I think.

It’s hard to say for sure, but it looks as if the “American answer to Harry Potter” is complete in four books. But, as I have noted before, Emily Drake’s writing style is not as transparently clear as J. K. Rowling’s, and the structure of her books isn’t as sturdy. At times in this fourth book, particularly at the climax, I felt that events were rushing along too fast, and the imagery of the story sometimes refused to picture itself in my mind. But while it is easy to find fault with the book, it is also easy to find things to enjoy about it. Exciting things happen: magical battles, vendettas, romance, horror, journeys through space and time, and an amazing transformation are here to thrill you, and the young Magickers continue to grow up in very satisfying and entertaining ways. And even though it looks like the Dark Hand is done for, there are still “loose threads” that could suggest another book at least.

What happens in The Gate of Bones? You probably thought I had forgotten to say. But there’s a lot to mention. The Magickers have moved to a completely different world – but one that already has people in it. The Dark Hand have come too, and are steadily working to corrupt the quaint society of the people of Haven. Some of the nastier people of Haven are openly or secretly in league with the Dark Hand, but the Magickers have their own allies too – including a clever trader named Renart and the beautiful “warrior princess” he loves. There are also outcast wanderers, who help the Magickers when they can.

Haven is a strange and wonderful place, visited by dragons, guarded by an invisible spirit that mysteriously drains the magic out of people and crystals. It becomes a dreadful place, too, when the Dark Hand unleashes hordes of bandits, ghouls, and fiends, and opens an evil gate that can only be closed by a human sacrifice. Who are the Dark Hand? They are, primarily, teen villain Jonnard and his power-hungry mother Isabella. And when they aren’t plotting against each other, they are trying to bring down the Magickers and their new academy in the mountains – Trent, who can’t do Magick but can see it; Ting, who finally solves the mystery of the Chinese dragon that guards her ancestral home; Henry, who still has trouble controlling his powers; Stefan, who in times of danger walks a thin line between becoming a bear and a berserker; and Rich – hypochondriac, healer, and now victim of a poison that will require him to take a nasty-tasting medicine for the rest of his life. There are adult Magickers, too (read the book yourself to learn more about them), but above all Jonnard is after two: beautiful, blooming Bailey, and the most dangerous of the young Magickers, Jason Adrian.

Jason is the Gatekeeper. He is the Harry Potter figure in this story, complete with two (2) dead parents and a scar. Jason opened the gate between the worlds, the gate that brought the Magickers to Haven—and the Dark Hand too. So he knows it is his responsibility to take the Dark Hand out of Haven. How far will he have to go, how much will he have to risk, to make the magical world safe again? While you wonder about the same thing in regard to Harry Potter, it may be handy to consider the conclusion of this book. You may also be interested to see the very beginnings of a school of magic (or Magick).

Will there be more books about the Magickers? In spite of my quibbles about the authorÂ’s flawed writing style, I am interested to know!

Robbie Fischer
USA

Recommended Age: 13+

12/17/05

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