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The War for Ezyrn #1
The Ancient Gate
After years of adventure and many close calls, Desa Kincaid wants nothing more than a quiet life with her family. Her partner, Kalia, has been elected to the city council, and their adopted son, Brendan, is growing up strong and healthy. But when a new threat comes to her world from beyond the stars, Desa must embark on a journey that will take her across dimensions.
Anna Lenai never wanted to be famous; she never asked to be in the spotlight. That kind of thing just happens when you save the world enough times. After fending off an alien invasion, Anna is ready to settle into a comfortable routine. But the arrival of a stranger from another dimension pulls her into a new adventure, too.
Together, the two must face an enemy that threatens to destroy both of their worlds.
Anna Lenai never wanted to be famous; she never asked to be in the spotlight. That kind of thing just happens when you save the world enough times. After fending off an alien invasion, Anna is ready to settle into a comfortable routine. But the arrival of a stranger from another dimension pulls her into a new adventure, too.
Together, the two must face an enemy that threatens to destroy both of their worlds.
- GenresScience Fiction
362 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
45 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
R.S. Penney
45 books56 followersI was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario where I attended Saltfleet High School and McMaster University. I've spent most of my life fighting for the little guy in one form or another, advocating for the poor, for environmental sustainability, for minority rights.
Throughout my twenties, I wrote about five novels and threw them all out because they weren't very good. But I improved and honed my skills with each new manuscript. About two years ago, I had an offer from a traditional publishing house, but I chose to go indie instead. Writing is my passion; if I could dedicate myself to one thing, it would be bringing the ideas in my head to life.
Throughout my twenties, I wrote about five novels and threw them all out because they weren't very good. But I improved and honed my skills with each new manuscript. About two years ago, I had an offer from a traditional publishing house, but I chose to go indie instead. Writing is my passion; if I could dedicate myself to one thing, it would be bringing the ideas in my head to life.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 10, 2024
Book 1 of a decent sci-fantasy space opera. I enjoyed the contrasts of the very different worlds/universes, and the world-building was probably the best aspect of this book. I felt the characterization lacked depth and the author has the tendency to do a lot of telling and very little showing of things, particularly in character traits. Some good ideas here but did not grip me enough to continue the series. 2.5/5
February 15, 2023
Review of The Ancient Gate (The War for Ezryn #1) by R. S. Penney
eARC provided by author’s manager.
The Ancient Gate is a combining of R.S. Penney’s Desa Kincaid and Justice Keepers series. Multiverse, blah blah, you know the drill. Everyone has to have their own Cinematic Universe or Cosmere knock-off.
This review is not going to be like my previous ones. I have no desire to write a long essay dissecting the book as much of what I said about Bounty Hunter by R. S. Penney (review here[LINK]) remains the same. Despite almost 4 years and many, many, books he has not developed as an author. I agreed to review The Ancient Gate because I was hopeful he had improved over time, and I was intrigued by the cover art.
Unfortunately I was left disappointed and perplexed. Here we have a book worse than Bounty Hunter. Where Bounty Hunter showed signs of flourish and refinement, scant as they were, The Ancient Gate lacks. How that is possible, I don’t know.
Was it all bad? No. The cover is good, as our most of R. S. Penney’s book covers. Beneath the cover there are some good ideas but, as I wrote in my Desa Kincaid review [LINK], ideas are not enough. The writing needs to be of high quality. I am not talking about style here but the execution of said style. Penney’s work is focussed on character movement, feeling, and thoughts in a to-the-point way, a style that is all clear pane where the prose doesn’t impede on the story being told. Perfectly reasonable style, yet the whole way through the story is tripping over the writing. Whether it is cringe worthy dialogue, repetition, over-description, over-telling, showing followed by telling, uneven characterisation, inconsistent tone, or just verboseness. The ideas are let down by writing that required another draft or two.
I want these stories to be well written. There are good ideas nestled within and with a little more time from the author they could shine. I’ll admit the clear pane style is not my go to but I do read some works with that, and similar, styles. Even my own fiction writing is more clear pane than stained glass, and I want to improve, shift, and carve out a distinct voice. I don’t sense that from Penney’s work, I sense fast writing, under-edited, and published too soon.
Cool Ideas
Conscious bacteria able to be symbiotic with humans enabling magic; Bending.
Depression (Bleakness) as a punishment for sin.
Starships that are massive organic creatures.
Bio-matter as recyclable ‘shells’ for minds to inhabit and vacate at will.
These are not new ideas but they are cool ones and lend themselves to intriguing world building and setting up problems for characters to face and overcome.
Bending, like Field Binding, is a well thought out and fun magic system. The rules are easy to figure out, plainly told or shown to the reader, and both magics are used in creative ways whether in combat or solving problems.
