What do you think?
Rate this book
The Harbinger of Doom Saga #original novella
The Gateway
This is a novella length version of Gateway to Nifleheim
In The Gateway, Glenn G. Thater transports us to an age of high adventure where knights battle supernatural horrors, magic is real but hidden, and the line between good and evil is all too thin.
The Harbinger of Doom saga centers around one Lord Angle Theta, an enigmatic warrior of unknown origins and mystical power. No mortal man is his match in battle. No sorcery can contain or confound him. No scholar or sage can outwit him. But for all his skills, he is but one of us; a man, a human, who shares our faults, our dreams, and our ambitions. He boldly strides across the land, fearless, peerless, and cloaked in mystery; all his will bent on righting such wrongs as he deems fit.
Until the day the Gateway opened and turned the world on its head. On that fateful day, Korrgonn came and washed away our dreams. And his outre' realm of Nifleheim set its unholy mark upon our world and claimed it for their own. Only Theta and his companions see the enemies aligning against us. Only they foresee our end coming- the end of civilization, the end of the world of man.
Only they can hope to turn the tide of madness and preserve all that we hold dear. But no man, not even our greatest hero, can stand against the Lords of Nifleheim and the dark armies at their command. Fiends that infiltrate unseen within our ranks, that tear down our temples and our traditions; that devour us from within, unseen, unknown, unheralded, and unopposed until the hour grows far too late. Through the murk and mist that hangs before our eyes, one man only sees true. One man pierces the veil of magic that blinds us all and marks the world as it truly is, revealing secrets, secrets of Angle Theta, so horrifying as to shatter a man's mind and call into question the very nature of good and evil.
When mad sorcerers open a gateway to the very pits of hell, releasing outre demons of darkest nightmare upon the world, only the intrepid knights of House Eotrus stand in their way. Claradon Eotrus takes up the mantle of his noble house to avenge his father and hold back the tide of chaos that threatens to engulf the world and destroy mankind. Claradon recruits Angle Theta and Gabriel Garn, mysterious knights of mystical power to stand with him. Theta and Garn take up their swords one last time against the coming darkness -- a darkness from which only one will emerge.
In The Gateway, Glenn G. Thater transports us to an age of high adventure where knights battle supernatural horrors, magic is real but hidden, and the line between good and evil is all too thin.
The Harbinger of Doom saga centers around one Lord Angle Theta, an enigmatic warrior of unknown origins and mystical power. No mortal man is his match in battle. No sorcery can contain or confound him. No scholar or sage can outwit him. But for all his skills, he is but one of us; a man, a human, who shares our faults, our dreams, and our ambitions. He boldly strides across the land, fearless, peerless, and cloaked in mystery; all his will bent on righting such wrongs as he deems fit.
Until the day the Gateway opened and turned the world on its head. On that fateful day, Korrgonn came and washed away our dreams. And his outre' realm of Nifleheim set its unholy mark upon our world and claimed it for their own. Only Theta and his companions see the enemies aligning against us. Only they foresee our end coming- the end of civilization, the end of the world of man.
Only they can hope to turn the tide of madness and preserve all that we hold dear. But no man, not even our greatest hero, can stand against the Lords of Nifleheim and the dark armies at their command. Fiends that infiltrate unseen within our ranks, that tear down our temples and our traditions; that devour us from within, unseen, unknown, unheralded, and unopposed until the hour grows far too late. Through the murk and mist that hangs before our eyes, one man only sees true. One man pierces the veil of magic that blinds us all and marks the world as it truly is, revealing secrets, secrets of Angle Theta, so horrifying as to shatter a man's mind and call into question the very nature of good and evil.
When mad sorcerers open a gateway to the very pits of hell, releasing outre demons of darkest nightmare upon the world, only the intrepid knights of House Eotrus stand in their way. Claradon Eotrus takes up the mantle of his noble house to avenge his father and hold back the tide of chaos that threatens to engulf the world and destroy mankind. Claradon recruits Angle Theta and Gabriel Garn, mysterious knights of mystical power to stand with him. Theta and Garn take up their swords one last time against the coming darkness -- a darkness from which only one will emerge.
108 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 6, 2008
47 people are currently reading
749 people want to read
About the author
Glenn G. Thater
24 books449 followersSign up for my free Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/vwubH to get periodic emails with special offers and discounts on Glenn G. Thater's books.
For more than twenty-five years, Glenn G. Thater has written works of fiction and historical fiction that focus on the genres of epic fantasy and sword and sorcery. His published works of fiction include the first four volumes of the Harbinger of Doom saga: Gateway to Nifleheim, The Fallen Angle, Knight Eternal, and Dwellers of the Deep; the novella, The Gateway; and the novelette, The Hero and the Fiend.
Mr. Thater holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics with concentrations in Astronomy and Religious Studies, and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering, specializing in Structural Engineering. He has undertaken advanced graduate study in Classical Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, and Astrophysics, and is a practicing licensed professional engineer specializing in the multidisciplinary alteration and remediation of buildings, and the forensic investigation of building failures and other disasters.
Mr. Thater has investigated failures and collapses of numerous structures around the United States and internationally. Since 1998, he has served on the American Society of Civil Engineers' Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE), is a member of that Council’s Executive Committee, and is the past Chairman of TCFE's Committee on Practices to Reduce Failures. Mr. Thater is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional and has testified as an expert witness in the field of structural engineering before the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Mr. Thater is an author of numerous scientific papers, magazine articles, engineering textbook chapters, and countless engineering reports. He has lectured across the United States and internationally on such topics as the World Trade Center collapses, bridge collapses, and on the construction and analysis of the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C.
Sign up here for my free Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/vwubH to get periodic emails with special offers and discounts on Glenn G. Thater's books.
BOOKS BY GLENN G. THATER
THE HARBINGER OF DOOM SAGA
GATEWAY TO NIFLEHEIM
THE FALLEN ANGLE
KNIGHT ETERNAL
DWELLERS OF THE DEEP
VOLUME 5+ forthcoming
THE HERO AND THE FIEND
(A novelette set in the Harbinger of Doom universe)
THE GATEWAY
(A novella length version of Gateway to Nifleheim)
HARBINGER OF DOOM
(Combines Gateway to Nifleheim and The Fallen Angle into a single volume)
For more than twenty-five years, Glenn G. Thater has written works of fiction and historical fiction that focus on the genres of epic fantasy and sword and sorcery. His published works of fiction include the first four volumes of the Harbinger of Doom saga: Gateway to Nifleheim, The Fallen Angle, Knight Eternal, and Dwellers of the Deep; the novella, The Gateway; and the novelette, The Hero and the Fiend.
Mr. Thater holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics with concentrations in Astronomy and Religious Studies, and a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering, specializing in Structural Engineering. He has undertaken advanced graduate study in Classical Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, and Astrophysics, and is a practicing licensed professional engineer specializing in the multidisciplinary alteration and remediation of buildings, and the forensic investigation of building failures and other disasters.
Mr. Thater has investigated failures and collapses of numerous structures around the United States and internationally. Since 1998, he has served on the American Society of Civil Engineers' Technical Council on Forensic Engineering (TCFE), is a member of that Council’s Executive Committee, and is the past Chairman of TCFE's Committee on Practices to Reduce Failures. Mr. Thater is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Accredited Professional and has testified as an expert witness in the field of structural engineering before the Supreme Court of the State of New York.
Mr. Thater is an author of numerous scientific papers, magazine articles, engineering textbook chapters, and countless engineering reports. He has lectured across the United States and internationally on such topics as the World Trade Center collapses, bridge collapses, and on the construction and analysis of the dome of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C.
Sign up here for my free Newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/vwubH to get periodic emails with special offers and discounts on Glenn G. Thater's books.
BOOKS BY GLENN G. THATER
THE HARBINGER OF DOOM SAGA
GATEWAY TO NIFLEHEIM
THE FALLEN ANGLE
KNIGHT ETERNAL
DWELLERS OF THE DEEP
VOLUME 5+ forthcoming
THE HERO AND THE FIEND
(A novelette set in the Harbinger of Doom universe)
THE GATEWAY
(A novella length version of Gateway to Nifleheim)
HARBINGER OF DOOM
(Combines Gateway to Nifleheim and The Fallen Angle into a single volume)
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
November 16, 2015
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews
This Beowulf-inspired tale begins near the city of Dor Eotrus, which lays in a northern land that is more than a little Viking-esque. These northerners are fiercely independent, believing their more "civilized" neighbors are weak and pride themselves on their prowess in battle. So when a strange mist begins rolling outward from a mysterious, dark circle in the nearby forest, the old king, his fast friends and their trusted, war veterans sally forth to investigate the bloodcurdling shrieks which are emanating from it every night.
No matter these heroes confidence in their battle prowess however, what they find within the watery enbrace of the night is more than they were expecting. Indeed, the horrors which await them have not been seen by men for many ages of the world, and when it's presence is made known, can even the king and his friends vaulted might with steel and magic save the world from its dark embrace?
Who can tell, because the mist covers all, hiding the fate of the king's party from his people.
As the king fails to return, those left behind in Dor Eotrus worry as to his party's fate. They do not realize yet what lies concealed by the mist, and even though they prepare for the worst, they each cling to the faint hope that perhaps their beloved king and his warriors still lie within the misty shroud, lost or fighting the evil that must reside therein. And it is this thought which spures the princes to sally forth to their father's rescue.
Naturally, this is when our mysterious Beowulf-like warrior named Theta appears.
Lord Theta, and his squire Dolan, ride into Dor Eotrus as if on cue. Theta is a mighty man of war with ancient armor, weapons and wisdom encompsing both forbidden knowledge and magic. Dolan is an average warrior, but one who has followed his lord through many strange conflicts and seen many mysterious things, which have made him greater than he otherwise would have been.
Upon arrival at the mist besieged city, these two strangers are immediately taken into the confidence of the king's son and his remaining advisors without any questions or doubts. Once ensconced there, Theta proves himself to be the strong and silent type, and though it is obvious that he knows what his new friends are about to face, he never warns them of their danger. Thus, the group heads into the mist and unto the dark circle in the woods with no one but Theta and perhaps Dolan understanding what is about to tranpire.
The story that follows is a good, old-fashioned monster bash, as our group of heroes follow the enigmatic Lord Theta into the magical vortex powering the mist. Swords are blooded, skulls are bashed, and Lord Theta never has to say much of anything.
This e-book (novella) is okay at best. However, it has significant problems.
One, the author spends chapters and chapters in the beginning updating a reader on the history of the land and the buildings in Dor Eotrus; none of which is at all relevant to the story. Two, once the true plot begins to take shape, it just sputters out toward the end. Boom! Lord Theta kills a bunch of monsters, story is over, and we are ready for the sequels.
So be forewarned!
This Beowulf-inspired tale begins near the city of Dor Eotrus, which lays in a northern land that is more than a little Viking-esque. These northerners are fiercely independent, believing their more "civilized" neighbors are weak and pride themselves on their prowess in battle. So when a strange mist begins rolling outward from a mysterious, dark circle in the nearby forest, the old king, his fast friends and their trusted, war veterans sally forth to investigate the bloodcurdling shrieks which are emanating from it every night.
No matter these heroes confidence in their battle prowess however, what they find within the watery enbrace of the night is more than they were expecting. Indeed, the horrors which await them have not been seen by men for many ages of the world, and when it's presence is made known, can even the king and his friends vaulted might with steel and magic save the world from its dark embrace?
Who can tell, because the mist covers all, hiding the fate of the king's party from his people.
As the king fails to return, those left behind in Dor Eotrus worry as to his party's fate. They do not realize yet what lies concealed by the mist, and even though they prepare for the worst, they each cling to the faint hope that perhaps their beloved king and his warriors still lie within the misty shroud, lost or fighting the evil that must reside therein. And it is this thought which spures the princes to sally forth to their father's rescue.
Naturally, this is when our mysterious Beowulf-like warrior named Theta appears.
Lord Theta, and his squire Dolan, ride into Dor Eotrus as if on cue. Theta is a mighty man of war with ancient armor, weapons and wisdom encompsing both forbidden knowledge and magic. Dolan is an average warrior, but one who has followed his lord through many strange conflicts and seen many mysterious things, which have made him greater than he otherwise would have been.
Upon arrival at the mist besieged city, these two strangers are immediately taken into the confidence of the king's son and his remaining advisors without any questions or doubts. Once ensconced there, Theta proves himself to be the strong and silent type, and though it is obvious that he knows what his new friends are about to face, he never warns them of their danger. Thus, the group heads into the mist and unto the dark circle in the woods with no one but Theta and perhaps Dolan understanding what is about to tranpire.
The story that follows is a good, old-fashioned monster bash, as our group of heroes follow the enigmatic Lord Theta into the magical vortex powering the mist. Swords are blooded, skulls are bashed, and Lord Theta never has to say much of anything.
This e-book (novella) is okay at best. However, it has significant problems.
One, the author spends chapters and chapters in the beginning updating a reader on the history of the land and the buildings in Dor Eotrus; none of which is at all relevant to the story. Two, once the true plot begins to take shape, it just sputters out toward the end. Boom! Lord Theta kills a bunch of monsters, story is over, and we are ready for the sequels.
So be forewarned!
July 23, 2011
Glenn Thater's HARBINGER OF DOOM series kicks off with GATEWAY, the tale of Brother Claradon Eotrus as he endeavors to find out what happened to his father, Lord Aradon, after he mysteriously vanishes along with his men while investigating an unearthly fog.
Drawing from Medieval, Nordic and Greek mythology, the world of Thater's Midgard feels as if set in a forgotten era of the Dark Ages, full of elves, dwarves, gnomes, wizards and heroes of a rich yet shaded past. The Foreword to the book proper contains a very convincing excursus on the author's "research" of the legendary figure Lord Angle Theta. Joining Claradon on his quest is the hero Gabriel Garn, the House Wizard of Dor Eotrus Par Tanch, and a delightfully persnickety gnome named Ob, as well as the mysterious Theta and his manservant Dolan.
The plot moves along at a satisfying pace, with the more expository parts of the tale executed very well that gives the reader a time, place and in-world precedent for the events transpiring in the story. What starts out as a mere rescue mission quickly becomes one of vengeance and darkness, and without spoiling any future readers, the tale becomes delightfully gory as it reaches its climax. I found myself wanting to know more about Lord Theta and his origins, and I was sad that one of the more important characters got the shaft before being fully fleshed out but what makes this story great is the great distinction between all the characters, and the bond that grows between them at the end.
Some of the dialogue gets a little arduous, and has a distinct older English folktale flavor to it, and some of the descriptions are a little vague and out there, but in spite all that GATEWAY is a solid work of fantasy that was a real treat to read. I'm sure it only gets better from here, as I've already begun reading volume 2, FALLEN ANGLE.
GATEWAY is available on Amazon Kindle, and comes highly recommended.
Drawing from Medieval, Nordic and Greek mythology, the world of Thater's Midgard feels as if set in a forgotten era of the Dark Ages, full of elves, dwarves, gnomes, wizards and heroes of a rich yet shaded past. The Foreword to the book proper contains a very convincing excursus on the author's "research" of the legendary figure Lord Angle Theta. Joining Claradon on his quest is the hero Gabriel Garn, the House Wizard of Dor Eotrus Par Tanch, and a delightfully persnickety gnome named Ob, as well as the mysterious Theta and his manservant Dolan.
The plot moves along at a satisfying pace, with the more expository parts of the tale executed very well that gives the reader a time, place and in-world precedent for the events transpiring in the story. What starts out as a mere rescue mission quickly becomes one of vengeance and darkness, and without spoiling any future readers, the tale becomes delightfully gory as it reaches its climax. I found myself wanting to know more about Lord Theta and his origins, and I was sad that one of the more important characters got the shaft before being fully fleshed out but what makes this story great is the great distinction between all the characters, and the bond that grows between them at the end.
Some of the dialogue gets a little arduous, and has a distinct older English folktale flavor to it, and some of the descriptions are a little vague and out there, but in spite all that GATEWAY is a solid work of fantasy that was a real treat to read. I'm sure it only gets better from here, as I've already begun reading volume 2, FALLEN ANGLE.
GATEWAY is available on Amazon Kindle, and comes highly recommended.
March 19, 2010
For fans of historical fantasy, especially fans of Norse mythology this is an excellent read. Thater does a great job of capturing the feel of the mythical era. In the limited pages of this story the characters that seem at first to have cliché styles and traits by the end prove themselves to be more than just that.
True to the era, the action is very hack-and-slash, and does a good job of being so. Along with the horrors described in the story it was almost reminiscent of Diablo II, only with much better description than the game had graphics.
Overall the story is a treat for fans of the genre, though I can't recommend it for anyone who doesn't enjoy a bit of hack-and-slash mythology. For those who do enjoy this sort of story, The Gateway shines.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in eBook form for review.
True to the era, the action is very hack-and-slash, and does a good job of being so. Along with the horrors described in the story it was almost reminiscent of Diablo II, only with much better description than the game had graphics.
Overall the story is a treat for fans of the genre, though I can't recommend it for anyone who doesn't enjoy a bit of hack-and-slash mythology. For those who do enjoy this sort of story, The Gateway shines.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in eBook form for review.
May 30, 2011
If you are a hard-core fantasy fan, you are sure to love this swords and sworcery adventure. Thater has imbued our medieval world with honor, courage and magic. This is a place where average men fight alongside godlike warriors. When the bank of fog rolls in and ancient ruins begin to reconstitute, you can either run or stand at the gates of chaos and protect your world. Lord Theta, Sir Gabriel, Brother Claradon, and the rest of the Glenn Thater's knights choose to stand and fight.
December 21, 2011
A excellent novella length sword and sorcery fantasy. If you like that genre you’ll definitely want to read this and if you’re a bit reticent to read sword & sorcery, read this anyway because it has none of the common faults of that genre. The hero was such a magnetic character that I may even pay him a visit again sometime.
July 13, 2011
This was a great adventure which I could not put down once I started reading. The fast paced action and charactors came alive the further I got into the book. When I reach the end all I could say was, "No, not yet." I wanted more. This is an excellent read.
April 14, 2012
The "Gateway" by Glenn G. Thater started off at a run and never slowed down! The action is intense and reads in a similar fashion to the Conan books. I was very impressed with the author's fluid writing style and am going to purchase the rest of the series. Great book!!
September 25, 2010
Strong heroic fantasy. Fantastic flow of action. See the full review I wrote a while back here:
http://www.falbepublishing.com/tracy/...
http://www.falbepublishing.com/tracy/...
November 21, 2011
Alot of magic, war and hell!!! What a story!?! Love it and can't wait to read the next one!!!
September 8, 2018
My very first Epic Fantasy Novella was an intriguing ride
I have never thought to pick up or read these kinds of fiction genres but I must say this was a pleasant surprise. At first I thought I wasn’t going to be able to get through it but this book was full of adventure and suspense and every reader should want to continue with the journey to find out what happens at the conclusion of the series. With each passing chapter it pulls the reader in more and more.
I have never thought to pick up or read these kinds of fiction genres but I must say this was a pleasant surprise. At first I thought I wasn’t going to be able to get through it but this book was full of adventure and suspense and every reader should want to continue with the journey to find out what happens at the conclusion of the series. With each passing chapter it pulls the reader in more and more.
April 13, 2010
The Gateway by Glenn G. Thater is the first of a trilogy of fantasy books also contained in a single volume called The Harbinger of Doom. In the Gateway, we are introduced to a coterie of brave knights from the House Eotrus who are investigating the mysterious disappearance of their lord and his army. Along the way, they discover a mystical gateway through which the forces of evil plan to enter the world. It is up to Lord Theta, Sir Gabriel, Brother Claradon, and the rest of the Eotrus Knights to stop this otherworldy invasion. Failure to do so will result in the end of the world as it is plunged into darkness by the hordes an unholy army.
Glenn Thater uses many tried and true plot devices to tell his story. However, although there are some memorable moments, The Gateway seems to miss as often as it hits. I find that Thater's writing is inconsistent in his use of dialogue. Characters inexplicably slip in and out of colloquial modern slang to poorly written archaic speech. I'm a little confused as to why the author sees the need to allow his characters to indulge in the incorrect use of 'thees', 'thys', and 'thous' when his story works just as well without them. This could be overlooked by most readers since they may not be familiar with archaic English. Yet, I am at a loss to understand why Thater's characters choose to speak in archaic English when most of the time they speak in ordinary diction. Confusing to say the least.
I also find the occasional shift in point-of-view to be disconcerting. Since this book is mostly written in the third-person, there really is no good reason why certain passages are written in the first-person. However creative it may seem, this is an unconventional method of writing a story that is ultimately distracting.
As for the story itself, The Gateway isn't really a book as it is a short story with chapters. I had some trouble reading the opening chapters due to being bombarded with too many characters at once all engaging in lengthy dialogue. To be fair, it is very difficult for any author to engage his reader with an opening that consists of a large number of characters we don't know or care about (yet) discussing a problem that they don't understand. The characters are confused. Therefore, so is the reader. Just trying to sort out who is who, when there is no physical description of them in the text, just makes the challenge of following the story even more difficult.
Fortunately for The Gateway, the story does eventually get better. In particular, the conclusion was quite exciting and made up for the lackluster opening chapters. In fact, although my opinion of the book wasn't high when I began to read The Gateway, I am now compelled to seek out the sequel to see where the story goes from here.
In conclusion, I would recommend The Gateway to readers who like their fantasy tales gritty and action-oriented. 3 1/2 stars.
Glenn Thater uses many tried and true plot devices to tell his story. However, although there are some memorable moments, The Gateway seems to miss as often as it hits. I find that Thater's writing is inconsistent in his use of dialogue. Characters inexplicably slip in and out of colloquial modern slang to poorly written archaic speech. I'm a little confused as to why the author sees the need to allow his characters to indulge in the incorrect use of 'thees', 'thys', and 'thous' when his story works just as well without them. This could be overlooked by most readers since they may not be familiar with archaic English. Yet, I am at a loss to understand why Thater's characters choose to speak in archaic English when most of the time they speak in ordinary diction. Confusing to say the least.
I also find the occasional shift in point-of-view to be disconcerting. Since this book is mostly written in the third-person, there really is no good reason why certain passages are written in the first-person. However creative it may seem, this is an unconventional method of writing a story that is ultimately distracting.
As for the story itself, The Gateway isn't really a book as it is a short story with chapters. I had some trouble reading the opening chapters due to being bombarded with too many characters at once all engaging in lengthy dialogue. To be fair, it is very difficult for any author to engage his reader with an opening that consists of a large number of characters we don't know or care about (yet) discussing a problem that they don't understand. The characters are confused. Therefore, so is the reader. Just trying to sort out who is who, when there is no physical description of them in the text, just makes the challenge of following the story even more difficult.
Fortunately for The Gateway, the story does eventually get better. In particular, the conclusion was quite exciting and made up for the lackluster opening chapters. In fact, although my opinion of the book wasn't high when I began to read The Gateway, I am now compelled to seek out the sequel to see where the story goes from here.
In conclusion, I would recommend The Gateway to readers who like their fantasy tales gritty and action-oriented. 3 1/2 stars.
December 14, 2011
It was... confusing. The Gateway is the opening book in the Harbinger of Doom trilogy and as such, I didn't expect everything to be answered or settled by the end. At the same time, I did expect a coherent, integrated story that set up the next books and introduced characters that would draw me in and make me want to read more. Instead, the book seems to be a collection of vignettes, without much to hold them together.
The story centers on the knights of House Eotrus, a medieval holding a medieval holding in a Norse setting. The story does utilize many Nordic mythologic references and traditions. The Lord of the house had gone with a group of men to investigate mysterious happenings in the forest around the estate. When they do not return, the eldest son gathers a group of knights to find out what happened. He recruits Angle Theta, a mysterious warrior with apparently supernatural powers to help. When they go to the forest, they discover that a gap is being opened to a world of demons set to invade and destroy the knight's world. With Theta's help, they must find a way to fight the demons and close the gap.
The first problem I had with this book is the characters. They are mostly one-dimensional, with little or no physical description to differentiate them. The dialogue is off-putting, a combination of a stilted style of archaic language and a lot of modern slang. It makes them less believable as a whole.
There are odd viewpoint shifts in the book, as well. Most of it is written in third person, but there are sections in first person, as well. That kind of shift is hard to do well, and here, it just seems confusing.
There is little world-building in this part of the story. What we see is a fairly typical medieval setting with little to make it stand out as a time and place.
The action is fairly well done. In particular, the climactic battle scene is intense and fast-paced.
In all, it was a quick, okay read.
The story centers on the knights of House Eotrus, a medieval holding a medieval holding in a Norse setting. The story does utilize many Nordic mythologic references and traditions. The Lord of the house had gone with a group of men to investigate mysterious happenings in the forest around the estate. When they do not return, the eldest son gathers a group of knights to find out what happened. He recruits Angle Theta, a mysterious warrior with apparently supernatural powers to help. When they go to the forest, they discover that a gap is being opened to a world of demons set to invade and destroy the knight's world. With Theta's help, they must find a way to fight the demons and close the gap.
The first problem I had with this book is the characters. They are mostly one-dimensional, with little or no physical description to differentiate them. The dialogue is off-putting, a combination of a stilted style of archaic language and a lot of modern slang. It makes them less believable as a whole.
There are odd viewpoint shifts in the book, as well. Most of it is written in third person, but there are sections in first person, as well. That kind of shift is hard to do well, and here, it just seems confusing.
There is little world-building in this part of the story. What we see is a fairly typical medieval setting with little to make it stand out as a time and place.
The action is fairly well done. In particular, the climactic battle scene is intense and fast-paced.
In all, it was a quick, okay read.
May 27, 2012
. I am a huge fan of Sword & Sorcery, but this story was subpar. I know, S & S may seem like you just need killing, but that is not the case. This book is far from being a Michael Moorcock novel.
He tries though. The description was good, not too much wrong with that. When the characters start talking, everything goes downhill. He mixes thees and thous and modern slang a little too much. I mean, if a Sword & Sorcery tale is set in a Conan-like era, why add modern slang?
The plot wasn't so great either. It felt like a mash up of every fantasy and cheap horror flick ever made.
Another crucial thing he didn't write well about were the creatures. It was as if he opened up a LOTR book, and took all the creatures from that. I know all fantasies copy Tolkien, but saying Hobbit? At least a Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms Halflings and Kender, are totally different from Tolkien's Hobbits. He should have made his own version of little people. At least his Gnome was different that most Gnomes...oh wait the Gnome was more like a grumpy dwarf.
Lastly, the author adds way too many characters way too fast. I got easily confused. Even the late Robert Jordan, who was notorious for having a whole lot of characters didn't confuse me.
Overview
I give this book 1 star out of 5. It's a first novel that should have been edited better.
He tries though. The description was good, not too much wrong with that. When the characters start talking, everything goes downhill. He mixes thees and thous and modern slang a little too much. I mean, if a Sword & Sorcery tale is set in a Conan-like era, why add modern slang?
The plot wasn't so great either. It felt like a mash up of every fantasy and cheap horror flick ever made.
