The Emerald Gate

The Orb #5

by Matt Heppe

The Emerald Gate is the fifth book in the epic fantasy series, The Orb.


General Nidon, Lord Commander of the Army of Salador, leads his knights on a campaign to rid the East Teren of the remnants of Cragor’s shattered army. Soon, the Saladorans will assault Rigaria itself and by defeating them bring a lasting peace. When news arrives that Ayja has disappeared and a Summoner army threatens to conquer Belen, Nidon turns his attention south. He will fight his way across the world to save both an empire and a daughter he loves more than life.


Trapped in the world of Dromost, a world where one either consumes or is consumed, Ayja is caught in a never-ending battle to survive. Even bearing the Shield of Forsvar and the Hammer of Dromost, she isn’t safe. The very items that make her a Power make her a target.


When a demon offers her a bargain, she must weigh the terrible price he demands. How big a risk does she take… how many lives does she put in peril… for the sake of her own freedom?

378 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2020

About the author

Matt Heppe lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and daughter. He teaches economics and military history, and in his free time makes traditional longbows. He is a United States Army veteran, having served in Germany and the Middle East as a UH-60 pilot.

Reviews

[Robert Negut · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll say right away that The Emerald Gate is the best book in the series, so it’s something of a pity that it marks its end. There’s worldbuilding, there’s character development, there’s thrilling action, there are multiple viewpoints presenting events taking place simultaneously in different areas, even in different worlds, there are developments and explanations about the magic system… I also made a mental note about the realism of presenting an army stretched over a long distance while on the march from the viewpoint of a character who’s not at the lead, but far more important was the one made about some of the hard choices faced by some characters, and in particular about those who are on the side of good but nevertheless realize that the ends do justify the means and do whatever’s required for victory, no matter the costs, the brutality or the moral dilemmas. And I also found a certain element of the ending particularly pleasing.
That said, the first part of the book does seem better than what comes once the action explodes, with the first, and probably worst, major moment when terrible means are employed in order to reach the necessary ends. From that point, the action returns to the forefront, so the way the army’s advance is presented, however realistic, does seem rather odd, and I’d have preferred the skipped action scenes resulting from that choice to make way for more detailed worldbuilding and character development. And, as pretty much always, I’ll also point out all of the instances of hero’s luck as a negative aspect… And then there’s the ending as well, which once again stretches on far too long and is something of a fairy tale, starkly contrasting the bleak, brutal realism that’s the rule until then. Yes, I did find particularly appealing elements in it, and other readers may welcome just that contrast in general and feel that the characters deserved such closure, but even so, it should have at least been far more compressed, while other parts of the book should have been expanded.

[James Latimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a spectacular finish to The Orb, a series I've been following since there was only one book. It's been a great combination of strong characters, solid combat, inventive magic, and thrilling stakes. The final volume doesn't disappoint, bringing both plot and character arcs to a dramatic and satisfying conclusion. The plot divides between a military invasion by the champion knights of Salador, and Ayja's attempts to survive and escape the demon realm. The two threads provide a nice balance between two of the series' strengths, the historically accurate military escapades, and the complex magical lore that has expanded as the series goes on. All the main characters do their part, and the final showdown - in two countries - is truly epic.

Like the whole series, highly recommended if you want to see what indie fantasy can offer - but this is a fantastic series by any measure. It's been an epic journey, and I can't wait to see what the author does next.