SPOILER WARNING
For instance near the end of the book our heroes must overcome a fleet of organic starships that can absorb heat in massive quantities. Using a mix of science and fantasy they figure out that while starships, organic and not, are good at withstanding heat they aren’t good with cold because they don’t need to be. Space isn’t cold, per se, it is nothing and thus a good insulator because heat has nothing to pass to. Thus, with Field Binding, Desa can infuse a missile with a Heat Sink that cripples an organic starship. A clever and satisfying read balancing science fiction and fantasy with a unique solution to a life-threatening problem.
The fight scenes between characters armed with Bending and those with Field Binding also generates its own unique problems and solutions and here is where Penney’s ideas are strongest. Interlocking similar but distinct magics with their own drawbacks and advantages creates its own drama.
SPOILERS OVER
For all the cool ideas and the combinations that could develop the prose gets in the way.
Problems
The first paragraph of the Prologue
Michael swung the bat as hard as he could, striking the baseball with a sound like thunder, sending it flying to the outfield. Billy looked up, desperately trying to track it, but the glare of the setting sun got in his eyes. Sweat made his glasses slide down his nose; he had to adjust them.
Every sentence has excess fat. Every sentence could flow smoother. Alternatives to illustrate my point:
Michael swung the bat striking the baseball with a thunderous crack. Billy shielded his eyes as he failed to track the ball in the glare of the setting sun. He adjusted his glasses and mopped his forehead with the back of his hand.
Or.
Michael swung the bat, his knuckles white, and hit the ball. A thunderous crack echoed through the park as the ball sailed high. Blinded by the glare of the sun, Billy failed to track the ball. Sweat ran down his temples and he adjusted his glasses.
Or.
Michael struck the baseball with a thunderous crack. The ball vanished in the glare of the sun. Billy adjusted his glasses, sweat beading on his forehead.
I only aim to illustrate my point and I do not claim my versions are better. The idea is conveyed in the original but it is stilted, especially the last sentence “Sweat made his glasses slide down his nose; he had to adjust them,” and continues throughout the entire novel, such as, “Checking the clock, she noted the time.” Just write “She checked the clock” or “She checked the time.”
In a similar vein we have repetition of showing and telling. For instance:
“Razor said nothing. When it came to Isara, silence was golden. The most innocuous comment could provoke her. And yet, she was also capable of random acts of kindness. You never knew what to expect from her.”
The last sentence adds nothing, or the previous two don’t. Either way the repetition of telling is grating. But instead in this scene was a prime opportunity for showing rather than telling. I won’t quote at length, it’s multiple pages, but the gist is: Isara leads an army. She has tremendous power while also being attractive. She likes to sleep with the soldiers that stare at her, and many die in the experience. A soldier stares at her, another elbows him. We are told, via Razor, she might not have noticed and then that two soldiers are on a mission and are overdue. The quote above follows about random acts of kindness and cruelty. All of this could have been rolled into one scene of showing the reader these things instead of telling them.
A scene where Isara notices the soldier staring at her, goes over to him, sees he is a recruit and strikes up a flirtatious conversation. Asks about him, coos a little and invites him for a drink. Razor hears the other soldiers warn him about her but the soldier is too smitten to hear. And as Isara is walking away threatens those she sent on a mission with execution (or something else) loudly for all to hear the punishment for failing her.
This is merely an idea but the point is the need to show the reader character traits and events rather than tell them. Telling has its place but in this book it is too common. Continuing with repetition consider the sentence “The creature endured blast after blast, but somehow, it survived the onslaught.” If the creature endured then it survived, no need to repeat. Not to mention the commas are redundant.
Next we have inconsistent tone and poor word choice, the example being, “The bat endured it all with ease, laughing off their pitiful measures.” The bat, an organic starship, didn’t actually laugh but the choice of phrase doesn’t fit the circumstance. The scene is in space, in the middle of a battle of life and death, and we have “laughing off”. The tone is all wrong and the phrase doesn’t mesh with the creature being described. This occurs time and time again throughout the story and makes for tiresome reading.
This is only a sample of the problems, major and minor, with the book. I have skipped over inconsistent characterisations, over describing of scenes and layout of the world, and political commentary with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer amounting to little more than warmed up Star Trek. To cover them all would be a significantly longer review which I am not prepared to write.
1/5
Ratings are particular to the reviewer. There is no universal way for us to gauge how we each feel about a story. We can dig into the qualities of the craft and come to some sort of consensus but even then there will be disagreements. The closest is assessing a story on its own internal logic, tone, and apparent aims but even then just watch an EFAP episode and disagreement is still rife.
I’m not a fan of number ratings in reviews but I do rate books on Goodreads and Storygraph. There you can parse out what I like, why I like it, and the ratings work relative to one another, but that’s all. One man’s 1 star is another man’s 5 star. For me, The Ancient Gate, is firmly, 1 star.
eARC provided by author’s manager.
The Ancient Gate is a combining of R.S. Penney’s Desa Kincaid and Justice Keepers series. Multiverse, blah blah, you know the drill. Everyone has to have their own Cinematic Universe or Cosmere knock-off.
This review is not going to be like my previous ones. I have no desire to write a long essay dissecting the book as much of what I said about Bounty Hunter by R. S. Penney (review here[LINK]) remains the same. Despite almost 4 years and many, many, books he has not developed as an author. I agreed to review The Ancient Gate because I was hopeful he had improved over time, and I was intrigued by the cover art.
Unfortunately I was left disappointed and perplexed. Here we have a book worse than Bounty Hunter. Where Bounty Hunter showed signs of flourish and refinement, scant as they were, The Ancient Gate lacks. How that is possible, I don’t know.
Was it all bad? No. The cover is good, as our most of R. S. Penney’s book covers. Beneath the cover there are some good ideas but, as I wrote in my Desa Kincaid review [LINK], ideas are not enough. The writing needs to be of high quality. I am not talking about style here but the execution of said style. Penney’s work is focussed on character movement, feeling, and thoughts in a to-the-point way, a style that is all clear pane where the prose doesn’t impede on the story being told. Perfectly reasonable style, yet the whole way through the story is tripping over the writing. Whether it is cringe worthy dialogue, repetition, over-description, over-telling, showing followed by telling, uneven characterisation, inconsistent tone, or just verboseness. The ideas are let down by writing that required another draft or two.
I want these stories to be well written. There are good ideas nestled within and with a little more time from the author they could shine. I’ll admit the clear pane style is not my go to but I do read some works with that, and similar, styles. Even my own fiction writing is more clear pane than stained glass, and I want to improve, shift, and carve out a distinct voice. I don’t sense that from Penney’s work, I sense fast writing, under-edited, and published too soon.
Cool Ideas
Conscious bacteria able to be symbiotic with humans enabling magic; Bending.
Depression (Bleakness) as a punishment for sin.
Starships that are massive organic creatures.
Bio-matter as recyclable ‘shells’ for minds to inhabit and vacate at will.
These are not new ideas but they are cool ones and lend themselves to intriguing world building and setting up problems for characters to face and overcome.
Bending, like Field Binding, is a well thought out and fun magic system. The rules are easy to figure out, plainly told or shown to the reader, and both magics are used in creative ways whether in combat or solving problems.
SPOILER WARNING
For instance near the end of the book our heroes must overcome a fleet of organic starships that can absorb heat in massive quantities. Using a mix of science and fantasy they figure out that while starships, organic and not, are good at withstanding heat they aren’t good with cold because they don’t need to be. Space isn’t cold, per se, it is nothing and thus a good insulator because heat has nothing to pass to. Thus, with Field Binding, Desa can infuse a missile with a Heat Sink that cripples an organic starship. A clever and satisfying read balancing science fiction and fantasy with a unique solution to a life-threatening problem.
The fight scenes between characters armed with Bending and those with Field Binding also generates its own unique problems and solutions and here is where Penney’s ideas are strongest. Interlocking similar but distinct magics with their own drawbacks and advantages creates its own drama.
SPOILERS OVER
For all the cool ideas and the combinations that could develop the prose gets in the way.
Problems
The first paragraph of the Prologue
Michael swung the bat as hard as he could, striking the baseball with a sound like thunder, sending it flying to the outfield. Billy looked up, desperately trying to track it, but the glare of the setting sun got in his eyes. Sweat made his glasses slide down his nose; he had to adjust them.
Every sentence has excess fat. Every sentence could flow smoother. Alternatives to illustrate my point:
Michael swung the bat striking the baseball with a thunderous crack. Billy shielded his eyes as he failed to track the ball in the glare of the setting sun. He adjusted his glasses and mopped his forehead with the back of his hand.
Or.
Michael swung the bat, his knuckles white, and hit the ball. A thunderous crack echoed through the park as the ball sailed high. Blinded by the glare of the sun, Billy failed to track the ball. Sweat ran down his temples and he adjusted his glasses.
Or.
Michael struck the baseball with a thunderous crack. The ball vanished in the glare of the sun. Billy adjusted his glasses, sweat beading on his forehead.
I only aim to illustrate my point and I do not claim my versions are better. The idea is conveyed in the original but it is stilted, especially the last sentence “Sweat made his glasses slide down his nose; he had to adjust them,” and continues throughout the entire novel, such as, “Checking the clock, she noted the time.” Just write “She checked the clock” or “She checked the time.”
In a similar vein we have repetition of showing and telling. For instance:
“Razor said nothing. When it came to Isara, silence was golden. The most innocuous comment could provoke her. And yet, she was also capable of random acts of kindness. You never knew what to expect from her.”
The last sentence adds nothing, or the previous two don’t. Either way the repetition of telling is grating. But instead in this scene was a prime opportunity for showing rather than telling. I won’t quote at length, it’s multiple pages, but the gist is: Isara leads an army. She has tremendous power while also being attractive. She likes to sleep with the soldiers that stare at her, and many die in the experience. A soldier stares at her, another elbows him. We are told, via Razor, she might not have noticed and then that two soldiers are on a mission and are overdue. The quote above follows about random acts of kindness and cruelty. All of this could have been rolled into one scene of showing the reader these things instead of telling them.
A scene where Isara notices the soldier staring at her, goes over to him, sees he is a recruit and strikes up a flirtatious conversation. Asks about him, coos a little and invites him for a drink. Razor hears the other soldiers warn him about her but the soldier is too smitten to hear. And as Isara is walking away threatens those she sent on a mission with execution (or something else) loudly for all to hear the punishment for failing her.
This is merely an idea but the point is the need to show the reader character traits and events rather than tell them. Telling has its place but in this book it is too common. Continuing with repetition consider the sentence “The creature endured blast after blast, but somehow, it survived the onslaught.” If the creature endured then it survived, no need to repeat. Not to mention the commas are redundant.
Next we have inconsistent tone and poor word choice, the example being, “The bat endured it all with ease, laughing off their pitiful measures.” The bat, an organic starship, didn’t actually laugh but the choice of phrase doesn’t fit the circumstance. The scene is in space, in the middle of a battle of life and death, and we have “laughing off”. The tone is all wrong and the phrase doesn’t mesh with the creature being described. This occurs time and time again throughout the story and makes for tiresome reading.
This is only a sample of the problems, major and minor, with the book. I have skipped over inconsistent characterisations, over describing of scenes and layout of the world, and political commentary with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer amounting to little more than warmed up Star Trek. To cover them all would be a significantly longer review which I am not prepared to write.
1/5
Ratings are particular to the reviewer. There is no universal way for us to gauge how we each feel about a story. We can dig into the qualities of the craft and come to some sort of consensus but even then there will be disagreements. The closest is assessing a story on its own internal logic, tone, and apparent aims but even then just watch an EFAP episode and disagreement is still rife.
I’m not a fan of number ratings in reviews but I do rate books on Goodreads and Storygraph. There you can parse out what I like, why I like it, and the ratings work relative to one another, but that’s all. One man’s 1 star is another man’s 5 star. For me, The Ancient Gate, is firmly, 1 star.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2025
This story was focused far more on activist preaching than delivering a satisfying plot or story arc.
The front of this book has an author's note, which mentions it's a crossover between Justice Keepers and the Desa Kincaid novels. The note claims I didn't need to read any other novels to get into this one, that this was designed to be an entry point to the other series. Yet this book has 50 pages of appendix.
I appreciated that the blurb of this story offered transparent promise of a leading lesbian woman. I haven't tried a lot of those, so let's see what this has to offer. I expected a story, not a vehicle for activist preaching, but I came away disappointed.
This story succeeds in centering women in positions of power and heroism, but the era of that being rare is long gone. Now it's so ubiquitous as to have become cliche. There is no cultural win to be had in merely reversing the old imbalances, leaving males only in subordinate roles, forwarding a theme of female chauvinism.
The prologue started the book on the wrong foot, giving me a disjointed intro into the world, skipping between PoV, time and planets, with only one thread connecting them: an Alien named Heldrid. This wasn't grounding, nor did it attach me to characters.
Desa was introduced with chapter one, and we are given info-dumped backstory of how she saved the planet, which felt like a summary of the books I hadn't read, which saddened me because I didn't sign up for a recap of the other books. The best way to get me interested in the other books is to make this one shine, give me a great experience here, not shallow peeks into the other stories. Between info dumps we see bits of Desa in a cozy family with her partner and son.
Desa teaches a college course, where we the reader are subjected to a class about the magic system of Field Binding. So there were two separate types of info dumps before I am allowed to engage the plot of this book. This is the worst start I've encountered in the dozens of books I've read this year. Why should I care about these characters? Start there, get me attached, and feed in this other stuff along the way, not dump it on me. I found the college course vehicle particularly insulting. A straight explanation would have worked better for me, at least. If you insist on explaining stuff to me first, just rip off the bandage and get it over with. Better yet, don't. Save that for after I care enough to be curious. It's as if this was written only for existing fans, and not at all as an entry point.
I finally began to enjoy the story, once it shifted into a western style story of Desa vs aliens. This cowgirl gun-slinging physics-magic-wielding woman defeated groups of men and aliens, and I began to have some fun. I hoped the infodumping was over and the rest might be good. Then, as soon as I was truly attached to Desa, at about 30% of the way though the book, I'm ripped away from her and introduced to Anna.
Anna is another superhuman woman but obtains her power though a symbiosis with an alien lifeform. She is introduced first as a martial equal to Desa, then we see her give an interview about how and when her people came to the world. Not just another infodump, though, no: now including activist preaching, too. Anna lectures the humans of Earth about the ways of her people, complete with pointed comments against countries. This was just Anna as author mouthpiece, with nothing in terms of showing themes playing out through conflicts, dilemmas, and choices.
As Anna and Desa meet, I was offered a reprieve of the lectures, but not for long. Anna began lecturing Desa, and Desa is shown to be just as superior-minded in thinking Anna's culture is uncivilized, in a measuring contest to see who is most progressive. I don't think this was intended as a parody, but it made them both look awful to me. I liked Desa as a character until she revealed she's only a little less arrogant than Anna is.
We finally get to see a male in position of power. Jack is Anna's neurodivergent husband (because he has to check a box) and is only offered the task of ship captain because Anna is out of action temporarily.
The climax of the book offered an interesting fight, but I can't say it solved a single one of the questions or issues raised in the story. Heldrid incites everything but never shows up to take any other action.
This book had a great cover. If you're part of the choir, you might like this one. Everyone else, consider yourselves warned.
The front of this book has an author's note, which mentions it's a crossover between Justice Keepers and the Desa Kincaid novels. The note claims I didn't need to read any other novels to get into this one, that this was designed to be an entry point to the other series. Yet this book has 50 pages of appendix.
I appreciated that the blurb of this story offered transparent promise of a leading lesbian woman. I haven't tried a lot of those, so let's see what this has to offer. I expected a story, not a vehicle for activist preaching, but I came away disappointed.
This story succeeds in centering women in positions of power and heroism, but the era of that being rare is long gone. Now it's so ubiquitous as to have become cliche. There is no cultural win to be had in merely reversing the old imbalances, leaving males only in subordinate roles, forwarding a theme of female chauvinism.
The prologue started the book on the wrong foot, giving me a disjointed intro into the world, skipping between PoV, time and planets, with only one thread connecting them: an Alien named Heldrid. This wasn't grounding, nor did it attach me to characters.
Desa was introduced with chapter one, and we are given info-dumped backstory of how she saved the planet, which felt like a summary of the books I hadn't read, which saddened me because I didn't sign up for a recap of the other books. The best way to get me interested in the other books is to make this one shine, give me a great experience here, not shallow peeks into the other stories. Between info dumps we see bits of Desa in a cozy family with her partner and son.
Desa teaches a college course, where we the reader are subjected to a class about the magic system of Field Binding. So there were two separate types of info dumps before I am allowed to engage the plot of this book. This is the worst start I've encountered in the dozens of books I've read this year. Why should I care about these characters? Start there, get me attached, and feed in this other stuff along the way, not dump it on me. I found the college course vehicle particularly insulting. A straight explanation would have worked better for me, at least. If you insist on explaining stuff to me first, just rip off the bandage and get it over with. Better yet, don't. Save that for after I care enough to be curious. It's as if this was written only for existing fans, and not at all as an entry point.
I finally began to enjoy the story, once it shifted into a western style story of Desa vs aliens. This cowgirl gun-slinging physics-magic-wielding woman defeated groups of men and aliens, and I began to have some fun. I hoped the infodumping was over and the rest might be good. Then, as soon as I was truly attached to Desa, at about 30% of the way though the book, I'm ripped away from her and introduced to Anna.
Anna is another superhuman woman but obtains her power though a symbiosis with an alien lifeform. She is introduced first as a martial equal to Desa, then we see her give an interview about how and when her people came to the world. Not just another infodump, though, no: now including activist preaching, too. Anna lectures the humans of Earth about the ways of her people, complete with pointed comments against countries. This was just Anna as author mouthpiece, with nothing in terms of showing themes playing out through conflicts, dilemmas, and choices.
As Anna and Desa meet, I was offered a reprieve of the lectures, but not for long. Anna began lecturing Desa, and Desa is shown to be just as superior-minded in thinking Anna's culture is uncivilized, in a measuring contest to see who is most progressive. I don't think this was intended as a parody, but it made them both look awful to me. I liked Desa as a character until she revealed she's only a little less arrogant than Anna is.
We finally get to see a male in position of power. Jack is Anna's neurodivergent husband (because he has to check a box) and is only offered the task of ship captain because Anna is out of action temporarily.
The climax of the book offered an interesting fight, but I can't say it solved a single one of the questions or issues raised in the story. Heldrid incites everything but never shows up to take any other action.
This book had a great cover. If you're part of the choir, you might like this one. Everyone else, consider yourselves warned.
April 30, 2023
I got free sample from the author to read and rewiew.
"Ancient Gate, The War of Erzyn Book 1." by R.S. Penney starts Keepers Saga -series. It took time to read, since E-books are just not my kind of tea cup. It still wasn´t that bad I expected to read whole scifi book from my laptop screen.
Anyway, I love this book and going to read more. First of all, many of the main charachters are different age women and I can easily identify with Desa, Anna and others. Also, this represents queer-friendly storytelling. These things haven´t been self-evident in sci-fi I have read, ever.
Story takes you through the Ancient Gate to the another realm almost like yours. It takes you to the outer space to the war with aliens and throught their wormhole to the great unkown. So there happens a lot! 🤯
Whole world is well built and also technical facilities are plausible enought to me.
I also like the sturcture of the book. The story is told from the perspectives of different characters, which deepens their personalities and herstories/histories nicely. As a reader you can get attached to them in an irreversible way.
Even the names of the places and charachters were good, I usually get irritated quickly by stupid names in the books even I know it is even more difficult than building a good plot to a book/ new world you are writing.
When you read this, check out first the end of the book information package. I often miss this kind information, which makes reading and diving into a new world easier. In very beginning I was struggling to make a map all of this in my head. Then I realized to check if there is some word explaining material in the end and there was😂 Of course reading it makes reading the whole book so much easier.
So, it is hard to find lot to complain since this was really my kind of book and I enjoyed reading it. I always feel like if you got something for free, you need to be extra critical. Read it your self and try to find something to complain since I can´t🔥
"Ancient Gate, The War of Erzyn Book 1." by R.S. Penney starts Keepers Saga -series. It took time to read, since E-books are just not my kind of tea cup. It still wasn´t that bad I expected to read whole scifi book from my laptop screen.
Anyway, I love this book and going to read more. First of all, many of the main charachters are different age women and I can easily identify with Desa, Anna and others. Also, this represents queer-friendly storytelling. These things haven´t been self-evident in sci-fi I have read, ever.
Story takes you through the Ancient Gate to the another realm almost like yours. It takes you to the outer space to the war with aliens and throught their wormhole to the great unkown. So there happens a lot! 🤯
Whole world is well built and also technical facilities are plausible enought to me.
I also like the sturcture of the book. The story is told from the perspectives of different characters, which deepens their personalities and herstories/histories nicely. As a reader you can get attached to them in an irreversible way.
Even the names of the places and charachters were good, I usually get irritated quickly by stupid names in the books even I know it is even more difficult than building a good plot to a book/ new world you are writing.
When you read this, check out first the end of the book information package. I often miss this kind information, which makes reading and diving into a new world easier. In very beginning I was struggling to make a map all of this in my head. Then I realized to check if there is some word explaining material in the end and there was😂 Of course reading it makes reading the whole book so much easier.
So, it is hard to find lot to complain since this was really my kind of book and I enjoyed reading it. I always feel like if you got something for free, you need to be extra critical. Read it your self and try to find something to complain since I can´t🔥
May 21, 2023
Today’s coffee was served with the book “The Ancient Gate: The War For Ezryn Book 1" by Richard S. Penney which takes readers on an exhilarating journey filled with adventure, family bonds, and interdimensional conflicts. Desa Kincaid, a strong and resilient protagonist, longs for a peaceful life after her past escapades. However, when a menacing threat emerges from beyond the stars, she is compelled to embark on a dangerous quest that spans different dimensions.
The author skillfully weaves together multiple storylines, introducing Anna, who has recently fought off an alien invasion and seeks a tranquil existence. But destiny has other plans as a stranger from another dimension arrives, entangling her in a new and enthralling adventure.
The book thrives on the strength of its characters, particularly Desa and Anna, who face a common enemy capable of wreaking havoc on their respective worlds. Their determination, courage, and unwavering spirit captivate readers, drawing them deeper into the unfolding narrative.
Penney's writing style is immersive, effectively transporting readers into a world teeming with action and intrigue. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing for both exhilarating moments of conflict and introspective scenes that delve into the characters' emotions and relationships.
"The Ancient Gate" sets the stage for an epic series, laying the groundwork for a larger war and hinting at the complexities yet to come. With its blend of adventure, family dynamics, and the threat of impending doom, this book is a thrilling start to the "War For Ezryn" series, leaving readers eager for the next instalment.
…
BookEcke is incredibly grateful and deeply touched by the author's generosity in emailing us a copy of the book personally.
The author skillfully weaves together multiple storylines, introducing Anna, who has recently fought off an alien invasion and seeks a tranquil existence. But destiny has other plans as a stranger from another dimension arrives, entangling her in a new and enthralling adventure.
The book thrives on the strength of its characters, particularly Desa and Anna, who face a common enemy capable of wreaking havoc on their respective worlds. Their determination, courage, and unwavering spirit captivate readers, drawing them deeper into the unfolding narrative.
Penney's writing style is immersive, effectively transporting readers into a world teeming with action and intrigue. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing for both exhilarating moments of conflict and introspective scenes that delve into the characters' emotions and relationships.
"The Ancient Gate" sets the stage for an epic series, laying the groundwork for a larger war and hinting at the complexities yet to come. With its blend of adventure, family dynamics, and the threat of impending doom, this book is a thrilling start to the "War For Ezryn" series, leaving readers eager for the next instalment.
…
BookEcke is incredibly grateful and deeply touched by the author's generosity in emailing us a copy of the book personally.
March 6, 2023
I was given a copy of this book for a honest review. It is the very first Sci-fi book I’ve read since I was a kid.
Multiple universes, female heroines, extraterrestrial beings, and action packed! I have to say it is storytelling at its finest. I was throughly entertained and can see this playing like a movie while I read it. An amazing creation of multiple universes that each hold an important part of this story. From the start of being dropped in to a new world this book is easy to follow the universe building and the amazing action scenes! Simple explanations in the appendix to help even the unscientific mind understand the language and definitions of science behind these amazing beings and universes in the story!
I enjoyed the character development for Desa and learning to trust Anna and Jack. Desa is on a mission to save her planet and her family from being ruled by those who would use their powers for evil versus good. I couldn’t help but feel for the allies she makes along the way. I love the relationships and friendships she is building throughout the story!
I did feel like some of the characters needed a bit more description and character background. However, I feel like that is soon to come with the next novel!
Such a great adventure! Definitely recommend this as high school age and older especially for anyone into multiple universes! *cough cough* those of us who have grown up reading comics and keeping others straight on the difference, this is a recommendation for you 😊!
Multiple universes, female heroines, extraterrestrial beings, and action packed! I have to say it is storytelling at its finest. I was throughly entertained and can see this playing like a movie while I read it. An amazing creation of multiple universes that each hold an important part of this story. From the start of being dropped in to a new world this book is easy to follow the universe building and the amazing action scenes! Simple explanations in the appendix to help even the unscientific mind understand the language and definitions of science behind these amazing beings and universes in the story!
I enjoyed the character development for Desa and learning to trust Anna and Jack. Desa is on a mission to save her planet and her family from being ruled by those who would use their powers for evil versus good. I couldn’t help but feel for the allies she makes along the way. I love the relationships and friendships she is building throughout the story!
I did feel like some of the characters needed a bit more description and character background. However, I feel like that is soon to come with the next novel!
Such a great adventure! Definitely recommend this as high school age and older especially for anyone into multiple universes! *cough cough* those of us who have grown up reading comics and keeping others straight on the difference, this is a recommendation for you 😊!
February 13, 2023
NB: I was given a free copy in return for an honest review.
Positives and negatives. There are definitely times when the characterisation feels a little... off. Not that the characters could be considered two-dimensional, and for the most part they're very likeable, but the dialogue sometimes feels a little forced. Emotional reactions can vary significantly within a conversation, anger and laughter both appear to be something that can switch off as quickly as they switch on and the end result is a little unconvincing. Some of the prose also jars a little - is 'grumpy' really the best way to describe concerned ship captains before a dangerous battle? I also didn't read all the appendices - there's a lot of thought gone into world-building that doesn't necessarily serve the story, though I guess it's a good thing that it was put into appendices rather than shoehorned unnecessarily into the story itself, so that's not really a complaint.
On the positive side, the story is very engaging. It's very well-paced, ties together really well and it's a fun read. The Field Binding that drives the story is novel, and well used, clearly well thought out. For all that the prose wasn't to my taste, I wouldn't think twice about reading the sequel, as I am genuinely invested in how the story plays out. And that, when it boils down to it, is the essence of a good book.
