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Cambridge Gothic #2
Gate of Shadows
A mystic portal lies open. A chilling predator stalks the night. Can an undaunted student stop the darkness from spreading?
Giles Chamberlain returns to a snowbound Cambridge after Christmas spent with his girlfriend. Determined to prove himself to her family, he sets out to discover what became of her missing brother. But when he encounters a sinister figure prowling the college’s rooftops, he suspects last semester’s creature was not the only entity to cross into our world.
After the tight-lipped Professor Gupta refuses his plea for help, Giles enlists his feuding friends to locate the otherworldly passage. As hunters and hunted converge on the portal, the students discover just how far the old academic will go to keep his secret safe.
Faced with forces beyond his imagination, can Giles conjure up the key to save them all?
Giles Chamberlain returns to a snowbound Cambridge after Christmas spent with his girlfriend. Determined to prove himself to her family, he sets out to discover what became of her missing brother. But when he encounters a sinister figure prowling the college’s rooftops, he suspects last semester’s creature was not the only entity to cross into our world.
After the tight-lipped Professor Gupta refuses his plea for help, Giles enlists his feuding friends to locate the otherworldly passage. As hunters and hunted converge on the portal, the students discover just how far the old academic will go to keep his secret safe.
Faced with forces beyond his imagination, can Giles conjure up the key to save them all?
307 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2021
32 people are currently reading
82 people want to read
About the author
Mark Wells
3 books45 followersOnce upon a time, a young law student of St John's College Cambridge could be found sneaking out of the University Library and wandering into Heffers bookshop on Trinity Street. There he lost himself in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Hobbit, and Lord of the Rings. Many years later, older but not necessarily wiser, that same former student started spinning tales of fantasy in a university already steeped in myth and legend. And so began Cambridge Gothic.
After years of working in an office and dreaming about becoming a writer, I can't tell you how much it means to see my words in print. So far, the reviews for College of Shadows and Gate of Shadows have been incredibly positive. The third book in the trilogy, Legacy of the Shadows, will be launched in April 2023. I can't thank readers enough for their support and encouragement. Knowing how many people are looking forward to the next book in the series inspires me to keep writing every day.
As for the setting, I always felt that Cambridge would make the perfect backdrop for the fantasy stories I wanted to tell. In my books, I have kept the locations as true to life as possible, and readers tell me they think of the city as one of the characters in the story. I'm thrilled that is the case. Cambridge is a unique place with all sorts of quirks and mannerisms for those willing to see. Even after all these years, I still find it full of surprises, and I try to share these with you whenever possible.
Given the authentic setting, readers often ask if the characters are based on real people. All are creations of my imagination, though I've undoubtedly been influenced by people I've encountered over the years. So beware next time you see me in a coffee shop, peering over my Flat White at the other patrons. I may well be looking for a new character for my next book!
If you want to hear more about the series, my latest news, or exclusive offers, why not subscribe to my newsletter? I send each subscriber a free copy of Cambridge Shadows, a collection of five short stories set in the mysterious world of Cambridge Gothic. I also include the Prologue to the first full-length novel in the series, College of Shadows. Just go to www.marknwells.com.
That's it from me. If you have any suggestions about characters, settings, or plotlines for future books, please feel free to get in touch through my website or social media. I always reply when people contact me, and every comment is valuable, no matter how small.
I hope you enjoy the series. It's Cambridge, but not as you know it...
After years of working in an office and dreaming about becoming a writer, I can't tell you how much it means to see my words in print. So far, the reviews for College of Shadows and Gate of Shadows have been incredibly positive. The third book in the trilogy, Legacy of the Shadows, will be launched in April 2023. I can't thank readers enough for their support and encouragement. Knowing how many people are looking forward to the next book in the series inspires me to keep writing every day.
As for the setting, I always felt that Cambridge would make the perfect backdrop for the fantasy stories I wanted to tell. In my books, I have kept the locations as true to life as possible, and readers tell me they think of the city as one of the characters in the story. I'm thrilled that is the case. Cambridge is a unique place with all sorts of quirks and mannerisms for those willing to see. Even after all these years, I still find it full of surprises, and I try to share these with you whenever possible.
Given the authentic setting, readers often ask if the characters are based on real people. All are creations of my imagination, though I've undoubtedly been influenced by people I've encountered over the years. So beware next time you see me in a coffee shop, peering over my Flat White at the other patrons. I may well be looking for a new character for my next book!
If you want to hear more about the series, my latest news, or exclusive offers, why not subscribe to my newsletter? I send each subscriber a free copy of Cambridge Shadows, a collection of five short stories set in the mysterious world of Cambridge Gothic. I also include the Prologue to the first full-length novel in the series, College of Shadows. Just go to www.marknwells.com.
