Gods Old and Dark
The World Gates, No. 3

By Holly Lisle

    It is tough when a reader starts with book three of a series, but it is also an efficient test of good writing. The test is this: does the book stand alone, or is it dependent upon the previous stories? Since I was totally unfamiliar with Ms. Lisle or her “World Gates” novels, this test was appropriate, and as for a test grade, I give the author a B+.

   This is a large-scale fantasy that mixes some Earthly realism with layers of the fantastic. People with “normal” names, such as Molly, Pete, and Lauren, mix with characters known as Rekkathav and Baanraak. And, as you might suspect, this is not just a fantasy, but also a struggle between good and evil, of life and death proportions. Ages ago, Earth existed with live magic, a force of good that also helped control the forces of evil. Somehow, that good magic was taken from the Earth. Now, by using her talents as a Gateweaver, Lauren attempts to bring this good magic back to the Earth; she must be successful, otherwise the evil ones, the Dark Powers, will prevail, preventing the return of good magic, and thus resulting in the final apocalypse that will bring a violent end to all human life on Earth.

    The story is full of strange alliances, heroism, and sacrifice. The characters are well drawn and the plot twists are sometimes totally unexpected. Ms. Lisle has created a huge, fantastic world, each detail painted with meticulous realism. It is not a story for those who demand completely happy endings, but the plot resolutions follow certain logic and are quite believable. I give “Gods Old and Dark” a strong recommendation.