I had high hopes for The Pomegranate Gate, but unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. While dual POV narratives usually draw me in, this one failed to connect with me, and I ultimately had to DNF it.

The story takes ages to get going, and even when things finally started to happen, the plot felt underwhelming. Neither of the main characters managed to capture my interest or emotions, which made it hard to stay engaged. That said, the old lady character stood out as a rare highlight—possibly my favourite part of the book—but sadly, she wasn’t enough to carry the story for me.

Ultimately, I just couldn’t muster enough care or curiosity about the characters or their journeys to see this one through. I’m sure this book will resonate with other readers, but for me, it fell flat.

One thing I love is a good fantasy I love a book that can make me forget what's going on in the world and go into an imaginative world where the impossible happens and you meet characters and creatures you would never meet for real and this book had ot all

Ariel Kaplan's "The Pomegranate Gate" is a masterful introduction to an immersive Sephardic Jewish fantasy trilogy, where the epic scope of "City of Brass" meets the enchanting atmosphere of Studio Ghibli. Set against the backdrop of a fantasy version of the Spanish Inquisition, Kaplan’s narrative weaves together history, myth, and magic into a rich tapestry that will undoubtedly captivate fans of high fantasy and Jewish folklore.

The story follows Toba Peres and Naftaly Cresques, two Jewish characters forced to flee their homes after the Queen of Sefarad decrees all Jews must convert or face exile. Toba, separated from her caravan, stumbles into a magical realm inhabited by the Maziks, mythical beings of immense power. Meanwhile, Naftaly, who dreams of an orange-eyed stranger and carries a book he can never read, embarks on a quest to rescue Toba, navigating both mortal and magical threats.

Kaplan’s narrative is meticulously paced, unfolding like an extended oral tale reminiscent of Shaharazad’s "One Thousand and One Nights." While some might find the pacing slow, it serves the story well, gradually revealing the complex political and magical landscape of this new world. The plot is dense and heavily political, requiring readers to pay close attention as various narrative threads are introduced and interwoven.

Toba and Naftaly are compelling protagonists, each with unique abilities and personal struggles. Toba’s journey is particularly poignant as it serves as an allegory for neurodivergence, specifically autism. Her discovery of latent powers in the Maziks' realm is both thrilling and deeply symbolic. Naftaly’s idealism and naivety provide a counterbalance to Toba’s more grounded perspective, and his romantic subplot adds a layer of emotional depth to the narrative.

The secondary characters, such as the enigmatic Courser and the flamboyant Barsilay, are equally well-developed, each bringing their own charm and complexity to the story. The interactions between these characters, especially Toba’s dynamic with Asmel, her reluctant mentor, are a highlight, offering moments of humor and pathos.

Kaplan’s world-building is exquisite, with every detail contributing to a fully realized setting that feels both fantastical and grounded in historical reality. The use of Jewish cultural elements, from language to religious practices, adds authenticity and depth to the story. The exploration of themes such as power, oppression, and identity is nuanced and thought-provoking, making "The Pomegranate Gate" a narrative rich in both plot and substance.

Kaplan’s writing is lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into the story with its poetic prose and vivid descriptions. The atmospheric charm of Studio Ghibli is evident in the whimsical libraries and courts, while the darker, more intense moments are reminiscent of epic fantasy traditions. The balance between these tones creates a unique narrative voice that is both enchanting and gripping.

"The Pomegranate Gate" is a remarkable debut that promises an epic journey through a world where history and magic collide. Its slow pacing and intricate plot might be challenging for some, but those who appreciate detailed world-building and richly developed characters will find much to love. This book is a testament to Kaplan’s storytelling prowess and leaves readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in the Mirror Realm Cycle.

I ADORED this - taken me a while to get around to reading this one but boy am I glad I did. I’ve never read any Jewish mythology or folklore so I’ll definitely be doing it again. Great characters and writing, can’t wait to read the next one.

Thank you for my eARC of this book. I enjoyed this fantasy but I did find the pacing lacking at times which made me struggle to pick it back up, it I did enjoy the story overall!

I tried giving this one a shot but just can never find myself actually wanting to pick this one up anymore.

I feel bad because it's been so long but I just don't see myself actually reading this one anymore as it sadly no longer interests me.

I enjoyed the start of the book, but did struggle to hold my interest, this is one that I will try in a different format and add my review to instagram

This book centres around 2-3 characters: Naftaly, a good-hearted boy who carries a book from his father with him all the time but otherwise doesn’t seem to have a lot of talents to offer; Toba, the main character who is provably on the neurodivergent spectrum and other than having some peculiar talents, seems to be too weak and naive to navigate the real world; and the mysterious Courser, a young female assassin who never misses a target.

I liked this book so much. It gave me the same excitement I felt when the end of 00s (YA) fantasy books such as The Graceling or the Eragon books came out. I found it very interesting how, even though the book is completely fantasy and not historical fiction, the author connected real-life events on the Iberian Peninsula with Jewish mythology, creating a very well-layered world that was intriguing and original in its form. With every turning page, the main characters’ personalities became sharper, better-defined and more interesting, carrying the story in an exciting way that made me stay up way past the lights off time to find out how the characters would overcome the many many obstacles in the book. The romance was nothing what I expected, sweet and bittersweet at the same time (especially Naftaly’s). The pacing was sometimes too slow for my own liking, and if it hadn’t been for the introduction of the many side characters (who were crucial for the book), it probably would have lost me at the first 20% of the book.

I’m so happy I stumbled on this book, and since it’s the first book of a trilogy (and the book ended on a cliffhanger), can’t wait to find out what the author has up on her sleeves for the next 2 books.

This one surprised me. I went into it without many ecpectations and in the beginning, I wasn't realy feeling it . I couldn't concentrate on it, the characters were uninteresting and the plot difficult to follow. But! At some point, I noticed that I had actually been enjoying myself for a while? I don't know exactly when it happened but this book did a total 180 for me. The characters really grow on you even if it takes very long to get to know them. And the way the different plot strangs start to connect? Amazing. Can not wait to get my hands on part two.

This is the kind of book that was not just written, but crafted. The narrative spans so many characters in so many places, whose journeys tie into each other in ways that you can only really realise once they have all come together. The pace is slow, but the story never drags, there is always something, if not five things, happening. I was very impressed by the way the author handled all these different storylines so well, and I think if I ever was lost it was entirely due to my own lack of attention. It was a very compelling story, and I would very much like to see where it goes next.

Richly-detailed worldbuilding with engaging prose and a unique mythology. You need to put a bit of effort in with this one to make sure you don't miss anything but it's well worth it.

An epic Jewish fantasy trilogy set in Spain, is the set of this incredible story, so incredible and wonderful!

Review posted somewhere else!!! Check my Goodreads/Twitter/instagram/tiktok for other reviews.
stars

“𝚃𝚘𝚋𝚊 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚏𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚞𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚜… 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚋𝚘𝚝𝚑 𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚊𝚖𝚎 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.
𝙽𝚊𝚏𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚢 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚗 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍.”

💛💛💛💛.5 / 5

»»————-✼————-««

Review:
I have never been so confused and so incredibly obsessed and excited by a book as I was by this one. From the first chapter I already needed to know the answers, I couldn’t read this book quick enough, and that’s saying something because 560 pages is a LOT for me, I’m much more of a 300 page kinda girl! So I actually ended up reading this as a multi format, I listened to the audio book while doing chores, while driving, while cleaning at work, while cooking, literally every waking second I could, then I’d read the ebook before I went to sleep and I started to fly through it!

I only have a few negative things to say about this book: there are a LOADS of names of characters, places and just different items that I hadn’t heard of before, so the quick list of definitions at the beginning was super helpful, and I did periodically check back at it to make sure I remembered important details. The chapters are long and wordy! One of the chapters on the audiobook was nearly 2 hours long and that was at x1.4 so prepare yourself before going in! That’s it other than these I only have positive things to say about this book!

I haven’t read a proper fantasy in a while and once I got back into the mindset I remembered why I love them so much. I really enjoyed learning about the Jewish culture and it was eye opening to read a different perspective and experience of persecution. I loved the magic system the way the worlds are mirrored and how you can only access the magic world through the Pomegranate gate that only opens every full moon! All the small details, such as the gate appearing in a different place each full moon, and how maziks dream but mortals don’t just made the book so much richer and thrilling to read. I loved watching Toba learn about her magic and I loved discovering everything as Toba and Naftaly did it made this such an immersive experience for me!

I cannot wait for the second book and I no doubt will love that one too! This was a first read of Ariel but I’ll be reading her other works too!

For lovers of:
- Jewish MC
- Magic realms
- Fast paced high fantasy
- Enemies-to-Friends
- Discovery of Powers

A breath of fresh air in this genre, a truly different type of fantasy. Quite dark in tone, some of the goodies are really quite unpleasant at times, but thoroughly absorbing and a wonderful introduction. The glossary of terms is excellent. Not quite an ending but a definite comma in the plot that asks the reader to travel on with the tale!

This was a really compelling and beautifully written tale with a great setting and well drawn characters. I thought the character interactions were fabulous, particularly between Barsilay and Naftaly, Naftaly and the Old Woman and Toba Bet and Asmel. There was a lot going on plot-wise, but the narrative was clear and the author did a good job at keeping everything neatly packaged. Similarly, there is a lot of political intrigue, both in the human and the Mazik realms and I feel that this will continue to expand over the course of book 2. Overall, I found this to be an original and entertaining read and I will definitely be picking up the sequel.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved this. It took me a while to get started, and I was slightly put off by the HUGE character list. But actually there are just a few key leads and everyone was well drawn. Jumping around often puts me off - but it was well done here. Beautiful world building. I’ll definitely read more

Once this story gripped me, it took a total hold of me.
A doorway, Jewish mythology, two MCs that are not romantically linked (how refreshing!), very intriguing side characters (the Old Woman is basically my spirit animal), unforeseen twists and an ending that makes me want to read book 2 of the Mirror Realm Cycle.
It took me about a third of the book to get into it, which I think was due to the writing style. While it's really artfully written, I found it hard to get a grip on it so that I could immerse myself into the story. But then things happened (Toba Bet, which is such a great concept) that I couldn't let go of it anymore.
Things build up really slowly, but this only adds to the intriguing experience of discovering these worlds and their mythology. Even romantic parts build so slowly and nicely that I didn't even see them coming - and now I want more.
The glossar at the end was both helpful and interesting.

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @rebellionpublishing for the eARC!

#PomegranateGate #fantasy #netgalley #bookstagram

The story of ‘Pomegranate Gate’ has such a charismatic lure that when I stepped away from the Mirror Realm, I was practically salivating to get back to it!

The only barb I felt was that, when I was reading only short sections, on tea breaks in work or in snatches of leisure time, I'd forget whose narrative I was following or where they were or what was happening, and I’d have to skip back to see what-was-what. It was mostly during the first quarter of the book where I found that the split narrative less effective in this way. If I'd been reading it in long concerted stretches, it would have been fine, probably. And it certainly does ultimately come together.

The world with which I was unfamiliar at first is depicted so meticulously and with such distinction that I felt totally immersed once the novel got going, and I felt like Toba and Naftaly are the characters I’d been waiting to read about my whole life!

I agree with other reviewers that if you are a fan of by Katherine Arden, you might well end up falling in love with this series. The Mirror Realm #1 is like ‘The Winternight Trilogy’ meets Natasha Pulley (I’m thinking ‘The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and, in particular, ‘The Lost Future of Pepperharrow’ – it’s got that something extra, that additional splash of Fantasy that really sets it apart).

Many thanks to Rebellion Publishing for access to an eARC of this title prior to publication, via NetGalley.

Really enjoyed - has stuck with me, and I've thought about it a few times. I've seen a few people compare to Naomi Novik, and honestly it's a warranted comparison.
It was a solid 4 stars, but I'm unsure if I would read again which has lowered it to 3.
Will be recommending this for people to give a go.