That's it from me. If you have any suggestions about characters, settings, or plotlines for future books, please feel free to get in touch through my website or social media. I always reply when people contact me, and every comment is valuable, no matter how small.
I hope you enjoy the series. It's Cambridge, but not as you know it...
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
August 25, 2022
Second book in this series, I read the first one a few days ago and couldn't wait to get into this one.
I was not disappointed, I really loved it. There were all the characters I had got used to and liked, also a couple of new ones, that I am unsure about at the moment. I can't work out what side they are on.
The plot thickens in this one and it just gets better, and I can't wait to get into the next one.
These are so well written, really descriptive with some great mish mash of characters who you would not put together but who gel perfectly.
I was not disappointed, I really loved it. There were all the characters I had got used to and liked, also a couple of new ones, that I am unsure about at the moment. I can't work out what side they are on.
The plot thickens in this one and it just gets better, and I can't wait to get into the next one.
These are so well written, really descriptive with some great mish mash of characters who you would not put together but who gel perfectly.
August 15, 2022
I can't wait until book 3
This is the best thing I've read in a long while. Delighted to have stumbled on it but wish I'd waited for book 3 before I started... THE WAIT WILL KILL ME.
This is the best thing I've read in a long while. Delighted to have stumbled on it but wish I'd waited for book 3 before I started... THE WAIT WILL KILL ME.
January 15, 2021
Dangerous
Nick, Giles, and Professor Gupta, and others are once again pulled into a terrifying adventure. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Collage has never been so dangerous.
Nick, Giles, and Professor Gupta, and others are once again pulled into a terrifying adventure. Keeps you on the edge of your seat. Collage has never been so dangerous.
November 16, 2022
Fantastic! As much as I struggled to get into first one a little bit, this one just blew me away! Chilling, haunting and everything in between. Highly recommended! I also highly recommend to sign up to the author’s mailing list - in return you will receive series of short stories taking place in the same universe. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
March 31, 2022
Oh my gosh I inhaled this book. I loved coming back to beautiful Cambridge and following all my friends on this new, harrowing adventure!! It goes even deeper on the world building and mystery. Immersive and exciting!
August 19, 2021
This was very good.It switched from world to world,time to time,giving us the backstory of the monsters in 'College Of Shadows'.I enjoyed it. Kieran Sword was a fantastic narrator.I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.'
November 20, 2023
I was fortunate enough to have met Mark when I was a student at Cambridge, and his laidback mien belied a talent for creative writing.
I would recommend this book highly, and if you are reading, this, Mark: Hello!
This gothic series takes me back to Cambridge, especially St John’s, Mark’s alma mater and a college where I’d attended a number of formals and a May Ball. Unlike many novels set in this ancient university, the gothic series is modern. This diversity extends to the dramatis personae. The leader of the gang is a Nepalese professor, and one side character is Asian.
I would recommend this book highly, and if you are reading, this, Mark: Hello!
This gothic series takes me back to Cambridge, especially St John’s, Mark’s alma mater and a college where I’d attended a number of formals and a May Ball. Unlike many novels set in this ancient university, the gothic series is modern. This diversity extends to the dramatis personae. The leader of the gang is a Nepalese professor, and one side character is Asian.
July 22, 2021
Oh, how I wish we had half-stars in the rating... It's really more than a 4 but still not a 5 star book for me - so let's agree on 4.5:)
I finished listening to it a few days ago but I had to think on my rating a bit longer than ususal. I am still not sure exactly why...
The first book in the series left us really wanting to know what happened to Alfonso, who Mary is and why she's there, in the world behind the Gate - a great starting point for book two. And the second book delivers on its promise to reveal all those secrets. These parts - everything that goes on in the Gemini world, all that in Cambridge is strictly connected to the secret of the portal, the paranormal elements - are great, intriguing, engaging, captivating... The other parts of the book - the college life with everything it means: trainings, studying, partying, competitions or play acting - are equally well written and fun. But somehow I felt the focus of the story was a little too much on the college life; there were so many details of it that I started to feel as if suddenly looking for the answers to the mystery of the portal and the world behind it lost importance for most of our characters... It just felt a bit illogical, a bit unbalanced...
And yet, the book keeps you listen on - you really want to continue, you really want to discover all that there is to discover and you don't want to miss any smallest clue or detail... This is the great strength of the book and Mark Wells' writing: the complexity of the world and the depth of the characters, who are ambiguous, definitely not black and white, sometimes enigmatic, sometimes utterly surprising, but always feeling real. And they compell you to think, to question their choices and motives at times, but never leave you indifferent...
Narration by Ciaran Saward is as great as in book one. The pace he reads at, the voicing of individual characters are almost perfect. He takes the book that is already extremelly gripping to another level:)
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
I finished listening to it a few days ago but I had to think on my rating a bit longer than ususal. I am still not sure exactly why...
The first book in the series left us really wanting to know what happened to Alfonso, who Mary is and why she's there, in the world behind the Gate - a great starting point for book two. And the second book delivers on its promise to reveal all those secrets. These parts - everything that goes on in the Gemini world, all that in Cambridge is strictly connected to the secret of the portal, the paranormal elements - are great, intriguing, engaging, captivating... The other parts of the book - the college life with everything it means: trainings, studying, partying, competitions or play acting - are equally well written and fun. But somehow I felt the focus of the story was a little too much on the college life; there were so many details of it that I started to feel as if suddenly looking for the answers to the mystery of the portal and the world behind it lost importance for most of our characters... It just felt a bit illogical, a bit unbalanced...
And yet, the book keeps you listen on - you really want to continue, you really want to discover all that there is to discover and you don't want to miss any smallest clue or detail... This is the great strength of the book and Mark Wells' writing: the complexity of the world and the depth of the characters, who are ambiguous, definitely not black and white, sometimes enigmatic, sometimes utterly surprising, but always feeling real. And they compell you to think, to question their choices and motives at times, but never leave you indifferent...
Narration by Ciaran Saward is as great as in book one. The pace he reads at, the voicing of individual characters are almost perfect. He takes the book that is already extremelly gripping to another level:)
DISCLAIMER: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.
May 22, 2021
Darkness, action and mysteries. What’s not to like?
Book two of the Cambridge series didn’t disappoint. It kept its dark themes, action, mysteries and thrills from start to end. We also learned more about life at the college for both students and professors, and saw both more of the dark sides of the university, and the light sides like sports, romance and camaraderie. Next got to dig deeper into the fantasy side of the story with both trips into the past, and into the other dimension with its rugged landscapes, hot sun and barbaric conditions. It’s a story about courage and perseverance in the heart of hardship and trials. We were also introduced to new characters and creatures. I wonder if we won’t get another book in this series. I know that I will love to read that one too.
The narration was just as good in the second book as in the first. The narrator is excellent and doing the different voices, and the use of old Cambridge music adds a nice touch to the story.
I love the second book just as much as I love the first one. As last time I borrowed the KU version and got the audio for free. Since I loved the book, I am leaving a voluntary review.
Book two of the Cambridge series didn’t disappoint. It kept its dark themes, action, mysteries and thrills from start to end. We also learned more about life at the college for both students and professors, and saw both more of the dark sides of the university, and the light sides like sports, romance and camaraderie. Next got to dig deeper into the fantasy side of the story with both trips into the past, and into the other dimension with its rugged landscapes, hot sun and barbaric conditions. It’s a story about courage and perseverance in the heart of hardship and trials. We were also introduced to new characters and creatures. I wonder if we won’t get another book in this series. I know that I will love to read that one too.
The narration was just as good in the second book as in the first. The narrator is excellent and doing the different voices, and the use of old Cambridge music adds a nice touch to the story.
I love the second book just as much as I love the first one. As last time I borrowed the KU version and got the audio for free. Since I loved the book, I am leaving a voluntary review.
January 23, 2021
Well written and worth the read
It’s not often that a sequel surpasses the original book but this one does!
Chock full of tidbits reminding the readers what happened in the first book the second embellishes on new problems with our same beloved characters that have recently returned from Christmas at home. The book hops between the worlds of Cambridge with Nick and crew, and Gemini with Alfonso and Katya. Both worlds are well written and action packed. The ending though, what a way to finish. I sure hope there will be a third ‘after Easter’ book to expand on that ending.
I love all the accuracy written about life in and around Cambridge and there is just enough mystery and thrills to keep you begging for more, some day this American hopes to visit and just maybe see bumps!
It’s not often that a sequel surpasses the original book but this one does!
Chock full of tidbits reminding the readers what happened in the first book the second embellishes on new problems with our same beloved characters that have recently returned from Christmas at home. The book hops between the worlds of Cambridge with Nick and crew, and Gemini with Alfonso and Katya. Both worlds are well written and action packed. The ending though, what a way to finish. I sure hope there will be a third ‘after Easter’ book to expand on that ending.
I love all the accuracy written about life in and around Cambridge and there is just enough mystery and thrills to keep you begging for more, some day this American hopes to visit and just maybe see bumps!
January 29, 2021
Good fantasy romp
The second in the series, Gate of Shadows somehow raises more intriguing questions about the mysterious Gemini Gate than College of Shadows did, while also keeping the pace up, and maintaining the background hum of student life.
Some incidental characters add to the feeling of college life, a wider circle of friends and events, but it feels like studies, lectures, and university work are a very distant part of the picture, with sport and clubs more frequently mentioned or part of the action. It's a shame, with so much else well balanced and vividly realised, to feel this element isn't much of a concern for a group of students.
I'm sure the following book will be fascinating.
