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The Dragon Gate #1
The Dragon Gate
He swore an oath to protect all life. Now he must kill to survive.
Being a knight at the Renaissance Festival is easy, but when Ryan is magically kidnapped to another world, the quest might leave him dead. Mistaken for a dragon-slaying knight, he must kill the dragon queen to be sent home.
At least he is not alone. Three of his friends are kidnapped beside him, all of them mistaken for the Ellorian Champions. The real heroes have been missing for years, but they may hold the key to keeping everyone alive.
Being a knight at the Renaissance Festival is easy, but when Ryan is magically kidnapped to another world, the quest might leave him dead. Mistaken for a dragon-slaying knight, he must kill the dragon queen to be sent home.
At least he is not alone. Three of his friends are kidnapped beside him, all of them mistaken for the Ellorian Champions. The real heroes have been missing for years, but they may hold the key to keeping everyone alive.
- GenresFantasyFictionUnfinished
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2020
84 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
December 11, 2020
The Dragon Gate, 1st in series
Four unsuspecting friends time travel through Stonehenge to another world where they become Ellorian Champions. The original Champions disappearance is speculated as these four investigate and they do become the Champions replications. Only things do not go well on their quest to subdue the Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons role playing tossed in with Lord of the Rings quest and The Outlander for time travel are the imagery and impressions this story tells. Personable characters that will make you angry, annoyed as well as enjoy. Yes I had a favorite. A part of a series so the ending isn’t a cliffhanger per se. As the group confides in a childhood friend, who sees truth to their outrageous storytelling, Jack is left with them gone onto another summoned quest.
Four unsuspecting friends time travel through Stonehenge to another world where they become Ellorian Champions. The original Champions disappearance is speculated as these four investigate and they do become the Champions replications. Only things do not go well on their quest to subdue the Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons role playing tossed in with Lord of the Rings quest and The Outlander for time travel are the imagery and impressions this story tells. Personable characters that will make you angry, annoyed as well as enjoy. Yes I had a favorite. A part of a series so the ending isn’t a cliffhanger per se. As the group confides in a childhood friend, who sees truth to their outrageous storytelling, Jack is left with them gone onto another summoned quest.
December 1, 2020
Review of The Dragons Gate
I was privileged this book as a review copy.
This book was a great read! It had adventurers and monsters. It kinda reminded me of a DnD campaign. It was a lot of fun, and I look forward to the next one.
I was privileged this book as a review copy.
This book was a great read! It had adventurers and monsters. It kinda reminded me of a DnD campaign. It was a lot of fun, and I look forward to the next one.
Read
June 26, 2024A casual, fun story set in a dungeons & dragons-y world. Portal fantasy, where the four main characters come from Earth but are summoned to a fantasy world to fight dragons. An enjoyable read, especially for fans of d&d. Slightly spicy, for which purpose I would estimate the book to be 16+ with probably an intended audience of people in their early 20s.
What I Liked:
I felt that this story did a great job with the flow of mystery in various facets. It kept me turning pages because it withheld information in a way that piqued my curiosity; it fueled some drama by revealing some information to the reader but not to the characters; it makes the reader feel smart by dropping hints that allow the reader to guess some answers shortly before they are actually revealed.
I also enjoyed how the main characters had clear arcs, with particular deficiencies that they were able to work through as their adventure progressed, and how the challenges each encountered were what each one needed to overcome his or her particular flaw. One character in particular I appreciated as her flaw was a belligerent atheism, which was resolved in a way that didn't preach a particular worldview to the reader.
The story set itself up for a world and a series of sequels, but was also self-contained, with a good resolution.
Areas For Improvement:
Like many portal fantasy stories, it can be hard to escape the need to exposit. The characters don't know anything about the world, as one might expect for the genre, and need the world and its rules explained to them. At times, however, it did feel like pouring worldbuilding and lore directly into my brain. Some people would recommend to cut back on that, and I think that's valid - another approach could be to lean into it. I'm thinking of the LitRPG genre, where the mechanics and the characters' exact abilities are given directly to the reader, and then the author plays with those. This world/system I think could fit super well into that style and allows even more sharing of how magic works, lore, etc..
