Lichgates

I was given a copy of this book to read through The Nexus for an honest review, thank you.



I have to say boy, is this book long! The version for my NOOK is 444 pages and took me quite a few days to finish it since I’m not a skim/speed reader like many people.

First I like the cover. I like the simplicity and the aged look to it.

The book blurb does a good job of telling what this story is about as do the numerous other reviews so I won’t go on and repeat it.

I enjoyed the characters and the numerous creatures. The author did a good job of getting across not just the main character personalities and their weaknesses, but also the secondary characters. I like the pairing of the main characters Kara and Braeden and how their relationship show more is growing closer and also how they fight their own personal demons. I’m wondering where their relationship will end, or if it does. Braeden is destined for the Stele, or so it seems, and Kara is not a yakona, so it appears that there really isn’t a future for the two together, but who really knows?

The idea that the Blood of each group controls the actions of all their subjects is an interesting one. This means that none of the members of the kingdom has any free will over a matter if the Blood wants to use them in any way the Blood so chooses. True freedom is only reserved for the Vagabonds or to an extent the Blood. It’s going to be very interesting to see how the author unfolds this issue in the subsequent books.

Most of the time, it was easy to keep my mind on what I was reading, except for certain scenes. The pace was good during the dialogue and the action scenes, but as soon as the scenes reverted to the scenery or inside the ‘castle’ or how the rooms looked, the pace would slow down dramatically and I couldn’t keep my mind on the story. I kept trying to figure out why were those ‘scenes’ boring? All I can figure is that they weren’t very vivid, or that the scenes were more telling than showing, but it happened consistently.

The formatting is pretty good but there are some instances where the author wasn’t consistent with the honorific titles for the ‘Bloods.’ In the one scene with Twin, Kara and the tiara, Twin would refer to Gavin as Gavin numerous times and Blood Gavin only once even though he was the ruler of Hillside. That should have been caught by the proofer/editor.

This is an interesting read about a world that lives right alongside ours. The characters are easily visualized as are the action scenes, but the scenes involving scenery or environment are not rich enough in description or the way it’s told, to hold the attention. I would still be interested enough to find out where this story goes, so I give this book 4 stars.

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The Grimoire: Lichgates is the first book in The Grimoire Trilogy. In this first book the author, S.M. Boyce, throws Kara (the main character) and the reader into an entirely new work called Ourea. To get to this world, Lichgates are necessary. They are portals linking our world to the dangerous, yet beautiful, kingdoms of Ourea. They are scattered all over both worlds and it is through one of them in the Rocky Mountains that Kara stumbles.

Upon falling into an underground library, Kara finds waiting for her an old red leather book. The book is very magical. On it is a necklace with a pendant that looks like four crescent moons configured in the shape of a four-leaf clover. This book is so magical that there are blank pages throughout, show more but when asked the right questions the pages flip to a sections and words appear with an answer.

This book is one of Kara’s only defenses against what lies in wait for her in Ourea. Upon opening the book, she has become the center of every kingdom’s focus; she is the Vagabond. Her purpose in this strange world is to reunite the four kingdoms in peace, fulfilling the goal of the first Vagabond who died a thousand years before.

This concept really caught me from the beginning. Like I said I was hooked from reading the first chapter alone. It takes a lot to do that with most books. Part of what kept me reading was the fact that this book doesn’t wait to get the reader into the action. There is no lead in chapters, no foreshadowing, no mercy. Kara is hiking one minute and in Ourea fighting for her life the next. Every time throughout the book it seems that there will be some time to relax (for the characters and readers alike) something happens. It’s almost impossible to put this book down. Lucky for me I was able to force the book down, which allowed me to savor every experience it held; there are many.

I loved many elements of this book. First off the setting made me want to visit Ourea. I know this is impossible (not only because it’s not a real place) because if I went there, I’d most likely die (more on that soon.) Ourea is like the worlds of most fantastical stories. It has it’s beautiful landscapes, luxurious castles, and even a dreary kingdom no one wants to acknowledge. It’s landscapes include forests, a kingdom nestled on top of a vertigo inducing multi mile high cliff, and even a kingdom found in a magical dome on the bottom of an ocean guarded by sharks. And it’s not just the places themselves that I fell in love with, it’s the way Boyce’s words describe them. I can’t do it justice in my own words, you’ll have to take my word for it or read the book. Her words paint a picture of every aspect allowing the reader to soak in the images.

The setting wasn’t the only exciting part of the book. There are also the various creatures of the land. To mention a few there are griffins, dragons, something Kara says is similar to a squirrel, and one of my favorites a flaer named Rowthe. I liked him a lot because he’s a huge dog like creature. Of course he has a unique ability, but I’m going to let you find that one out, it’s just really cool.

The characters Kara encounters are very hard to figure out. This helps the story be what is it more than anything else. The Grimoire from the beginning warns Kara that she can’t trust anyone in Ourea. A lot of the times it seems like the characters can be figured out and trusted, but then there’s either a subtle or drastic hint to the contrary. As a reader I was always jumping to conclusions about a character only to change my opinion soon after. I’m still waiting for a character to make a turn for the worse, but we’ll see if that happens.

Kara’s journey takes the reader all over Ourea and she meets a variety of good and evil. She even has encounters with the evil King, Blood Carden. He is the father of Kara’s companion Braeden. I guess I should have mention him by now. Carden is the ruler of the Stele, the banished kingdom who reeks havoc on Ourea even through a banishment. Braeden, his son, escaped from his father’s kingdom twelve years earlier and has been hiding elsewhere ever since. But the ever present questions in my mind was whether or not he was one to be trusted. When would the evil in his blood consume him, if at all? For most of the book I kept liking and trusting him, but wanted to keep an eye on him for Kara’s sake (not that I could have helped here, that’s just silly she’s in a book.) There is also a growing connection between Kara and the mysterious Braeden which leads to some complications in the relationship of him as protector and one of her few friends.

To wrap this up, The Grimoire: Lichgates is on my top five favorite books I have read this year and possibly in recent years. I keep reading great books so this list should be extended to at least ten. I loved the story, I loved the setting, I loved everything about this book. The only problem that I had with it is that I didn’t have the next book to read. I only hope that the day comes when I can read book two, then book three, sooner than it will. show less

Lichgates is a fresh, well-written, well-edited Indy-published novel that takes you through the extraordinary events that surround Kara, a human who stumbles upon a world filled with magic and terrifying creatures - many of whom would just as soon see her dead or use her for their own selfish aims.

Kara is an ordinary person, that lived an ordinary life, and such is not equipped for what lays ahead of her. Some choices will lead to tragedy, others... well she's always getting into trouble actually. Her smart mouth and independent American ways don't always lend well to diplomacy. The story revolves around her role as "The Vagabond". I found it interesting that she used this word for her role as it frequently had negative connotations show more throughout history. For example, in Middle English, its meaning was criminal, very apropos.

Braeden, her companion through the book, is a likable character I found myself frequently rooting for and loving the irony caused by his dichotomous role. And yet, he leaves you frequently wondering if his own ulterior motives will bring tragedy to the heroine. This tug of war between his own contrary intentions, whether conscious or not, brings a level of tension and angst to their relationship that Kara is entirely unaware of for much of the story, making me want to scream at her to be careful around him, to not trust him.

I liked that the hero of this story is actually a heroine and how Boyce handled the problems involved in her interacting with frequently patriarchal societies. Most of the stories of this type contain a male lead (Tolkienn's Frodo and Bilbo Baggins and Brandon Sandersen's Kelsier to name a couple). It seems I'm always looking for video games and stories where there is a female lead. It's refreshing and leads to interesting road blocks on the road toward eventual success. Talking of road blocks, another element that makes this novel interesting is that the road blocks are not all from a centralizing symbolic evil (e.g. Mordor from The Lord of the Rings). Her role as Vagabond is not a simple symbolic role with a single connotation for all, but a mixed heritage with a dense past she is largely unaware of throughout the novel, complicating her goals.

The Grimoire Trilogy has the potential to be a cult classic the likes of The Lord of the Rings. The book is filled with impressive imagery, the world coming to life in the readers' minds with ease. The characters are alive and different, bringing both the everyday world and fantasy upon each other with little difficulty. I found myself practically (even literally) giggling as I bubbled with excitement to see what would come next. I think you will too. show less

S.M. Boyce’s Lichgates, the first book in the Grimoire Trilogy, is a lush fantasy, rich in vibrant details, excellent world-building and stellar writing.

Twenty-year old Kara accidently walks through a gate into the beautiful, but dangerous world of Ourea, and discovers the Grimoire, a book that turns its own pages and answers any question asked of it. The Grimoire contains the soul of the first Vagabond, a powerful being, and upon finding this book Kara becomes the new Vagabond and keeper of its secrets. Kara soon finds that being the Vagabond is anything but easy and that the different kingdoms of Ourea are out to control her and the Grimoire’s power. Kara finds an ally in Braeden, a native of Ourea who has deadly secrets of his show more own. Together, Kara and Braeden set out to bring peace to Ourea and must battle with many demons (both literal and figurative) along the way.

Lichgates is a wonderfully crafted and executed first volume in the Grimoire Trilogy. Boyce offers readers an exciting and enthralling mix of fantasy, humor and romance. The fantasy world Boyce has created in Lichgates is inventive, refreshing and captivatingly imaginative.

The story paces nicely throughout the book, and Boyce takes the time to introduce readers to her world and characters without dumping too much information, backstory or plot onto readers at one time. Boyce’s writing is smart, impressive and entertaining; she clearly understands the fantasy genre well. And the author does a fantastic job of balancing fantasy with real life situations, humor with the serious, and action scenes with more personal, intimate and character defining moments.

As I stated above, the world-building in this book is superb. The magical and mysterious world of Ourea simply comes alive through Boyce’s writing. I had no trouble being able to imagine every detail of this world, but the world-building goes beyond just the vivid physical description. Boyce has added very important historical, political and cultural layers to her world of Ourea, and its individual kingdoms, creating a very dimensional, believable and well defined world.

There is a large cast of characters, but the story revolves mostly around a few key characters, all of which are compelling in their own ways. Kara is an easily relatable and likable heroine. She’s smart, brave and capable, but she’s also flawed. Kara is far from perfect- she’s stubborn, speaks without thinking, rash and a bit reckless-but I love that about her because a) it makes her so relatable and b) it gives her a lot of room to grow as a character. And her character does evolve and grow, and naturally so. Braeden is such an intriguing character because there’s a great deal of depth to him and struggle within him, which, again, is a testament to Boyce’s fine writing. He’s definitely a swoon-worthy character, but I liked that my swooning over him didn’t keep me from questioning his motives and loyalty. As a duo, Kara and Braeden make for an enticing and amusing pair; there’s a natural chemistry and spark between these two.

The fantasy elements are truly fantastical, wondrous and an exciting blend of the whimsical and the dark. I was pleasantly surprised with the humor within this book and how much I actually laughed. Kara has a sharp, acerbic wit that comes out at the perfect times and is very amusing. The action is pretty awesome; Boyce certainly knows how to write a thrilling, violent fight scene!

The book wraps up nicely, offering answers and explanations to many of the questions presented in the beginning, while at the same time creating many more. The ending is satisfying, yet will leave readers ready and wanting for more.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: I really enjoyed delving into this book and cannot wait to see where Kara’s story goes. S.M. Boyce proves to be a wonderful new voice in fantasy. Lichgates is a grand and captivating first volume in what is sure to be a standout fantasy trilogy. show less

Clever, exciting and different I could not put this book down. There is something for every reader: magic, excitement and romance all wrapped up with intrigue and new worlds and races. I had to buy the rest of the series before I got to the end so I wouldn't run out of the story.

S.M Boyce creates new races each with distinguishing characteristics and physical traits and she weaves an intricate historical background with built in prejudices and battles and wars that could feed a stunning prequesl to the series one day.

I honestly cannot get enough of this series and I will probably be reading it again and again.

The Book Cover is very simplistic but I love it. Very basic, not over the top, and it goes with the story line as it's the Vagabound's symbol. Like the Twilight (original ones), the cover hides what inside. It doesn't set some preassumed ideal in the readers head.

I can honestly say, Lichgates surprised me. I felt kinda like I entered a fighting ring with the intent to face someone of my size and stature, only to have been lied to. Instead of a 5'5 average frame, I was met with an intense and wonderfully epic fantasy that stood 8' and was a smokey gray, sometimes olive, sometimes green opponent. (If you read the book then you'd understand the reference to the skin tone) What's more, this opponent packed quite a punch in the wowser show more department. Quite effectively and quickly, it knocked me only silly billy booty butt (sorry for the crazy description. My little sister just called me that this morning and it's stuck in my mind). But yes, Lichgates hit me swift and hard. I can honestly and somewhat dazedly say, I think I see stars. Yes, five of them because this book is amazing. I can't wait to read the second one. Just as soon as I catch up on some scheduled reads and reviews.

So what is I like? Well the whole plot was amazing. A fresh face in fantasy, it sucked me real quick and not once did I find myself diverted from that interest. Also, the writing styles is was done well, each word, phrase, and tone right where it needed to be for this book to work. That is saying alot because Boyce create such complicated creatures in this fantasy, that if she hadn't have found that perfect cord...well lets just say it would have been me as the winner of the fight.

As for the characters, at first the MC was off putting. I can't really explain why, but for some reason I felt distanced. BUT, that quickly changed. I may not have liked some of the characters from the start but I eventually liked them and by the end, I loved them. I believe this is because the author put time and care into each little facet of their individual characters. Life was breathed into them.

What I didn't like? Well as I mentioned before me and the characters didn't hit it off but that's okay because the whole story line was so well done that I wasn't disgusted with the lack of instant connection and like I said, eventually I grew to love them.

Overall, I found this book pretty darn awesome. I think any reader interested in fantasy should try out this book and just see if they don't get hooked into the world like I did. show less

Huh. I didn't expect to like Lichgates. It has been with me for so long that I didn't remember I had it. But I had and I read it out of - well, not out of curiosity but it caught my attention the other day and actually added it to my book queue for the week.

I liked the world of Ourea and its differing kingdoms which didn't limit themselves to elves, trolls, and goblins. In fact, I think they weren't mentioned at all. Ourea was governed by a whole new mythology, new people who didn't look like humans - blue skin, green blood, long limbs. I liked it.

I liked Kara. She just dived into this pocket world, accepted her fate (I hear Rick O'Connell somewhere shout: "'No harm ever came from reading a book.' Remember how that one went?") and went show more to try and carve her own destiny. She got guts.

No romance, yet, but there were hints such as looks, arms-brushing, but it wasn't really central to the story, yet. show less