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The Other Side of the Gate

(Into the Realms #1)

Craig Michael Curtis (Goodreads Author)

4.67 · Rating details · 9 ratings · 3 reviews

Daniel Weaver, a 14-year-old Pennsylvania boy, awakens to find himself in a tiny boat drifting through an open bay towards a strange, mystical land. He discovers that for ages youngsters like him have been brought here, to The Realms, without knowing why and without a way home. The people have explored and settled across The Realms, carving out their own little pockets of ...more

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Hardcover, 704 pages

Published August 2009 by Eloquent Books (first published July 28th 2009)

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Average rating 4.67 ·

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· 9 ratings · 3 reviews

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Oct 15, 2009 Sophie rated it liked it

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, young-adult, read-master-list

Full disclosure: I did receive a free copy of this novel from the author.

The Other Side of the Gate describes another world - The Realms - which has been populated over the ages by humans who have mysteriously disappeared from their homes on Earth to reawake floating in a small boat in the entrance to the First Realm. From there, the newcomers have the option of staying and making a life in the first town they come to, or going on a "forward quest" - that is, traveling forward from the first to ...more

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Aug 05, 2017 Rachel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-and-sci-fi, young-adult

Fourteen year old Daniel Weaver arrives in a strange new world called the Realms one night by boat. He doesn’t know where he is or how he got there. He is not the first human to come there, nor will he be the last. He meets a local girl named Eleanor, and together decide to travel through the sixteen Gates of the Realms on a “forward quest” in order to find out the truth about why humans have been coming to the Realms. Come explore the world of the Realms, and join Daniel and Eleanor as they beg Fourteen year old Daniel Weaver arrives in a strange new world called the Realms one night by boat. He doesn’t know where he is or how he got there. He is not the first human to come there, nor will he be the last. He meets a local girl named Eleanor, and together decide to travel through the sixteen Gates of the Realms on a “forward quest” in order to find out the truth about why humans have been coming to the Realms. Come explore the world of the Realms, and join Daniel and Eleanor as they begin their epic coming of age quest. Recommended for ages 14+, 4 stars.

First I will discuss the things I didn’t like about the book. There were some obvious spelling errors and typos. The two spaces at the end of each sentence bothered me in the beginning, but I didn’t care so much about by the end of the book, probably because I got used to it. The biggest issue with the book, in my opinion, was the way the story dragged in the middle and end, and I felt like it could’ve been edited down a bit to help with that problem.

On to the good stuff. I really liked the world-building in this book. I also liked the idea of getting a “Realm gift” from the prime-numbered Realms and a “power word,” which gives you another superhero-like power. The main character is transported to an unknown world and must survive by his wits and skills. He is good at helping people and encouraging them. Daniel meets Eleanor in a bit of an odd way, but they hit it off right away. I love both of these characters, and they really compliment each other. Their awkwardness as they start to fall for each other is adorable, the boy is a bit clueless and the girl is more forward (just like it usually goes in real life, at least in my experience). My favorite characters were the soul-bound couple, the Butterfields, because of the way they interact with each other – just like an old married couple even though they’re not. The most surprising character that I enjoyed reading about was Oka, the curmudgeon would-be wizard, who reluctantly helps Daniel and Eleanor at the end of the book. My favorite scene was probably the static electricity scene at the end of the book with the ghosts (can’t go into more or it will ruin it for everyone else).

The end of the book especially had a Wizard of Oz theme to it, which I enjoyed as L. Frank Baum is one of my favorite authors. Think about the story summary: Two, and eventually four, teenagers go on a quest to seek knowledge and the help of a wizard. They finally find their wizard, who is actually not one (just like in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz), and is conveniently named Harry Baum. Daniel doesn’t exactly find the answers he is looking for in the Fourth Realm with his “magician” and so needs to continue all the way to the end to find his reason for being in the Realms.

Bottom line for this book, and the series in general: Yes it is a long book but well worth a read and I personally am excited to see what he does with the next book in the five book series.

Disclaimer: I did receive a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. ...more

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Oct 13, 2009 John Maxwell rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: teens up

Recommended to John by: Craig Curtis, the author

I have actually read this book more than once,by which I mean, I know the author and was privileged to see some of his rough draft ideas along the way, and to discuss elements of the book as it was being written. Most recently, I read the entire book from cover to cover, and was enchanted to see the book in its final form.

This book appeals to me on many levels , bordering on a coming of age experience, adventure, drama, fantasy, science fiction and romance - and none of the elements diustract fr ...more

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