Another crucial thing he didn't write well about were the creatures. It was as if he opened up a LOTR book, and took all the creatures from that. I know all fantasies copy Tolkien, but saying Hobbit? At least a Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms Halflings and Kender, are totally different from Tolkien's Hobbits. He should have made his own version of little people. At least his Gnome was different that most Gnomes...oh wait the Gnome was more like a grumpy dwarf.
Lastly, the author adds way too many characters way too fast. I got easily confused. Even the late Robert Jordan, who was notorious for having a whole lot of characters didn't confuse me.
Overview
I give this book 1 star out of 5. It's a first novel that should have been edited better.
April 3, 2013
To see my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
I was pleasantly surprised by this novella. It’s a quick read and the rather long synopsis above says it all: War. With supernatural beings. Much of this novella hinges on a very epic battle that reminded me so much of the awesome battle scenes on screen in the Lord of the Rings movies. Those were amazing scenes, and Thayer aptly paints a riveting picture of a very different battle raging, in this novella, at the gateway as warriors fight to close the portal and keep evil at bay. Some will perish, some will triumph, and some will get away in this awesome fantasy novella that sets the stage for the full novels in the series. Based on this novella alone, I’d be more than willing to try the first novel in the series, even though I’m not really much into fantasy, as it were.
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
I was pleasantly surprised by this novella. It’s a quick read and the rather long synopsis above says it all: War. With supernatural beings. Much of this novella hinges on a very epic battle that reminded me so much of the awesome battle scenes on screen in the Lord of the Rings movies. Those were amazing scenes, and Thayer aptly paints a riveting picture of a very different battle raging, in this novella, at the gateway as warriors fight to close the portal and keep evil at bay. Some will perish, some will triumph, and some will get away in this awesome fantasy novella that sets the stage for the full novels in the series. Based on this novella alone, I’d be more than willing to try the first novel in the series, even though I’m not really much into fantasy, as it were.
February 14, 2024
The Gateway is a novella which set the scene for the Harbinger of Doom Saga. We meet Lord Angle Theta for the first time, as he meets up with an old friend, Gabriel. Unfortunately, the circumstances aren't very good as the Lord of the House has gone missing, along with a group of knights, rangers, and his wizard. Theta goes along with the new group to help, but it appears that he knows more than he is saying.
This is a well-written fantasy novella, in what I would class as 'old school' style. There is plenty of action going on, including a battle with Bhaal, as well as others that you may have heard of. It is fast-paced, giving just enough detail to speed the story along, but you are still left wanting more. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase - March 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 15, 2016
This is a well-written fantasy novella, in what I would class as 'old school' style. There is plenty of action going on, including a battle with Bhaal, as well as others that you may have heard of. It is fast-paced, giving just enough detail to speed the story along, but you are still left wanting more. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow. Definitely recommended.
* Verified Purchase - March 2013 *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 15, 2016
August 29, 2011
I thought this was good but not exactly wonderful. It started off very slow taking a very long time to build up to the promised action. Since this was a pretty short story I am okay with that because the writing was decent and it did keep me engaged the whole time. It just fell a little flat for me. I think I was put off a bit by the mixing of modern and ancient dialog. It was a weird mix that worked for the most part but pulled me out of the story a few times.Also I didn't really get a chance to care much about the characters even though they spent 2/3 of the story talking about themselves and the situation. I can't really explain why it didn't grab me but it didn't. This was a decent start to a series but it didn't really thrill me enough that I will bother trying to find the rest of the stories.
July 16, 2014
Novella is right, this book was super short. I think it would have been better if it was longer. As a short story it was fine, but it would have been better if the author could have added some more about the world and the characters, as I felt like it started and finished before I knew anything about the world.
The book starts with fog in a kingdom and then a whole bunch of people disappear. A guy called Theta arrives and helps the new Lord of the land to search for the missing patrol. They find a slowly expanding circle that has very trodden earth made by mystical footprints. Pretty much its a gateway to hell. But this novella was supposed to be centred around Theta but it seemed to be more centred around a guy called Gabriel who was old friends with Theta.
The world itself was like the author had picked and chosen things from all fantasy books he had ever read... it was weird.
The book starts with fog in a kingdom and then a whole bunch of people disappear. A guy called Theta arrives and helps the new Lord of the land to search for the missing patrol. They find a slowly expanding circle that has very trodden earth made by mystical footprints. Pretty much its a gateway to hell. But this novella was supposed to be centred around Theta but it seemed to be more centred around a guy called Gabriel who was old friends with Theta.
