Official Review: Gateway to the Gods by Stevan Paul Cross

[Ria710]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Gateway to the Gods" by Stevan Paul Cross.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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Gateway to the Gods is a sci-fi/fantasy book by Stevan Paul Cross. Stefan Dubois lived a lonely life. His father disappeared when he was younger, and he had lost his mother to cancer. One day, Stefan was walking to a river when he noticed a bottle floating in the water. The bottle contained a note inside. Unfortunately, whilst trying to reach it, Stefan fell into a whirlpool. He had managed to get out without any harm. However, he realized that he got transported to a different world. A world that could be referred to as the ‘olden days’. Stefan must now navigate through this unknown world and try to find a way to get back home. Will he get back home? Will he find out what was written on the note in the bottle? And will he ever find out the truth about his father’s disappearance?

What I liked about the book is that I immediately got hooked in after reading the preface. I like that the author used simple language when writing the book. This made it easy to read. There were moments of suspense, which left me wanting to read more. The author wrote the story in the third person. This is great because it allowed me to understand the thoughts and feelings of all the characters.

Furthermore, I like that at the start of the book the author provided a map of the land. This helps you picture the story more. In addition to that, I think the author did a great job with character development. I enjoyed seeing Stefan grow throughout. I liked how Stefan took control of situations without any fear. I also admired Isadrea’s confidence and independence. I think she will inspire many female readers.

There are multiple storylines at the start of the book. I think the author did an amazing job at linking these stories together into one. There are 348 pages, so it is quite a long read.

What I disliked about the book is that Stefan’s language wasn’t consistent throughout the book. Stefan speaks differently to the others since he’s from the 21st century. He knows modern terms and phrases that the other people haven’t heard of. This is what makes Stefan’s character stand out. However, throughout the story, Stefan starts speaking like them, and so he no longer feels like a unique character.

Another thing I didn’t like is that the perspectives and scenes would change without any indication. For example, one second we are with Isadrea and Bizram, and then next we are with Stefan in the woods. The paragraph doesn’t split at that point, and so it got confusing while reading. Finally, the last thing I didn’t like about the book is that there are a lot of characters. This meant that it was hard to follow along to the story at times.

Overall, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars because I enjoyed reading it, and I found it hard to put it down. I have to knock off one star because it could do with another round of editing. There’s profanity, rape, and violence involved, so it’s not appropriate for young readers. I recommend this book to young adults who enjoy reading sci-fi/fantasy books.

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Gateway to the Gods
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[SweetSourSalty AndSpicy]

The main character falling in a whirlpool and transported to another world reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. It will be interesting to find out how he will return home. Or would he? Thank you for the review.

[Faithy_Goody_Star]

I don't really enjoy sci-fi books, but I'm certain those who do will find this book enjoyable.

[Cynthia Olyy]

I usually don't like fantasies, they appear so fake to me. Maybe I need to wear a different mindset about them. But until then, I'll pass this one.

[Olabode Joshua]

I'm a big fan of the sci-fi/ fantasy genre. This book sounds like a classic, which means that I'll read it voraciously if I get the chance. Nice review, Ria.

[NetMassimo]

Despite the flaws you pointed out and a premise that's not exactly original, this seems an engaging novel. Thank you for your great review!

[Mariana Figueira]

Seems like an interesting and inviting book. Thank you for the review!

[HannahsReads]

Thanks for your detailed review. I like that you noted how Stefan's speech patterns changed, and also that the paragraph formatting was confusing. Otherwise I agree that this looks like an interesting book.