantasies with butt-kicking female leads are a dime-a-dozen, but the strength of the writing helps set this one apart. There's an impressive amount of lore and world-building here, drawing on both existing mythology (fans of Celtic legends will have a field day) and original ideas. But what really sold me were the characters, human and otherwise. They're messy and complicated and each one has agendas of their own, which may or may not coincide with Kay's goals. The main bad guy is pretty much Capital-E-Evil, but everyone else is painted in realistically muddy shades of gray. Likewise, there's an interesting sidebar where Kay struggles with the morality of the whole concept of "slaying monsters", when the "monsters" are often sentient beings in their own right. No easy answers are forthcoming.
Kay herself has all the qualities you'd want in a heroine -- brave, clever, determined -- but she's far from perfect. She mis-judges people. She makes bad choices. She tends to take her friends for granted, and she has trouble holding down a job. She gets herself into deep trouble, and then has to fight twice as hard to get back out. "Mary Sue" she ain't.
Consequences are a big deal in this book, whether it's making deals with magical entities, or just dealing with the fallout of the various battles. Kay's roommate, the very normal and mortal Fresca, is still suffering PTSD from her first brush with the supernatural in the previous volume. Another character who had been killed is still hanging around in ghost form, a pointed reminder of what's at stake.
Coming in cold to Book Two was no problem, as the story got me caught up quickly and painlessly on the Who, What, When, Where, Why of the situation. But I'm definitely going back to grab Book One, because I want all of the Kay and Company that I can get.
Urban fantasies with butt-kicking female leads are a dime-a-dozen, but the strength of the writing helps set this one apart. There's an impressive amount of lore and world-building here, drawing on both existing mythology (fans of Celtic legends will have a field day) and original ideas. But what really sold me were the characters, human and otherwise. They're messy and complicated and each one has agendas of their own, which may or may not coincide with Kay's goals. The main bad guy is pretty much Capital-E-Evil, but everyone else is painted in realistically muddy shades of gray. Likewise, there's an interesting sidebar where Kay struggles with the morality of the whole concept of "slaying monsters", when the "monsters" are often sentient beings in their own right. No easy answers are forthcoming.
Kay herself has all the qualities you'd want in a heroine -- brave, clever, determined -- but she's far from perfect. She mis-judges people. She makes bad choices. She tends to take her friends for granted, and she has trouble holding down a job. She gets herself into deep trouble, and then has to fight twice as hard to get back out. "Mary Sue" she ain't.
Consequences are a big deal in this book, whether it's making deals with magical entities, or just dealing with the fallout of the various battles. Kay's roommate, the very normal and mortal Fresca, is still suffering PTSD from her first brush with the supernatural in the previous volume. Another character who had been killed is still hanging around in ghost form, a pointed reminder of what's at stake.
Coming in cold to Book Two was no problem, as the story got me caught up quickly and painlessly on the Who, What, When, Where, Why of the situation. But I'm definitely going back to grab Book One, because I want all of the Kay and Company that I can get.
October 2, 2020
Far too much sightseeing
Didn't finish. Far to much time spent sightseeing in various worlds without advancing plot or character development. Kept wanting to tell the author to get to the point.
Didn't finish. Far to much time spent sightseeing in various worlds without advancing plot or character development. Kept wanting to tell the author to get to the point.
August 8, 2024
Hooked on the Gatekeeper
I started this series with trepidation because I wasn't sure that I would like it. I have decided that I like this series very much. It's very entertaining.
I started this series with trepidation because I wasn't sure that I would like it. I have decided that I like this series very much. It's very entertaining.
December 29, 2024
This story takes place in an (or several) alternate New York City. That said, it is obvious that the author did a tremendous amount of research on what New York was like at various points in time.
If there is one thing I love in a "parallel universe" setting, it is historical accuracy!
If there is one thing I love in a "parallel universe" setting, it is historical accuracy!
September 7, 2020
The characters are compelling, the action is breathless, the world building is top notch. This is amazing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews