Review: Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1) By: Lori M. Lee

Title: Gates of Thread and Stone (Gates of Thread and Stone #1)

Author: Lori M. Lee

Published: August 5^th, 2014

Source: Netgalley

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

In the Labyrinth, we had a saying: keep silent, keep still, and keep safe.

In a city of walls and secrets, where only one man is supposed to possess magic, seventeen-year-old Kai struggles to keep hidden her own secret—she can manipulate the threads of time. When Kai was eight, she was found by Reev on the riverbank, and her “brother” has taken care of her ever since. Kai doesn’t know where her ability comes from—or where she came from. All that matters is that she and Reev stay together, and maybe one day move out of the freight container they call home, away from the metal walls of the Labyrinth. Kai’s only friend is Avan, the shopkeeper’s son with the scandalous reputation that both frightens and intrigues her.

Then Reev disappears. When keeping silent and safe means losing him forever, Kai vows to do whatever it takes to find him. She will leave the only home she’s ever known and risk getting caught up in a revolution centuries in the making. But to save Reev, Kai must unravel the threads of her past and face shocking truths about her brother, her friendship with Avan, and her unique power.

My Thoughts:

I love to read fantasy, but for me it’s either hit or miss and I was honestly hesitant when I started Gates of Thread and Stone I had seen mixed reviews for this book so, I didn’t know where I was going to land but, I really enjoyed it. The only complaint that I have was that the world building could be a bit confusing at times which took away a bit from the story because I was trying to sort out everything in my head at the same time.  But overall, I enjoyed this one very much.

I don’t even know where to begin with a summary for this one but, I will try my best there was so many elements that added to the story that I don’t want to give away. Kai has been raised by a boy named Reev who she considers to be her brother, after he found her when she was just a child. They have always been there for each other and Reev has always taken care of Kai and one night after Reev doesn’t come home, Kai becomes so worried, people disappear from where they live all the time and there isn’t anything that anyone can do about it. Kai is not going to give up on Reev and she is willing to do whatever it takes to find him and bring him home. Kai is planning on going it all alone, but her friend and mysterious boy Avan will not let her go alone, so the two them set of on an adventure that opens their minds to things they never could believe.

Kai was an interesting main character, she was strong but, not in your typical YA heroine kind of way in my opinion. She seemed more reserved and in her head but, it made her more interesting and it made me feel like as the reader I knew so much more about her than anyone else in the book did. The world building was interesting and definitely different. At times it felt like there was too many elements in it, and I could recognize elements from other fantasy books I have read and it felt like they were all added in which at times was just too much.

Overall, Gates of Thread and Stone was an interesting fantasy that I really enjoyed, action packed, I never could guess what was going to happen next. I love the not knowing part of this book, and it kept me reading until the very last page.