Positives and negatives. There are definitely times when the characterisation feels a little... off. Not that the characters could be considered two-dimensional, and for the most part they're very likeable, but the dialogue sometimes feels a little forced. Emotional reactions can vary significantly within a conversation, anger and laughter both appear to be something that can switch off as quickly as they switch on and the end result is a little unconvincing. Some of the prose also jars a little - is 'grumpy' really the best way to describe concerned ship captains before a dangerous battle? I also didn't read all the appendices - there's a lot of thought gone into world-building that doesn't necessarily serve the story, though I guess it's a good thing that it was put into appendices rather than shoehorned unnecessarily into the story itself, so that's not really a complaint.
On the positive side, the story is very engaging. It's very well-paced, ties together really well and it's a fun read. The Field Binding that drives the story is novel, and well used, clearly well thought out. For all that the prose wasn't to my taste, I wouldn't think twice about reading the sequel, as I am genuinely invested in how the story plays out. And that, when it boils down to it, is the essence of a good book.
February 16, 2023
Sci-fi at it's best
Desa Kincaid is the strength of the people, and her kind (field binders). She has mastered the art of manipulating kinetic energy, which proves to be effective in battle. If she falls, much hope for the city of Bekala will be lost.
In the midst of all the mayhem and war, there's a gate that can make a difference. The gate represents hope and wonder for many, while for others it represents a path for power and takeover. There are numerous Intergalactic Gates, but this one does not guarantee a return. In the novel titled "The Ancient Gate" by R.S.Penney, The author takes you on a sci-fi adventure to remember. Are you ready to dive into his world of marvel and discovery. If you dare, step inside the gate and remember to have your universe destination code in hand. Author R.S. Penny will provide you safe travels to the depths of your imagination. Just put your trust in his pen, he wont disappoint.
Desa Kincaid is the strength of the people, and her kind (field binders). She has mastered the art of manipulating kinetic energy, which proves to be effective in battle. If she falls, much hope for the city of Bekala will be lost.
In the midst of all the mayhem and war, there's a gate that can make a difference. The gate represents hope and wonder for many, while for others it represents a path for power and takeover. There are numerous Intergalactic Gates, but this one does not guarantee a return. In the novel titled "The Ancient Gate" by R.S.Penney, The author takes you on a sci-fi adventure to remember. Are you ready to dive into his world of marvel and discovery. If you dare, step inside the gate and remember to have your universe destination code in hand. Author R.S. Penny will provide you safe travels to the depths of your imagination. Just put your trust in his pen, he wont disappoint.
January 23, 2023
This is a kind of book where not only characters have mystery but also the plot itself is mysterious and suspenseful. Desa Kincaid who has adopted a son. And she is happy with her partner but someone is threatening their peace and that person is not only threat to them but they are also a threat to both the worlds. Desa must venture on an odyssey to unveil the mystery and get close to the intruder. They must reach to the root of the mystery. To completely eradicate the problem from its roots, they must find a way to the ancient gate.
Desa’s character is strong and fierce. Love field binding and the mystery of cosmos and the ancient gate are certain to grip the readers.The book is a blend of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance.The book ends on cliffhanger.
Desa’s character is strong and fierce. Love field binding and the mystery of cosmos and the ancient gate are certain to grip the readers.The book is a blend of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance.The book ends on cliffhanger.
February 17, 2023
I was sent this book in exchange for a review. The main character seemed like she would be a strong and wise person. However, she was not. In the second part when the audience is taken to Earth, there is another female character who more so embodies what I thought the main character would. It was difficult to get into the book, and at times the plot felt disjointed. The writing was good when it comes to grammar. It is the first in a new series and can read as a standalone, but there is a lot of new vocabulary, which might have been explained in the previous series.
March 1, 2023
Thank you to R.S Penney for sending me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review
This was such a fun read! I love the idea of ancestors of humanity ending up in different universes and the different versions of humanity that result from these differences! The other really clever aspect was the discussion of symbiotic relationships with bacteria which is such a great way of explaining otherworldly powers that I havent seen in many books! The world building was well done and the characters were interesting and varied. I will definitely be interested in following this series.
This was such a fun read! I love the idea of ancestors of humanity ending up in different universes and the different versions of humanity that result from these differences! The other really clever aspect was the discussion of symbiotic relationships with bacteria which is such a great way of explaining otherworldly powers that I havent seen in many books! The world building was well done and the characters were interesting and varied. I will definitely be interested in following this series.
January 23, 2025
While this book had moments where the writing was a little rough, overall it was an interesting book. It was cool reading about how powers worked in different worlds and I thought it was awesome that 2/3 of the lead roles were women. I also enjoyed that it was a more inclusive book with people of different sexual orientations and gender.
*Given a few copy in exchange for a review.*
*Given a few copy in exchange for a review.*
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