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Gatekeeper's Key
She plunged her blade into his chest, feeling it grind along his ribs...
Outcast swordfighter, Kyer Halidan, walked out of a cornfield at the age of three. Twenty years later, she leaves her adopted home to discover who put her there. And why.
When she kills a man in a duel, she catches the interest of one of her greatest heroes, who invites her to join his company on a mission. But the man she killed had powerful friends.
Desperate to learn what she knows about their plans, her new enemies pursue her relentlessly. Kyer’s impetuousness and disregard for consequences put the mission, and her life, in jeopardy. But to save a village, and the continent, from a despicable evil, she must choose between adhering to duty and breaking the rules.
"Gatekeeper's Key is a dark and lucious truffle everyone will want to savor and beg for more when it's done." ~ Diana Pharaoh Francis - USA Today Bestselling Author of the Path series and the Crosspointe Chronicles.
Outcast swordfighter, Kyer Halidan, walked out of a cornfield at the age of three. Twenty years later, she leaves her adopted home to discover who put her there. And why.
When she kills a man in a duel, she catches the interest of one of her greatest heroes, who invites her to join his company on a mission. But the man she killed had powerful friends.
Desperate to learn what she knows about their plans, her new enemies pursue her relentlessly. Kyer’s impetuousness and disregard for consequences put the mission, and her life, in jeopardy. But to save a village, and the continent, from a despicable evil, she must choose between adhering to duty and breaking the rules.
"Gatekeeper's Key is a dark and lucious truffle everyone will want to savor and beg for more when it's done." ~ Diana Pharaoh Francis - USA Today Bestselling Author of the Path series and the Crosspointe Chronicles.
- GenresFantasy
Audiobook
Published July 1, 2021
6 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
About the author
Krista Wallace
16 books11 followersKrista is a fantasy writer, jazz & rock musician, audiobook narrator, actor, podcaster, mother, Gran, a lover of pie, dark chocolate, and fine single malt scotch. She hails from Port Coquitlam, BC, where she writes and records in a closet, emerging occasionally to sing with the big band FAT Jazz, or her duo, the Itty Bitty Big Band. She is the author of the Gatekeeper fantasy series, and an urban fantasy comedy romance: Griffin & the Spurious Correlations. She has short stories published in Pulp Literature, Heart's Kiss, electricspec, and 49th Parallels (an Aurora nominated anthology), and an essay in Canada is not the 51st F**king State from Cosmic Cranium Press. Krista sometimes throws knives, and sometimes tap dances, but not usually at the same time. Learn more at kristawallace.com.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
September 17, 2021
Krista Wallace writes a tale that fills mind with magic and old world chivalry. Her ever colliding lands infused with elves, dwarves, magic users, humans and mysterious "symrian" will keep you at the edge of your seat with wonderfully elaborated sword play and story intrigue. Every chapter a cliffhanger, you will be hard pressed to set it down. This is a series for LOTR officianados, those who love Camelot and fantasy enthusiasts, but it is certain to be enjoyed by all.
April 26, 2024
I love this series. I just finished book three at two in the morning last night. For reference, I go to bed around nine. I just kept thinking just one more page. Just one more. What do you get when you take an expert swordfighter with a mysteries past even she doesn't understand and put her on a quest with a human who wants badly to be a knight, a surly dwarf, a smelly wood elf, and a taciturn mage? A rollicking adventure. But first she has to fight that jerk at the bar.. I mean tavern... who won't just leave her alone and won't take no for an answer.
May 1, 2022
I loved this story and can not wait for the next book! I haven't read fantasy is forever and found myself entirely caught up in the Gatekeeper's world. Exceptionally well written and detailed, I would highly recommend the Gatekeeper's Key.
August 29, 2022
WARNING: Start reading on a weekend or clear your schedule for the next few days because you will not be able to put this down!
I loved The Lord of the Rings growing up, so as soon as I read Wallace's elegant writing set in a Middle Earth-y universe with elves, dwarves, and wizards, I was hooked! The main thing I love about The Gatekeeper's Key more than LOTR is the focus on a strong female protagonist. Kyer is a sword fighter in a patriarchal society, but men respect & admire her for her strength in body, character, and spirit (not just skin-deep beauty). Yet she is relatable in that she makes very human mistakes and continues to learn from them. Her wit and impetuosity provide funny interchanges amidst a serious quest. Her companions become trustworthy friends after overcoming life-and-death obstacles together. This book marks the beginning of her journey to discover her mysterious origin, which slowly unravels throughout the trilogy, leaving us yearning for the next book!
I loved The Lord of the Rings growing up, so as soon as I read Wallace's elegant writing set in a Middle Earth-y universe with elves, dwarves, and wizards, I was hooked! The main thing I love about The Gatekeeper's Key more than LOTR is the focus on a strong female protagonist. Kyer is a sword fighter in a patriarchal society, but men respect & admire her for her strength in body, character, and spirit (not just skin-deep beauty). Yet she is relatable in that she makes very human mistakes and continues to learn from them. Her wit and impetuosity provide funny interchanges amidst a serious quest. Her companions become trustworthy friends after overcoming life-and-death obstacles together. This book marks the beginning of her journey to discover her mysterious origin, which slowly unravels throughout the trilogy, leaving us yearning for the next book!
November 26, 2025
I just couldn't put the book down anymore!
August 7, 2024
This book is a love letter to classic fantasy: swords and sorcery, wizards and elves, struggles between good and evil - plus a spunky heroine who kicks ass and doesn't take anyone's shit. Kyer is a delight: strong, sassy, competent, and comfortable with her sexuality in a way that's honestly rare in books of any genre, much less high fantasy. (But seriously, girl, get a cleric with more spell slots, because I'm worried y'all don't have enough HP for future boss fights.)
Hoping for more Skimnoddle and Golgathaur in the next books - I love a chaotic neutral silly little guy, and I love a slightly queer-coded villain.
Hoping for more Skimnoddle and Golgathaur in the next books - I love a chaotic neutral silly little guy, and I love a slightly queer-coded villain.
December 13, 2021
I'm only a couple of chapters into this, but I love the kick-ass main character. Full review to come later ...
December 10, 2021
You will love Kyer, the young heroin of Gatekeeper's Key. She books no nonsense from friends and enemies alike, and this impetuous behaviour is both endearing and dangerous. The writing is beautiful in detail, including settings, character development and action scenes. I love stories with a great sense of "place", and I can't wait to return to Kyer's world and see what happens next.
December 10, 2020
Loved this novel! Strong kickass female protagonist who doesn’t take crap from anyone. Sassy and tough Kyer Halidan is the hero you would never want to meet in battle unless she was on your side. Then stand back and let her do her thing. Krista Wallace’s voice is lovely for audiobooks, I am nervous when I hear that the author is reading their own work but I could listen to this author read me a recipe book. I am hooked when do we get to hear book two??
May 16, 2021
Loved, loved, loved this book! Kyer is so clever and I love her 'I don't give a fuck what you think' attitude. I never have liked listening to audio books but this one has definitely changed my mind. Krista's voices for the various characters makes it easy to follow, but keeps you on your toes about who else can show up. Can't wait to start listening to book 2!
April 26, 2022
I loved this story and can not wait for the next book! I haven't read fantasy is forever and found myself entirely caught up in the Gatekeeper's world. Exceptionally well written and detailed, I would highly recommend the Gatekeeper's Key.
January 14, 2022
When I bought this book, I was excited. I purchased it almost the moment it was released on December 10, 2021, and it arrived just in time for Christmas Eve.
I began reading, and right away I was enthralled by the action and intrigue in the first few chapters. The characters each breathed life into the story in their own unique way, and their interrelationships spoke volumes to the depth of their personalities and morals.
The plot was a fascinating tale of adventure and magic, spun in a way that reminded me of a wondrous D&D quest.
I was swept by the vivid imagery of the action, though I admit there were times where the story pulled and I had to force myself to endure and keep reading. This was made difficult by the structure of the book, as the chapters were few but very long (twenty to twenty-five pages!), and while there were breaks interspersed, I seldom found myself flipping ahead to see the next possible break so I could put the book down for the night.
Besides those rare moments, the story was riveting, and I was satisfied by the resolution. I will for sure be ordering the next book when it comes out!
One major issue I had, though, was with the formatting of the book. The title font isn’t my favourite, but the size of the body text is what really threw me off. It’s just slightly too small with the lines just slightly too far apart, which put a strain on my eyes as I was reading. There were also times when the bottom margin was uneven to avoid widows and organs from occurring, though there were times when two whole lines of text were missing from the bottom of the page, giving me the false notion that the chapter was complete.
Other than that, Gatekeepers Key was a thrilling read that I would recommend to high fantasy lovers out there!
I began reading, and right away I was enthralled by the action and intrigue in the first few chapters. The characters each breathed life into the story in their own unique way, and their interrelationships spoke volumes to the depth of their personalities and morals.
The plot was a fascinating tale of adventure and magic, spun in a way that reminded me of a wondrous D&D quest.
I was swept by the vivid imagery of the action, though I admit there were times where the story pulled and I had to force myself to endure and keep reading. This was made difficult by the structure of the book, as the chapters were few but very long (twenty to twenty-five pages!), and while there were breaks interspersed, I seldom found myself flipping ahead to see the next possible break so I could put the book down for the night.
Besides those rare moments, the story was riveting, and I was satisfied by the resolution. I will for sure be ordering the next book when it comes out!