Another area I had trouble with was the no-choice aspect of the premise. Baked into the premise was that the characters were magically bound to complete the quest given to them, so that even if they wanted to give up, they couldn't. The characters nonetheless wrestled with potentially finding loopholes, and with their own motivations for working with it, and they were not driven solely by the "you just have to do it" spell. I do think that the magical forcing of their hand was an always-present backdrop on their impetus for their involvement, and made the characters' decisions weaker as a result, because in the end they didn't really have a choice. I do believe that some tweaking and strengthening of the motives, mixed with perhaps some adjusted character traits etc. could make the magical railroading unnecessary for the plot, and would strengthen the story as a whole. On the other hand, the unrejectable quest-summoning spell is not an uninteresting premise, and fertile grounds for both mystery and moral dilemmas that I imagine may be explored in other books in the series.
What I Liked:
I felt that this story did a great job with the flow of mystery in various facets. It kept me turning pages because it withheld information in a way that piqued my curiosity; it fueled some drama by revealing some information to the reader but not to the characters; it makes the reader feel smart by dropping hints that allow the reader to guess some answers shortly before they are actually revealed.
I also enjoyed how the main characters had clear arcs, with particular deficiencies that they were able to work through as their adventure progressed, and how the challenges each encountered were what each one needed to overcome his or her particular flaw. One character in particular I appreciated as her flaw was a belligerent atheism, which was resolved in a way that didn't preach a particular worldview to the reader.
The story set itself up for a world and a series of sequels, but was also self-contained, with a good resolution.
Areas For Improvement:
Like many portal fantasy stories, it can be hard to escape the need to exposit. The characters don't know anything about the world, as one might expect for the genre, and need the world and its rules explained to them. At times, however, it did feel like pouring worldbuilding and lore directly into my brain. Some people would recommend to cut back on that, and I think that's valid - another approach could be to lean into it. I'm thinking of the LitRPG genre, where the mechanics and the characters' exact abilities are given directly to the reader, and then the author plays with those. This world/system I think could fit super well into that style and allows even more sharing of how magic works, lore, etc..
Another area I had trouble with was the no-choice aspect of the premise. Baked into the premise was that the characters were magically bound to complete the quest given to them, so that even if they wanted to give up, they couldn't. The characters nonetheless wrestled with potentially finding loopholes, and with their own motivations for working with it, and they were not driven solely by the "you just have to do it" spell. I do think that the magical forcing of their hand was an always-present backdrop on their impetus for their involvement, and made the characters' decisions weaker as a result, because in the end they didn't really have a choice. I do believe that some tweaking and strengthening of the motives, mixed with perhaps some adjusted character traits etc. could make the magical railroading unnecessary for the plot, and would strengthen the story as a whole. On the other hand, the unrejectable quest-summoning spell is not an uninteresting premise, and fertile grounds for both mystery and moral dilemmas that I imagine may be explored in other books in the series.
June 27, 2023
This fantasy novel series has more descriptions of the "other world" and the main characters than most novels of this genre. The thing is, this author, spends way too much time, on sum-zero dialogues (conversations that don't go anywhere), explanations that don't move the plot arcs or theme forwards, etc.
This first book, has a map of this "other world", but has no character summaries, or inside illustrations. The story (action) moves really slowly, the main characters spend a really short time span in this first book. I doubt that even a week goes by.
The main characters have real-life emotional and personal conflicts (denial in killing another sapient being, crisis in causing physical handicap of a family member, probably a sexual assault not emotionally treated, etc.) If this enriches the main characters in this fantasy novel series, the question becomes, do any of these conflicts, push the story forward??
The theme, apparently, is that four friends go to the Stonehenge ruins in England and get summoned to another world. Did the main characters want to be summoned? No. Did they have a real reason to go all the way to Stonehenge? No. Did the author explain why they went to Stonehenge? No. Can this be considered a plot hole? Yes! So, these four "friends" get summoned to another world (isekai-ed), to defeat a Dragoness. Do the main characters have martial arts training, magical training or special abilities? No, they are apparently regular people (fragile, weak and in total denial). This non-commited group of friends, aren't really convinced that they should, that they can, that they have no choice, but to defeat this powerful Dragoness. Even horse-back riding is hard for the main characters, not to mention, using swords, bows, armor, magic, healing spells, etc.
A group of abled/experienced elves and dwarves "train" and "teach" these "heroes" horse-back riding, martial arts and weapons training and magical skills (in the few hours before they traveled to the Dragon Gate).
So, what could be the point (that the author is trying to make) in choosing main characters that CLEARLY aren't capable, aren't convinced, aren't committed into being the "heroes" that this "other world" and "this story" obviously requires? This author over-explains and has excessive conversations of the main characters but never really explains or answers these questions... without coming out nonsensical, irrational or illogical. Can someone that worked as an "extra" in a Medieval Entertainment Park, have the capacity to become a "real-life-Dragon-Slaying-Hero"? Can a group of "extras" from a Medieval Entertainment Park be really and truly considered real-life-heroes?
This first book, has a map of this "other world", but has no character summaries, or inside illustrations. The story (action) moves really slowly, the main characters spend a really short time span in this first book. I doubt that even a week goes by.
The main characters have real-life emotional and personal conflicts (denial in killing another sapient being, crisis in causing physical handicap of a family member, probably a sexual assault not emotionally treated, etc.) If this enriches the main characters in this fantasy novel series, the question becomes, do any of these conflicts, push the story forward??
The theme, apparently, is that four friends go to the Stonehenge ruins in England and get summoned to another world. Did the main characters want to be summoned? No. Did they have a real reason to go all the way to Stonehenge? No. Did the author explain why they went to Stonehenge? No. Can this be considered a plot hole? Yes! So, these four "friends" get summoned to another world (isekai-ed), to defeat a Dragoness. Do the main characters have martial arts training, magical training or special abilities? No, they are apparently regular people (fragile, weak and in total denial). This non-commited group of friends, aren't really convinced that they should, that they can, that they have no choice, but to defeat this powerful Dragoness. Even horse-back riding is hard for the main characters, not to mention, using swords, bows, armor, magic, healing spells, etc.
A group of abled/experienced elves and dwarves "train" and "teach" these "heroes" horse-back riding, martial arts and weapons training and magical skills (in the few hours before they traveled to the Dragon Gate).
So, what could be the point (that the author is trying to make) in choosing main characters that CLEARLY aren't capable, aren't convinced, aren't committed into being the "heroes" that this "other world" and "this story" obviously requires? This author over-explains and has excessive conversations of the main characters but never really explains or answers these questions... without coming out nonsensical, irrational or illogical. Can someone that worked as an "extra" in a Medieval Entertainment Park, have the capacity to become a "real-life-Dragon-Slaying-Hero"? Can a group of "extras" from a Medieval Entertainment Park be really and truly considered real-life-heroes?
December 26, 2020
The Dragon Gate by Randy Ellefson – Book Review
Fair disclosure: I was asked to write a review of this book and given a free copy, but no payment to review. So here goes: my opinion on The Dragon Gate (The Dragon Gate Series Book 1).
This story of four friends (Eric, Ryan, Anna and Matt) who are magically pulled into a fantasy world, is the set up for a series of books. As such, though the main plot of the novel is drawn to a close in the end, there are several threads left dangling to be picked up in the next instalment.
Briefly, in the story the protagonists end up in Honyn, a land where magic works, and they are immediately mistaken for four champions who rid this world of dragons years ago. The threat of dragons is back and it’s up to the protagonists to repeat this feat. Hoping that completing the quest will enable them to return home they take it on, whilst trying to figure out the rules of this world, their role with in it and how to become the heroes people think they are.
The novel works as an ensemble piece, concentrating on each of the protagonists in equal measure. Sometimes the focus is on their internal struggle, at others on their developing skills and their escapades. In the balance between psychological depth and moving the story along, the author has opted for the latter and as a result the story moves at a good pace. It zips from plot point to plot point like a well-run railway schedule. Though they seemed a little superficial to me, the characters are interesting with enough personal struggles to be believable and it has entertaining action scenes. It’s an adventure story, not a psychodrama.
For fans of swords and sorcery fantasy who are looking for a fun adventure that is easy to access, this is an excellent choice. I found it an enjoyable read and there is certainly enough mystery left at the end to form the basis for a series.
Fair disclosure: I was asked to write a review of this book and given a free copy, but no payment to review. So here goes: my opinion on The Dragon Gate (The Dragon Gate Series Book 1).
This story of four friends (Eric, Ryan, Anna and Matt) who are magically pulled into a fantasy world, is the set up for a series of books. As such, though the main plot of the novel is drawn to a close in the end, there are several threads left dangling to be picked up in the next instalment.
Briefly, in the story the protagonists end up in Honyn, a land where magic works, and they are immediately mistaken for four champions who rid this world of dragons years ago. The threat of dragons is back and it’s up to the protagonists to repeat this feat. Hoping that completing the quest will enable them to return home they take it on, whilst trying to figure out the rules of this world, their role with in it and how to become the heroes people think they are.
The novel works as an ensemble piece, concentrating on each of the protagonists in equal measure. Sometimes the focus is on their internal struggle, at others on their developing skills and their escapades. In the balance between psychological depth and moving the story along, the author has opted for the latter and as a result the story moves at a good pace. It zips from plot point to plot point like a well-run railway schedule. Though they seemed a little superficial to me, the characters are interesting with enough personal struggles to be believable and it has entertaining action scenes. It’s an adventure story, not a psychodrama.
For fans of swords and sorcery fantasy who are looking for a fun adventure that is easy to access, this is an excellent choice. I found it an enjoyable read and there is certainly enough mystery left at the end to form the basis for a series.
August 18, 2024
This was a forgotten gem from my library. A new author for me & I was pleasantly surprised. This has Wandering Inn vibes so I was instantly hooked. The prospect of being transported to another realm in the blink of an eye always intrigues me.
We start out with 4 friends, Eric, Ryan, Anna, and Matt. The group was looking for Anna's necklace that she lost. It was given to her by her mother and it had strange words on it that nobody could read but nonetheless it was important to her. In the blink of an eye, they were suddenly somewhere else and being called Hero's called The Ellorian Champions They became four different people
A reluctant knight in shining armor with brother issues
An eager wizard wannabe with a glowing staff
A healer with serious faith issues
And last but not forgotten a rogue/jack-of-many-trades,
They are given a quest by the Queen to close the Dragon Gate and get the dragons back through the Gate before closing it. They had no idea what they were doing and were quite scared. Not sure if they will triumph or not they risk their lives because that’s the only way for them to get home and they know danger awaits them. They must find courage or be trapped here.
We start out with 4 friends, Eric, Ryan, Anna, and Matt. The group was looking for Anna's necklace that she lost. It was given to her by her mother and it had strange words on it that nobody could read but nonetheless it was important to her. In the blink of an eye, they were suddenly somewhere else and being called Hero's called The Ellorian Champions They became four different people
A reluctant knight in shining armor with brother issues
An eager wizard wannabe with a glowing staff
A healer with serious faith issues
And last but not forgotten a rogue/jack-of-many-trades,
They are given a quest by the Queen to close the Dragon Gate and get the dragons back through the Gate before closing it. They had no idea what they were doing and were quite scared. Not sure if they will triumph or not they risk their lives because that’s the only way for them to get home and they know danger awaits them. They must find courage or be trapped here.
November 29, 2021
The Dragon Gate is Book 1 of The Dragon Gate Series by Randy Ellefson. This fantasy is outstanding. Four friends who enjoy Renaissance Festivals are transported from modern Earth to the ancient world of Honyn the Kingdom of Alunia. Ryan, Matt, Eric and Anna are expected to close the Dragon Gate and send the Dragons back into captivity. Easy peasy, right? They are joined by Lorian, an elf, who is the only one to know the truth about the friends. Randy Ellefson has written an exciting story with adventure, action, magic, Dragons, characters that are believable and realistic. If you enjoy fantasy, this series is exceptional. I received an arc for free and am leaving my review voluntarily.
January 20, 2021
This is the first book I read from this author and let me tell you that I loved it! Such a good book with great characters that keeps you obsessed with every page since the first one. The ending of this book.. come on! I just didn´t expect it! Can´t wait to read other books from this great writer! Amazing job! a must-read! A fantastic book that has it all! I happily endorse this story to any and all who are looking for a fantasy enjoyable read and a completely different experience than anyone could imagine on their own. Great book!
October 27, 2022
I picked this one up through an email from the International Association of Science Fiction
and Fantasy Authors (iasfa.org), along with several other sci-fi, fantasy, and urban fantasy titles.
I am hoping the others I picked up will be just as good.
When I started reading this I ended up thinking I was a part of the story; it has all the elements of a classic fantasy adventure.
I have already gotten the rest of the series since I was so impressed with this one.
If you like fantasy adventures, you need to check this one out for yourself.
and Fantasy Authors (iasfa.org), along with several other sci-fi, fantasy, and urban fantasy titles.
I am hoping the others I picked up will be just as good.
When I started reading this I ended up thinking I was a part of the story; it has all the elements of a classic fantasy adventure.
I have already gotten the rest of the series since I was so impressed with this one.
If you like fantasy adventures, you need to check this one out for yourself.
January 15, 2022
A fun read that takes a different roadd to time travel. The four main characters find out not only have they traveled but they have a purpose to fulfill. The world building is not as developed as the four main characters. I really liked how they changed and grew when presented with challenges. I am enjoying this series with a few surprises thrown in.
I received this book for free and I am happy to leave a reveiw.
I received this book for free and I am happy to leave a reveiw.
January 30, 2022
Received this book for honest read and review.
Centres around 4 friends who go to Stonehenge for a trip and end up travelling through time to another world ,to be 4 heroes of old and the Champions.
A good premise along the lines of Dungeons and dragons,maybe a bit far fetched that they all managed to have some sort of power, but good story that had me reading until the end.
I received an advance reader copy for free,and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Centres around 4 friends who go to Stonehenge for a trip and end up travelling through time to another world ,to be 4 heroes of old and the Champions.
A good premise along the lines of Dungeons and dragons,maybe a bit far fetched that they all managed to have some sort of power, but good story that had me reading until the end.
I received an advance reader copy for free,and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 21, 2021
Well developed magical adventure fantasy that I thoroughly enjoyed. Well done world building and character growth throughout.
This is the first I have read of this authors works and look forward to more.
I highly recommend to anyone that enjoys dragons, elves, wizards and more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the first I have read of this authors works and look forward to more.
I highly recommend to anyone that enjoys dragons, elves, wizards and more.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 7, 2020
Page turner
This is an excellent book reminiscent of Tolkien. High adventure, intrigue, elves, dwarfs, dragons, and strange new worlds make this a page turner. I highly recommend this book.
This is an excellent book reminiscent of Tolkien. High adventure, intrigue, elves, dwarfs, dragons, and strange new worlds make this a page turner. I highly recommend this book.
June 14, 2021
Alakazam!
This book has been quite a ride. Four friends disappear while visiting England. What happened to them ? After two weeks Earth time they reappear. The intriguing story awaits you.
This book has been quite a ride. Four friends disappear while visiting England. What happened to them ? After two weeks Earth time they reappear. The intriguing story awaits you.
November 10, 2021
Excellent read
Really good. I love the characters. I also liked how 4 people who knew nothing were forced to learn how to survive a world with different rules. My favorite part is Anna starting to believe in a higher power and losing some of her atheist views
Really good. I love the characters. I also liked how 4 people who knew nothing were forced to learn how to survive a world with different rules. My favorite part is Anna starting to believe in a higher power and losing some of her atheist views
February 12, 2022
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Eric, Ryan, Anna, and Matt have been transported to another world. They have been mistaken for heroes, the Ellorian Champions. They cannot believe their eyes, thinking it is a dream. But when they realize it’s not the case, they already pledged to the queen to close the Dragon Gate.
That means also trying to get the dragons back through the Gate. On there first night in the palace, they get attacked who wants to kill them? There are also people who want to ride on their famous status and some don’t want them to succeed in their mission. The friends feel like imposters, but only a few know the truth. Do they have the courage to fulfil this mission?
There is a nice plot twist, lots of action, friendship, and teamwork. It was an exciting world building, imagine you are transported to a strange world and meet your first elf in the flesh. Four ordinary friends go on a extraordinary journey. A journey of self introspect, that they are more then they believe. These unexpected hero powers will transform them. Awesome story and must read, as I felt compelled to read it until the end.
Eric, Ryan, Anna, and Matt have been transported to another world. They have been mistaken for heroes, the Ellorian Champions. They cannot believe their eyes, thinking it is a dream. But when they realize it’s not the case, they already pledged to the queen to close the Dragon Gate.
That means also trying to get the dragons back through the Gate. On there first night in the palace, they get attacked who wants to kill them? There are also people who want to ride on their famous status and some don’t want them to succeed in their mission. The friends feel like imposters, but only a few know the truth. Do they have the courage to fulfil this mission?
There is a nice plot twist, lots of action, friendship, and teamwork. It was an exciting world building, imagine you are transported to a strange world and meet your first elf in the flesh. Four ordinary friends go on a extraordinary journey. A journey of self introspect, that they are more then they believe. These unexpected hero powers will transform them. Awesome story and must read, as I felt compelled to read it until the end.
May 9, 2022
In a fit of whimsy, I hereby announce I will give everyone five stars, but the reviews may not reflect it.
Good one. A comfort read for those seeking something familiar - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2022/05/...
Good one. A comfort read for those seeking something familiar - https://www.alwroteabook.com/2022/05/...
April 10, 2022
So . . . I could only give this 40 pages. Meh. Nothing epic, weak writing. I couldn't do better, but I don't keep reaching such weak efforts. Skip it.
January 9, 2023
Loved it! Randy Ellefson is an incredibly talented and award winning author. The Dragon Gate is a fun and page-turning read and is highly recommended. I can't wait to read the next installments!
August 30, 2023
Not bad
Magic.dwarfs. elves.even fragons. Of course good and bad magic. Plenty of action. Mingling our word and a magic world. No bad.
Magic.dwarfs. elves.even fragons. Of course good and bad magic. Plenty of action. Mingling our word and a magic world. No bad.
May 11, 2024
DNF 16%
The bouncing between POVs was tiring and poorly done.
The bouncing between POVs was tiring and poorly done.
January 13, 2026
Reading this book was such a chore. The POV hops from one perspective to another without warning, which left me confused each time it happened. Worse still is that the characters all kinda suck. They’re literally introduced through long, boring info dumps and they don’t develop much from there. On top of that, they all talk and sound alike, which makes it very confusing when the POV changes and suddenly we’re hearing a different character’s thoughts. It left me thinking that if the author cared this little about his characters then why should I? DNF
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews