Halvi wanders a world like that of Elizabeth H Boyer, a Norseland of warriors and elves, dragons, and dwarfs. Yes, I did say dragons, though they sometimes walk around looking like men. THE GATES OF ERYAD is suitable for young readers who want a more remote, formal tone in a fantasy story.
Having lost his parents and farm to marauders, young boy Halvi makes for a cobbled street where he lives on the sufferance of the townsfolk. I am sure someone could do with an extra pair of hands in return for a bread roll and a pallet, but nobody offers. In fact, the castle youngsters come to jeer and torment Halvi. This ends when a stern stranger arrives and hands Halvi a necklet with a glowing stone. He follows the pull on the stone, to the north, the land of dancing lights in the night sky. Because a dragon can’t make itself known in a town, near guards with bows and pikes.
I feel the landscape descriptions are a strong feature in this adventure, with various shaggy beasts fitting into the natural environment of forest or snow. Where I feel the story is weak, is that almost every speaking character is a man. The bullying girl gets two lines, and there’s a dwarf woman who doesn’t even get a line. We constantly are told about ‘the land of man,’ ‘the forest of man,’ and so on, which just reinforces the absence of women. Halvi remembers his mother fondly, but does not find a mother figure. He does gain the Odin-archetype, wandering mage-dragon Valza the Small.
As I said, the tone is formal, and this seems like a mismatch when the young protagonist is preteen. Halvi also has things happen to him or around him, which is similar to the life of children, but not necessarily what children want to read. By the end, he does start to play an active part in a battle, the outcome of which again depends on others. Another unusual factor is that no high stakes are provided, so Halvi is not on a traditional heroic quest. He’s just trying to grow up somewhere that doesn’t allow bullies. That’s a fine aspiration, and maybe this is the lesson to take from Christopher John Storm’s debut book. Bullying is wrong. THE GATES OF ERYAD is a short novel, full of wonder, ice, and a dragon.
When faced with dark days and darker comings, one could feel hope fleeting from them.
Such was the case for Halvi, an orphaned child deprived of his will to live. With no mother nor father to protect him, and enduring the cold winter without a roof over his head, the boy longed for a timely death. But when a risk to see beyond his circumstances was taken, he embarked on the back of a dragon for a journey of a lifetime with hopes to find place and purpose in his life.
Join Halvi as he experiences the continent of Eryad, a land woven from the tales of Celtic, Norse, Slavic, and Finnish mythologies and folklore. Enter with him into the debuting alternate world of Garða and its endless mythos. Embrace the beauty of nature twined with magic, creatures of profound and enchanting allure, but know that all things beautiful have their perils. Will a place of color, magic, and unparalleled beauty bestow to Halvi new meaning? Or will it show him that the life he had was far less dreadful by comparison? Embark on a breathtaking adventure as an orphaned child discovers a world beyond imagination
Enter with Halvi and be welcomed through the Gates of Eryad.
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