The world itself was like the author had picked and chosen things from all fantasy books he had ever read... it was weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2014
Took a fourth if the story (no, this is not a book) to get around to a point. Kind of. I found the various speech patterns to be a bizarre mix, some very old-timely and formal, others slangy and modern, none if them especially Norse.
Most odd was the way many words were run together, some normally hyphenated. I mean really--menatarms? Coatsofarms? That's just difficult reading right there.
Has the feel of maybe a Conan story, given the epic heroes and evilly magickal hell spawn, but again there, it would have been a chapter or so and wouldn't have felt plucked out of the middle of something.
Most odd was the way many words were run together, some normally hyphenated. I mean really--menatarms? Coatsofarms? That's just difficult reading right there.
Has the feel of maybe a Conan story, given the epic heroes and evilly magickal hell spawn, but again there, it would have been a chapter or so and wouldn't have felt plucked out of the middle of something.
March 31, 2013
I picked up this book because it was supposedly based on some ancient tales/legends a la Beowulf. The author even tries to make a case for some of the historical accuracy of the story, quoting various research and translations. At the end of the day, though, the writing just didn't cut it for me. I didn't care about the characters. I felt dumped into the middle of a storyline, and I didn't get anywhere near enough fed to me about the world/setting to make me care. I cared more about the patriarch of the main family who dies in the first few pages than I did about anyone else. :(
July 26, 2024
I liked this book. Horror and fantasy makes a good combination and this book felt a bit like Diablo in a LOTR setting, which worked very well. The preface was really good in adding to the atmosphere as well.
The book would have benefited from less trigonometry references. The name Angle Theta[1], referring to Pythagoras (Pythagorus) in a spell etc. It doesn't add anything to the story, it just draws the attention away from the it.
[1] Are Angle θ and Angle ω brothers or are they just cosinus?
The book would have benefited from less trigonometry references. The name Angle Theta[1], referring to Pythagoras (Pythagorus) in a spell etc. It doesn't add anything to the story, it just draws the attention away from the it.
[1] Are Angle θ and Angle ω brothers or are they just cosinus?
January 7, 2012
This novella was fast paced and a little incoherent at times but a decent story. I enjoyed the battle when the author finally got to it. There were no memorable characters and some of the terms the author used didn't seem to match what he was trying to say. It just felt as if he wanted to use an archaic term to make the story sound more fantastical but it did little but annoy me. I'm not interested in reading Part 2 or 3.
February 4, 2010
The Gateway, Book 1 of the fantasy series, Harbinger of Doom, by Glenn G. Thater was awarded 3rd Place out of 109 books nominated for best fantasy novel published in 2009 in the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll! (http://www.critters.org/predpoll/fina...) Download your FREE copy of The Gateway here: http://bit.ly/698h94
February 5, 2011
At around 100 pages long, The Gateway is a somewhat short instalment in any series but that said, it proved a decent start to a strong story.
The characters and plot are pretty clichéd in a dungeons & dragons kind of tale with a Norse bent but there is an underlying twist around the nature of good and evil. Cheesy dialogue and lots action make it worth reading.
The characters and plot are pretty clichéd in a dungeons & dragons kind of tale with a Norse bent but there is an underlying twist around the nature of good and evil. Cheesy dialogue and lots action make it worth reading.
May 7, 2012
I liked this book. It was well done and a good yarn. My only problem with it had to do with characterization and setting. I found a lot of the book was just a series of conversations, but I don't feel like I really got to know the characters well enough to care deeply about them.
I would definitely recommend reading it, however. It's worth the time as it was a good story-line.
I would definitely recommend reading it, however. It's worth the time as it was a good story-line.
November 7, 2013
Not very impressed, but I hope the rest gets better. It's an okay start to the saga. Maybe the full length version, Gateway to Nifleheim, is better. I really don't like the character Par Tanch. Honestly, he was whiny. For a full review, go here: http://ireadencyclopedias.wordpress.c...
October 2, 2011
Definitly a Good read if you like fantacy. I had hard time remembering the names of places and people. But enjoyed it. Gonna buy the second part of the book.
After finishing Hunger Games, I'll return to this series again.
After finishing Hunger Games, I'll return to this series again.
December 14, 2014
This was a short novella, approx 190 pages according to my e-reader. I got it as a free download and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Plenty of action, swords, and magic. i am looking forward to Gateway to Nifleheim which is a longer version of the story.
November 4, 2014
So this book brings you into the series and it's an epic tale to read for sure. One of my new favorite authors but check his site before you buy em all in a row
There's deals to be had and free rides to be had
Only drawback is the lack of length
There's deals to be had and free rides to be had
Only drawback is the lack of length
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 13, 2009An epic, horror fantasy!
Want to read
January 14, 2010Kindle freebie.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews