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Outpost Gypsy Tree: The North Portal
Nestled within a thought form in Earth's vast realm, Outpost Gypsy Tree becomes home for six adventurous teenagers from various parts of the world. Charged by their own desire for peace and love for humanity, they are assigned to clear the earth's light portals of the evils of mankind, starting with the North Portal. To do so, the teens must journey back in time to the winter solstice of 3107 BCE to decode an archaic sequence at Ireland's historic Newgrange that will unlock a Neolithic chamber leading them to the 'other world' of the gods of Erin. To prove their worthiness, courage and commitment to battle the darkness, they must journey through the traitorous Cave of Damnation and face an encroaching inferno. At the core of this bizarre journey is the staff of Outpost Gypsy Tree: Eittod of Tulsun Minor, an ancient being with a rainbow-colored body, and Bezen and her son, Mingo, inhabitants of Early Earth.
- GenresFantasy
376 pages, Paperback
First published December 8, 2014
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
January 27, 2019
Story but this wasn’t for me at all, I couldn’t get into it at all. The book was slow to start and I found the pacing slow and hard to hold your interest. I couldn’t empathise or find any common interest with the characters, they felt too one dimensional.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
February 2, 2020
Outpost Gypsy Tree: The North Portal by Dottie Graham is an engaging YA fantasy novel with some time travel/science fiction mixed in. This book is packed to the brim with beautiful details that bring this book and the scenes to life with each page and pulls you into the characters' lives as they each find themselves faced with choices that they must make to take that first step to protect the world.
Outpost Gypsy Tree is the first book that I have read by this author and I was eager to see where the author was going to take me with this book. When I first started reading this book I was expecting a lot of drama and adventure to pull me into the book from the very beginning, but that's not the case. The author gives me a prologue that piques my interest as to what is going on in the storyline. Then the author transitions to the beginning of where one of the main characters, Drew, is being born. Drew's early beginnings help to set the stage. It's both beautiful and sad at the same time. The author does a wonderful job giving me just enough background on her parents to really set things up for me. The author points out that each of the characters in this book are unique in their own subtle ways and then in more pronounced ways as well.
The pace of this story is slow, which is a downside to it, but the amount of detail and description both make up for the pace, but also help make it plain as to why the pace is slower. The author wants readers to get the experience of what the characters are experiencing themselves. I like that not everyone is keen to take on this journey that they are meant to embark upon. Drew and a couple other characters are eager to be off and experiencing what is to come, but there are some who are more hesitant. At first, I was a bit disappointed, but then I realized that this is made the story more relateable and the characters more real. Not everyone will be eager to take off into the unknown so I like the balance that plays out in this book.
Overall, the story is really well-written. I'd have liked a bit less detail in some places because it doesn't exactly add that much to the story, but instead becomes a bit excessive at times. But when the story is engaging it is truly engaging and very enjoyable to read. It's safe to say that this book is appropriate for all ages of the YA genre. There isn't anything that I would caution against for a parent looking for a good YA book for their teen.
I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Half a star is taken off for the excessive detail in places, but for those who enjoy fantasy novels with some time travel and a quest to save the world then this is a good book to pick up.
Outpost Gypsy Tree is the first book that I have read by this author and I was eager to see where the author was going to take me with this book. When I first started reading this book I was expecting a lot of drama and adventure to pull me into the book from the very beginning, but that's not the case. The author gives me a prologue that piques my interest as to what is going on in the storyline. Then the author transitions to the beginning of where one of the main characters, Drew, is being born. Drew's early beginnings help to set the stage. It's both beautiful and sad at the same time. The author does a wonderful job giving me just enough background on her parents to really set things up for me. The author points out that each of the characters in this book are unique in their own subtle ways and then in more pronounced ways as well.
The pace of this story is slow, which is a downside to it, but the amount of detail and description both make up for the pace, but also help make it plain as to why the pace is slower. The author wants readers to get the experience of what the characters are experiencing themselves. I like that not everyone is keen to take on this journey that they are meant to embark upon. Drew and a couple other characters are eager to be off and experiencing what is to come, but there are some who are more hesitant. At first, I was a bit disappointed, but then I realized that this is made the story more relateable and the characters more real. Not everyone will be eager to take off into the unknown so I like the balance that plays out in this book.
Overall, the story is really well-written. I'd have liked a bit less detail in some places because it doesn't exactly add that much to the story, but instead becomes a bit excessive at times. But when the story is engaging it is truly engaging and very enjoyable to read. It's safe to say that this book is appropriate for all ages of the YA genre. There isn't anything that I would caution against for a parent looking for a good YA book for their teen.
I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars. Half a star is taken off for the excessive detail in places, but for those who enjoy fantasy novels with some time travel and a quest to save the world then this is a good book to pick up.
February 9, 2019
Thank you to Netgally and GISA Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
I feel really bad for saying this, but I didn't like it at all. The book didn't grab me and I felt like the characterization and world building was lacking.
The basic premise is that 6 adventurous teens come together at the Gypsy Tree bound by their desire to make the world peaceful (yes that sounds cheesy). They must clear the earth's light portals and remove the evils of man kind, they travel through time for this task.
As is pretty obvious, I read a lot of YA fantasies and a lot of adult fantasies. I don't think that YA novels usually feel young, but this book felt very juvenile to me. The story felt shallow and utopian to me. I like the idea of a school story and good beating evil, but I like when the evil is developed with motivations and actual characterization. The characters also felt cheesy and rather flat/shallow. The positive, is I think the writing itself is technically good. I didn't find any grammar errors nor did it take me out of the story. The idea is also interesting, but the premise didn't lead to a great story.
2/5.
I probably would recommend it to an 11 year old. there is not enough to the story for adults to enjoy but the story is interesting and simple enough that that is the perfect age group for the story. I wouldn't recommend it to my friends though....
I feel really bad for saying this, but I didn't like it at all. The book didn't grab me and I felt like the characterization and world building was lacking.
The basic premise is that 6 adventurous teens come together at the Gypsy Tree bound by their desire to make the world peaceful (yes that sounds cheesy). They must clear the earth's light portals and remove the evils of man kind, they travel through time for this task.
As is pretty obvious, I read a lot of YA fantasies and a lot of adult fantasies. I don't think that YA novels usually feel young, but this book felt very juvenile to me. The story felt shallow and utopian to me. I like the idea of a school story and good beating evil, but I like when the evil is developed with motivations and actual characterization. The characters also felt cheesy and rather flat/shallow. The positive, is I think the writing itself is technically good. I didn't find any grammar errors nor did it take me out of the story. The idea is also interesting, but the premise didn't lead to a great story.
2/5.
I probably would recommend it to an 11 year old. there is not enough to the story for adults to enjoy but the story is interesting and simple enough that that is the perfect age group for the story. I wouldn't recommend it to my friends though....
March 31, 2020
The story really grabs the readers attention from the get-go. Dr. Dottie Graham does a great job being descriptive and allowing the reader to feel like they are immersed in the world.
I was surprised at how fresh and how many surprises there were in this story. What a wonderful job of keeping the reader invested in the series and its characters!
A nice clean treat for fans of Young Adult Fantasy.
I was surprised at how fresh and how many surprises there were in this story. What a wonderful job of keeping the reader invested in the series and its characters!
A nice clean treat for fans of Young Adult Fantasy.
April 1, 2020
I liked that this novel is written for Young Adult readers, but can be enjoyed by all fans of Fantasy.
There is a lot going on and a lot to understand since you are diving into a new world. I think that Dr. Dottie Graham really managed to keep her readers up to speed by giving them just enough along the way without making them feel lost or bogged down with information.
I’m excited to see where she takes this series!
There is a lot going on and a lot to understand since you are diving into a new world. I think that Dr. Dottie Graham really managed to keep her readers up to speed by giving them just enough along the way without making them feel lost or bogged down with information.
I’m excited to see where she takes this series!
October 19, 2018
I love being able to follow the adventures of this chosen group of teenagers looking to remove the darkness from Earth. Recognizing each of their strengths and weaknesses and learning to work together for a common goal. The author paints such vivid picture of the characters and places that it feels like you are there with them. I can't wait for the next book!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews