Gates of Thread of Stone: An interesting world but mediocre plot

July 4, 2022 by Bec | 3 stars, Reviews

Gates of Thread of Stone: An interesting world but mediocre plotGates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee
Series: Gates of Thread and Stone #1
Published by Skyscape on August 5th, 2014
Source: Purchased
Genres: Dystopian, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Amazon | Book Depository | Angus & Robertson | Barnes & Noble
Add to Goodreads

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

The Good Things

  • YA fantasy/ post-apocalyptic novel that’s been on my TBR pile for years. I’m glad I finally read it.
  • Loved the blend of genres. There were parts that felt more post-apocalyptic, some high fantasy elements, and others urban fantasy.
  • The main character has time magic!
  • I really enjoyed the brief tournament and hidden identities trope parts of the story.
  • The last forty pages or so were my favourite. The plot tension was great with some interesting developments.

The Not-So-Good Things

  • Not sore if it was my overall slumpy mood or my struggle to connect with the story, but it took me weeks to read this.
  • The writing felt quite info-dumpy at times, especially at the start when explaining the world. Despite all the information delivered, I’m still not entirely sure how the world works or what the lore is.
  • I feel like there was so much missed potential with the time magic. It’s a key part of Kai’s character, but only really showed up at the end which was disappointing. I’ve always found time manipulation plots fascinating.
  • I’m mildly concerned that there’s a love triangle waiting on the sidelines to push its way into the story of the sequel. I’m not sure I really want to continue if that is going to be the case.

 

 

Overall, I liked Gates of Thread and Stone. The concept of the world and the magic was interesting, but it feels like we barely batched the surface. I wanted to know more about everything, especially the time magic. This lack of depth, combined with an unfortunately timed reading slump, made for a somewhat mediocre read. I’m glad I finally read it, but I’m undecided about if I’ll read the sequel.

Rating: 3 out of 5

The following two tabs change content below.
Bec is an Aussie blogger and reader who loves all types of novels. Fantasy, sci fi, and historical are my usual go-to genres. If I’m not binge reading, I’m usually gaming, trying to take decent photos for bookstagram, or freaking out about silly things.

Tags: , , , , , , ,


One response to “Gates of Thread of Stone: An interesting world but mediocre plot

Leave a Reply

CommentLuv badge