The second in the series, Gate of Shadows somehow raises more intriguing questions about the mysterious Gemini Gate than College of Shadows did, while also keeping the pace up, and maintaining the background hum of student life.
Some incidental characters add to the feeling of college life, a wider circle of friends and events, but it feels like studies, lectures, and university work are a very distant part of the picture, with sport and clubs more frequently mentioned or part of the action. It's a shame, with so much else well balanced and vividly realised, to feel this element isn't much of a concern for a group of students.
I'm sure the following book will be fascinating.
August 4, 2023
Love it 😀
This series is truly amazing. Its fast moving there isn't a second of bordem and there are twists and turns throughout. I love the little true to life Easter eggs thrown in to do with the college and its history which are so much fun to research. 😀 The characters especially Giles are fantastic all have their own story and personality, Giles is my favourite he's just so funny and always getting into trouble. People who like a story with lots of adventure, a dash of fantasy in a parallel world and fun true facts, this is the series for you I highly recommend reading it
This series is truly amazing. Its fast moving there isn't a second of bordem and there are twists and turns throughout. I love the little true to life Easter eggs thrown in to do with the college and its history which are so much fun to research. 😀 The characters especially Giles are fantastic all have their own story and personality, Giles is my favourite he's just so funny and always getting into trouble. People who like a story with lots of adventure, a dash of fantasy in a parallel world and fun true facts, this is the series for you I highly recommend reading it
January 24, 2021
Another page turner in this second of the series (and I wonder how many there will be). Here, the plot thickens and we get to see more of that parallel world we first caught glimpses of in College of Shadows. Of course, being set in my alma mater, these books always make me feel homesick for the place (and for my youth). These books are also important because they stress how important universal access to Oxbridge is, with most of the main characters being from state school, and that's a vital statement and part of the books. Great read. Can't wait for the third.
August 30, 2025
This book 2 of the Cambridge gothic series is a great read and a nice follow up from book 1. It’s like you’re binge-reading and you cannot stop. Surprisingly curious like an open door to a hidey hole with Cambridge university students who have enough gumption to face the unknown. 2 women in the equation to let the door be opened to the next book. I’ve learnt about barrel-rolling championship in Grantchester and especially appreciated the theatrical show choice of “My fair lady”, including my favourite song from it. You’ll definitely find something you would like to do or learn.
July 28, 2024
We are back for book two in Cambridge gothic series! I really adored this however compared to the first book it did take me a bit longer to get into. I still loved it and felt transported to Cambridge, it just for some reason took me longer to get through the first half. That may have been due to my shit mood over last while.
I really do like the story idea and enjoy the way the author writes. I look forward to the last book in the trilogy.
I really do like the story idea and enjoy the way the author writes. I look forward to the last book in the trilogy.
August 6, 2024
Fascinating
Loved the background of Cambridge University. I grew up in Cambridgeshire and would have loved exploring the universities but it was not to be. I remember visiting the backs in springtime which was magnificent!
This book is full of mystery and intrigue! Set in the historic grounds I loved the way the author wove the tale in the beautiful buildings and kept the essence of the ancient atmosphere alive.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
Loved the background of Cambridge University. I grew up in Cambridgeshire and would have loved exploring the universities but it was not to be. I remember visiting the backs in springtime which was magnificent!
This book is full of mystery and intrigue! Set in the historic grounds I loved the way the author wove the tale in the beautiful buildings and kept the essence of the ancient atmosphere alive.
I look forward to reading the next in the series.
March 30, 2021
Atmospheric tension, vibrant rounded characters and a monster creeping around dreaming spires. Oh, and then there’s the portal to another world where life is alien, vicious and terrifying. The last chapter had me biting my nails. I’m in love with Giles Chamberlain and now I have to wait for Book 3 to find out what happens to him!
January 23, 2021
More supernatural adventures and student hi-jinks in my old college. Fun stuff, especially for those who know Cambridge.
September 8, 2022
Unique concept
This is a well written book with beautifully observed characters, a fascinating concept and ending on a cliffhanger! I can't wait to read the next one.
This is a well written book with beautifully observed characters, a fascinating concept and ending on a cliffhanger! I can't wait to read the next one.
October 5, 2022
Strange mix of magic and science fiction.
October 24, 2022
better than the first one!
July 5, 2023
Listened to this on audio and can highly recommend it. The narration is one of the best I’ve heard. Fantastic storytelling to match a great story.
October 5, 2023
Found it a bit boring but halfway through picked up to match the 1st book
July 5, 2024
Second book in the series and I two enjoyed it. Catching up with what’s happened to Alphonso as well as everything back at Cambridge. This is a really interesting read.
March 27, 2022
I liked that the sequel spent more time exploring the alternate universe, and gave us more background to some of the characters that were more secondary in the first novel. I did miss the academic setting and wish we had gotten more story development with those characters, but that's more about my personal preferences than any failing of the novel itself.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews