If you love reading fantasy, then picking up this first book in The Mirror Realm Cycle trilogy will be a real treat. Author Ariel Kaplan beautifully interweaves the worlds of Jewish folklore and the magical realm of the Mazik Kingdom. She easily blends the two into one in a way that keeps the story flowing.

I found the characters well developed and the concept mesmerizing. Because this is a fantasy, making the plot flow naturally is more of a challenge than other types of writing. However, this is done well and, once I got caught up in the story, it was easy enough to suspend my disbelief and follow along with the magical tale.

Fantasy is not my favorite genre and this is a long book, so I was almost afraid to start reading. However, I am glad to say that the story caught my attention early enough that I actually enjoyed it. One word of warning…while it is not really a cliffhanger, this book clearly ends in a manner intended to lead you into the next book in the series.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing Corp. for providing me with an advance copy of The Pomegranate Gate. No promise was made of a positive review, and any opinion expressed here is my own. ( )

The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan is book one in The Mirror Realm Cycle fantasy series. This was a 4 star read for me.

There are two parallel storylines, one tells the story of what happens when Toba unwittingly follows Barsilay and Asamel into the Mazik realm, where she shouldn't be. Toba has always been sickly, able to speak but not yell and able to walk but not run. That's not the only way she's different though. She has the ability to write with both hands at the same time in different languages.
Now she's stuck in the Mazik world until the next full moon, so Barsilay puts her to work translating their library. Toba is very curious, though, and as she lives and learns about Barsilay and Asamel, it becomes clear she can never return to the mortal world and her family.

The other storyline tells of Naftaly, son of a tailor, who was trying to save Toba when she walked through the light-filled gate in the pomegranate grove. He doesn't know her, but feels the need to save and protect her, so he tries to find a way to the gate by the next full moon. But Naftaly isn't just any man. He has dreams where he can talk to people who are far away. His father was able to do this, too, but never explained the significance to Naftaly. Now, Naftaly is in charge of a secret book that his father left him that he's not supposed to ever open or read, only protect and never let it get into someone else's hands. With him is Toba's grandmother Elena and an Old Woman who begged around their town. The gate opens at different places at each full moon, so they must get to the correct location before the next full moon ends to be able to get Toba back.

The beginning is a little slow as the foundation and world-building are established, but it is well-written and imperative to the story. The characters are all well-developed and there is tension where necessary. Our main characters are all Jewish, and are needing to evacuate where they live due to a decree that all Jews must convert or deal with the consequences. We see the fear through the different characters' eyes, and how persecuted they are by those around them. They aren't able to take many items with them, having to leave behind not only their possessions but life as they know it. They have to flee their homes or face execution.

All in all, this is a great beginning to the Mirror Realm Cycle series. The pacing is good, and the storylines come together in an unexpected way at the end. If you enjoy fantasy novels, then this would be a wonderful addition to your TBR.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a digital copy of The Pomegranate Gate for review consideration. All opinions are my own. ( )

3 Stars for me, although this historical fantasy can easily be a 4.5 Stars novel for the right audience.

Pros: The exquisite worldbuilding, historical influences, the depth of characters, and the worldbuilding (yes, it deserves to be mentioned twice).
Cons: The length and the pace (separately, if just one of these, the book would have be bumped up to 4 Stars, but the slow slow build and length together, not my preference, and I had to skim parts to not lose interest).

The work is exactly what is advertised, so if you read the blurb, it sounds like your kind of book, and don't mind longer reads, it's good. I had a print copy with small font, so the ebook version is probably best for those who have trouble with fine print.

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