One major issue I had, though, was with the formatting of the book. The title font isn’t my favourite, but the size of the body text is what really threw me off. It’s just slightly too small with the lines just slightly too far apart, which put a strain on my eyes as I was reading. There were also times when the bottom margin was uneven to avoid widows and organs from occurring, though there were times when two whole lines of text were missing from the bottom of the page, giving me the false notion that the chapter was complete.
Other than that, Gatekeepers Key was a thrilling read that I would recommend to high fantasy lovers out there!
July 9, 2023
A fight with a dangerous thug named Simon changes Kyer Halidan’s life when she’s forced to kill him. Witnessing her expert swordsmanship, Valraker, the Duke of Equart, invites her to join a trusted group of men on a secret mission. Given her limited prospects, Kyer accepts his invitation, but there are challenges and growing danger as Simon’s formidable friends track her down.
Gatekeeper’s Key is gripping and delightfully imaginative. This world of magic, elves, trolls and wizards offers plenty of intense action. Most intriguing, though, is heroine Kyer Halidan, a woman who doesn’t know where she came from, doesn’t understand the magic surrounding her, and who desperately wants to belong somewhere. She’s a fascinating, complex, and fearless character.
The pacing and growing suspense in this novel will have you turning pages quickly. Although not all of the storylines are wrapped up, the ending is still satisfying. There is a small amount of violence in this novel that isn’t for the faint of heart, but I found Gatekeeper’s Key to be a gripping debut story in what I’m sure is a compelling series. Highly recommended.
Gatekeeper’s Key is gripping and delightfully imaginative. This world of magic, elves, trolls and wizards offers plenty of intense action. Most intriguing, though, is heroine Kyer Halidan, a woman who doesn’t know where she came from, doesn’t understand the magic surrounding her, and who desperately wants to belong somewhere. She’s a fascinating, complex, and fearless character.
The pacing and growing suspense in this novel will have you turning pages quickly. Although not all of the storylines are wrapped up, the ending is still satisfying. There is a small amount of violence in this novel that isn’t for the faint of heart, but I found Gatekeeper’s Key to be a gripping debut story in what I’m sure is a compelling series. Highly recommended.
March 3, 2022
This is a book set in a pseudo medieval world with a dungeon and dragons feel and a female protagonist who knows her sword work. There is a mystery about her origin which I sense will be revealed as the rest of the series unfolds. In this first book she knows way more about battle tactics than about what her personal magic entails though that is both scary and surprising. The world is vivid and well constructed, the companionship of elves dwarves and humans has the kind of banter that fans of the Lord of the Rings will recognize. I like the determination and endurance of Kier the protagonist and each of the secondary characters have distinct personalities, from their dark elf lord and commander Valrayker to Kier's companions, the elf Pfennel, the knight Derry, the surly dwarf, the wizard, and even the amusing halfling, Skimnoddle. The villains are worthy of the name and those who meet their comeuppance in this book do so in a satisfying manner. This is a lighthearted fantasy that can move from humour to tension in a blink.
November 15, 2022
Gatekeeper's Key by Krista Wallace is a fun, fast-paced adventure introducing Kyer Halidan -- a trained swordswoman with no knowledge of her own origin -- who joins the company of her greatest hero -- the dark elf Valrayker, Duke of Equart -- after besting a cocksure boor in a duel which quickly turns sour. Meeting ancient elves, human fighters (both noble and dastardly), jabbering goblins, a surly dwarf, a cautious shaman, a grating halfling, a persistent ogre, and a hungry troll along the way, Kyer's quick wit, deadly sword, and sarcastic mouth make both friends and enemies in equal measure as Valrayker's company sneaks into enemy-held territory to save a village of innocents. If you like your fantasy riddled with mysterious magic, scheming villains, and dark consequences, Gatekeeper's Key (book one of a planned four-part trilogy) might be just the thrill you're looking for.
January 20, 2023
Book one of this series dove right into meeting Kyer Halidan and sending her off on an adventure with new friends. Well-described action abounded throughout the journey to the big city and during their first mission together. It was great fun to learn about character traits, abilities, and concerns as they worked each problem they encountered. I also enjoyed the steady unveiling of the bigger world backdrop and the existence of the multiple levels of bad guys the merry band will no doubt have to face. We also get a hint of what’s to come with the tie-in of the title to the magic that Kyer carries.
March 22, 2023
I love a story with a hard-hitting female protagonist, and this is it. Kyer embarks on a journey of self-discovery as forces she doesn’t fully understand pull her into a conflict that will define who she really is and reveal why she was chosen to train with a master swordsman and travel with a legend. Strong female characters, dark elves, dwarves, swords & magic amulets...this fantasy adventure has it all!!!
May 1, 2022
With a range of characters and interactions that spark, Wallace's first novel first novel in the trillogy is a classic fantasy. For all those that like tales of quest and political intrique she sets the stage and reaches a statisfying conclusion. The audio naration was well done and edited. Looking forward to the next in the series.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews