Courtly intrigue meets fantastical mystery!
The Pomegranate Gate
The Mirror Realm Cycle
Fantasy
Rebellion
Auguest 29, 2024
512
The first in a luscious fantasy series inspired by Jewish folklore and 15th century Spain, for fans of The City of Brass and Strange the Dreamer.
Two worlds bound by a pomegranate gate...
Toba Peres can speak but she can’t shout; she can walk but she can’t run; and she can write in five languages… with both hands at the same time.
Naftaly Cresques dreams every night of an orange-eyed stranger; when awake, he sees things that aren’t real; and he carries a book he can never lose and never read.
When the Queen of Sefarad orders all the nation’s Jews to leave or convert, Toba and Naftaly are forced to flee, but an unlucky encounter leaves them both separated from their caravan. Lost in the wilderness, Toba follows an orange-eyed stranger through a mysterious gate in a pomegranate grove, leaving Naftaly behind.
With a single step, Toba enters an ancient world that mirrors her own. There, she finds that her fate—and Naftaly’s—are bound to an ancient conflict threatening to destroy both realms.
Ariel Kaplan’s The Pomegranate Gate is a lush adventure with worlds and characters as diverse as they are thoughtful.
The Pomegranate Gate is a beautiful blend of court politics and fantastical mysteries, settled in a cradle of wondrous historical fiction and Jewish tradition. Kaplan excels at laying the groundwork for mysteries revealed with a subtlety that’ll leave you delighted in your shock. You’ll be left rethinking the previous seven chapters in an attempt to see all the clues missed.
I loved the robustness of the characters, especially given the multiple POVs. Each section easily pulled you into the new character’s perception, striking the perfect balance between distinct voices and a consistent experience. The characters’ attitudes and predispositions are revealed through quiet recollections that make their life easily feel like full experiences. I particularly loved the contrast between the generations. Elena and the old woman approach things with a gritty willingness that moon-eyed Naftaly would never think of. Similarly, Toba’s pragmatic if at times addled approach to the world is striking up against the pomp and groveling of the Mazik court. I’ll say Barsilay is unique unto himself, moving with heartfelt snark through his world. I love him. He’s my son now.
Kaplan’s The Pomegranate Gate is a glowing example of what fantasy should be: all the allure and magic of a rich world without the pretension and four-page descriptions of hills. Ariel Kaplan must either be exceedingly humble or my entire social circle and every targeted ad on the internet has failed me because I cannot believe that more people aren’t singing this book’s praises. So in the meantime, I’ll be here trying to get a good chant going and begging for the next installment.
Gabi grew up moving around the world with her family, making books in English a bit of a luxury that had to be rationed. Nowadays she lives in East London, where books can be read as voraciously as she likes. Fantasy books will forever be her first love, and she’s always looking for the next series to consume both of her brain cells. Her days generally consist of working as a software developer, squeezing in a chapter at her desk, and pining after the Picadilly Waterstones.
