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jaxlena's review
5.0
I enjoyed reading this book just as much as the first. We start off right where we left off. After the battle against the man who killed her parents Therese was sent home still human. She was deemed unworthy to be a God, unworthy to be Than’s wife. For how could the wife of Death not kill a man in the name of justice?
Than never gave up trying to find a way for him and Therese to be together but as time passes Therese becomes restless and starts doubting his feelings for her. A normal reaction to not seeing or talking to the person you love for several months. Finally, Hades comes up with 5 challenges that Therese must complete in order to prove her worth.
Now it’s clear she really cares about him because WOW the things she does goes above and beyond, but as of yet I really don’t know why. That’s neither here nor there, sometimes there is no explanation for matters of the heart.
In the midst of Therese going through all these obstacles we are presented with quite some disturbing information. A very sad incident with Vicky (school mate) and then there’s that thing with Jen and her father. Though Pohler doesn't write exactly what’s going on there we all know it’s definitely NOT GOOD!
And without providing spoilers, we come to the conclusion of book 2 and I’m shocked at what these two characters have put themselves through. I guess love knows no bounds. I just really hope it all works out in the end!
“The brain may take advice, but not the heart, and love, having no geography, knows no boundaries: weight and sink it deep, no matter, it will rise and find the surface: and why not? any love is natural and beautiful that lies within a person’s nature; only hypocrites would hold a man responsible for what he loves, emotional illiterates and those of righteous envy, who, in their agitated concern, mistake so frequently the arrow pointing to heaven for the one that leads to hell.” Truman Capote Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948)
Review also posted at: http://entirelybooks.wordpress.com/
Than never gave up trying to find a way for him and Therese to be together but as time passes Therese becomes restless and starts doubting his feelings for her. A normal reaction to not seeing or talking to the person you love for several months. Finally, Hades comes up with 5 challenges that Therese must complete in order to prove her worth.
Now it’s clear she really cares about him because WOW the things she does goes above and beyond, but as of yet I really don’t know why. That’s neither here nor there, sometimes there is no explanation for matters of the heart.
In the midst of Therese going through all these obstacles we are presented with quite some disturbing information. A very sad incident with Vicky (school mate) and then there’s that thing with Jen and her father. Though Pohler doesn't write exactly what’s going on there we all know it’s definitely NOT GOOD!
And without providing spoilers, we come to the conclusion of book 2 and I’m shocked at what these two characters have put themselves through. I guess love knows no bounds. I just really hope it all works out in the end!
“The brain may take advice, but not the heart, and love, having no geography, knows no boundaries: weight and sink it deep, no matter, it will rise and find the surface: and why not? any love is natural and beautiful that lies within a person’s nature; only hypocrites would hold a man responsible for what he loves, emotional illiterates and those of righteous envy, who, in their agitated concern, mistake so frequently the arrow pointing to heaven for the one that leads to hell.” Truman Capote Other Voices, Other Rooms (1948)
Review also posted at: http://entirelybooks.wordpress.com/
rainlady6's review
4.0
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
Mrs. Pohler has done it again! While I did not like it quite as much as the first book, The Gatekeeper’s Challenge is fantastic. This book continues right where The Gatekeeper’s Sons left off. Than has been forced to return to the Underworld to resume his duties as death. Therese remains on earth and feels abandoned by Than. She ends up going to extreme lengths to try to see Than and the consequences are tragic. As you read you get caught up in her struggle to be with the one person that she loves and long for love to conquer all.
Therese is once again made to interact with the Gods and Goddesses and her life is subject to their whims. It is amazing to see how strong and committed Therese is to Than. She is willing to go to extreme lengths to prove that she is able to be with Than forever and in the end she makes the ultimate sacrifice to be with him.
In addition to the mythological characters introduced in the first book there are also some new and interesting characters in this book. The writing is so creatively done that all of these mythological characters fit naturally in to the story and you end up learning so much Greek mythology, but without feeling like you are being forced to read a boring textbook. If I had found stories like this one when I was younger I would have loved learning about Greek mythology.
This book has an absolutely crazy ending that will leave you shaking your head. It is a very intense ending and is definitely not a scene for younger readers. Once again Than and Therese show how determined they are to be together. It is so frustrating that the Gods are so determined to keep them apart. I cannot wait to read book three to figure out how Than and Therese will deal with the latest twist in their lives.
Mrs. Pohler has done it again! While I did not like it quite as much as the first book, The Gatekeeper’s Challenge is fantastic. This book continues right where The Gatekeeper’s Sons left off. Than has been forced to return to the Underworld to resume his duties as death. Therese remains on earth and feels abandoned by Than. She ends up going to extreme lengths to try to see Than and the consequences are tragic. As you read you get caught up in her struggle to be with the one person that she loves and long for love to conquer all.
Therese is once again made to interact with the Gods and Goddesses and her life is subject to their whims. It is amazing to see how strong and committed Therese is to Than. She is willing to go to extreme lengths to prove that she is able to be with Than forever and in the end she makes the ultimate sacrifice to be with him.
In addition to the mythological characters introduced in the first book there are also some new and interesting characters in this book. The writing is so creatively done that all of these mythological characters fit naturally in to the story and you end up learning so much Greek mythology, but without feeling like you are being forced to read a boring textbook. If I had found stories like this one when I was younger I would have loved learning about Greek mythology.
This book has an absolutely crazy ending that will leave you shaking your head. It is a very intense ending and is definitely not a scene for younger readers. Once again Than and Therese show how determined they are to be together. It is so frustrating that the Gods are so determined to keep them apart. I cannot wait to read book three to figure out how Than and Therese will deal with the latest twist in their lives.
momof5kiddos's review
5.0
Love
Quick, fun, thrilling and exciting read. I laughed out loud in a few places. I giggled and blushed in others. It was a superb read!
Quick, fun, thrilling and exciting read. I laughed out loud in a few places. I giggled and blushed in others. It was a superb read!
jandi's review
3.0
Once again - cool Greek mythology elements, exciting quests, but unexplainable love story between gorgeous god and plain yet-special girl. I do like where the story is going, so will read next book too.
andervic000's review
4.0
This book felt more mythological based to me. The trials meant that there was more references to the myths and the gods. I think that it also touched on sacrifice in relationships rather than the idealistic feeling from the first book.
liisp_cvr2cvr's review
4.0
Pfft, the notions of reading this book... high and low, high and low... what an utmost teasing read...
Very dramatic!
Very dramatic!
bibliophilicrichard's review
3.0
I liked this book as much as I liked the first book but for several different reasons.
First, the story. I like the story more in this book. I saw and noticed the flow of the events. This is better than the first book because I felt the direction the story was taking compared to not completely knowing what the first book's premise was about. Though predictable for the most part, I love how elements from the Greek myths were incorporated in this book. The challenges weren't unheard of but were given nice twists and clarity. The story, in itself, was a treat I didn't mind taking a delicious bite of.
Second, the characters. I like Than's character just fine whereas Therese seems a bit too annoying for my tastes. I wanted more Hip in the books and this still didn't give me that but it was okay because we got to focus more on the central story. The side characters weren't too highlighted in this book which I appreciated because, for having such an intimate story for such a big world, more of the spotlight should be given to the main characters. I liked that the Pete storyline wasn't too much delved into because it was too much of the love triangle trope.
Third, the writing. This is the best improvement out of the three. You can tell from the first book that the author has done her research on Greek mythology and has appropriately added her own flair to them. The big difference from the first book in terms of writing is the pacing. You can really see where each chapter leads to. There are also lesser typos in this book which is a big plus. I really can't get over fanboying over the challenges because I'm just a sucker for mythology. What I really hope for in the third book is a plot that will bring the trilogy full circle with conflict, action, and, of course, romance.
Although I am giving this book 3 out of 5 stars, I still enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read the third book in this saga! Besides, 3 isn't bad. 3 is enjoyable and for sure, this book really was.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Eva for the books you sent over!
First, the story. I like the story more in this book. I saw and noticed the flow of the events. This is better than the first book because I felt the direction the story was taking compared to not completely knowing what the first book's premise was about. Though predictable for the most part, I love how elements from the Greek myths were incorporated in this book. The challenges weren't unheard of but were given nice twists and clarity. The story, in itself, was a treat I didn't mind taking a delicious bite of.
Second, the characters. I like Than's character just fine whereas Therese seems a bit too annoying for my tastes. I wanted more Hip in the books and this still didn't give me that but it was okay because we got to focus more on the central story. The side characters weren't too highlighted in this book which I appreciated because, for having such an intimate story for such a big world, more of the spotlight should be given to the main characters. I liked that the Pete storyline wasn't too much delved into because it was too much of the love triangle trope.
Third, the writing. This is the best improvement out of the three. You can tell from the first book that the author has done her research on Greek mythology and has appropriately added her own flair to them. The big difference from the first book in terms of writing is the pacing. You can really see where each chapter leads to. There are also lesser typos in this book which is a big plus. I really can't get over fanboying over the challenges because I'm just a sucker for mythology. What I really hope for in the third book is a plot that will bring the trilogy full circle with conflict, action, and, of course, romance.
Although I am giving this book 3 out of 5 stars, I still enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read the third book in this saga! Besides, 3 isn't bad. 3 is enjoyable and for sure, this book really was.
Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Eva for the books you sent over!
earlgreybooks's review
4.0
Originally posted at http://abooksofathomless.blogspot.com.au
Possibly one of my favourite moments last month was when I finally had enough time to pick up this book. It’s about a month or so since Chami and I read and reviewed the first book, and it had long ago reached the point where I was aching to get back into the world. I felt like the characters in the book were my friends, and I hadn’t seen them in what felt like ages...honestly, I swear the book was mocking me from its place on my bookshelf for weeks.
From page one I was drawn quickly back into the world of Therese and Than, and let me tell you it felt so good to be back. I enjoyed being back in Therese’s mind and hearing about her life ten months after Than. I’m with Chami on this one, I find Therese’s character really likable and I love her for both her strengths and her weaknesses. While I enjoyed Than’s character as well, I would definitely have to pick Hip as my favourite (#teamhipforever) though we don’t get to see as much of him in this book as I would have liked. In general, I liked the rest of the characters, though there were a certain few whose actions drove me slightly crazy. I think it was how Therese reacted and moved on from some of the terrible things that happened to her that made me really want to be on her side the whole way through the novel.
Similarly to the first novel, I enjoyed the pacing and the action of The Gatekeeper’s Challenge- my favourite part was, indeed, the challenge. As Chami said in her review, I really liked how Eva kept track of all the things that had happened in the first book as this isn’t always something you see with authors, especially with young adults authors, I believe. The main part of this was Eva included everything from the start, rather than just remembering halfway through and shoving everything in.
Again, following in the footsteps of Chami, I gotta agree with those feelings towards the endings. The main reason this review had taken so long to put up was because I honestly couldn’t put words to paper on how that made me feel- I was absolutely gobsmacked for days, even thinking about it now makes me want to go back and read it again and again to make sure I haven’t missed any tiny little hints that Eva might have left for us (she must have left us something!), that’s honestly how good this book is.
I don’t think that this is necessarily a book someone would pick up out of nowhere- it hasn’t got the hype of those really popular young adult novels that you see bloggers, booktubers and just regular people on Goodreads raving about for hours on end, which I think is a real shame because I honestly believe that this book deserves more hype and that many more people should be aware of its existence and the brilliance of it and of the lovely Eva Pohler. Now excuse me, while Chami and I go and hug each other and cry as we count how many days exactly it is until we can read the third book.
Possibly one of my favourite moments last month was when I finally had enough time to pick up this book. It’s about a month or so since Chami and I read and reviewed the first book, and it had long ago reached the point where I was aching to get back into the world. I felt like the characters in the book were my friends, and I hadn’t seen them in what felt like ages...honestly, I swear the book was mocking me from its place on my bookshelf for weeks.
From page one I was drawn quickly back into the world of Therese and Than, and let me tell you it felt so good to be back. I enjoyed being back in Therese’s mind and hearing about her life ten months after Than. I’m with Chami on this one, I find Therese’s character really likable and I love her for both her strengths and her weaknesses. While I enjoyed Than’s character as well, I would definitely have to pick Hip as my favourite (#teamhipforever) though we don’t get to see as much of him in this book as I would have liked. In general, I liked the rest of the characters, though there were a certain few whose actions drove me slightly crazy. I think it was how Therese reacted and moved on from some of the terrible things that happened to her that made me really want to be on her side the whole way through the novel.
Similarly to the first novel, I enjoyed the pacing and the action of The Gatekeeper’s Challenge- my favourite part was, indeed, the challenge. As Chami said in her review, I really liked how Eva kept track of all the things that had happened in the first book as this isn’t always something you see with authors, especially with young adults authors, I believe. The main part of this was Eva included everything from the start, rather than just remembering halfway through and shoving everything in.
Again, following in the footsteps of Chami, I gotta agree with those feelings towards the endings. The main reason this review had taken so long to put up was because I honestly couldn’t put words to paper on how that made me feel- I was absolutely gobsmacked for days, even thinking about it now makes me want to go back and read it again and again to make sure I haven’t missed any tiny little hints that Eva might have left for us (she must have left us something!), that’s honestly how good this book is.
I don’t think that this is necessarily a book someone would pick up out of nowhere- it hasn’t got the hype of those really popular young adult novels that you see bloggers, booktubers and just regular people on Goodreads raving about for hours on end, which I think is a real shame because I honestly believe that this book deserves more hype and that many more people should be aware of its existence and the brilliance of it and of the lovely Eva Pohler. Now excuse me, while Chami and I go and hug each other and cry as we count how many days exactly it is until we can read the third book.