The Shattered Gates (Rifter, #1) in A Shot of Ginn

Apr 18, 2011 Emanuela ~plastic duck~ rated it it was amazing

Shelves: rainbow-gay, glbt, fantasy

Wow! Just a note. The world building is awesome and John and Kyle are very interesting characters. The visions suggested by the story are very powerful. I'm enthralled. ...more

5 likes · Like · see review

Jun 29, 2011 Brad rated it it was amazing

Stunning. Seriously. Ginn's world building is thorough and immaculate, as I expected. What surprised me was how extensive it is. She's developed a language for this work, the first of 10 installments in the series, and a culture as fascinating as it is bleak. Very fond of hard edges, is our Ginn, but she tempers the darkness with extremely likable characters in whom I quickly developed a vested interest. I'm eagerly devouring the second installment, and glad to have the third and fourth already ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Dec 17, 2012 DayDreamer rated it really liked it

Shelves: lgbtqa, want-more, short-m-m, absofuckinglutely-nuts, magic, fantasy, 2015-summer, author-ginn-hale

First Read on December 17, 2012

I really, really liked it. Ginn Hale has a magical way with words and hasn't written a story I haven't loved.

On to the next one. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Nov 07, 2014 Arch Bala rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-stars, not-here, supernatural

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I ought to write my individual reviews for each book in the series but I figured that it’s more proper for me to consider each book as part of a whole saga (containing seven arcs) encompassing thirty years in the life of John, a human transported into another realm – a world where his housemate Kyle came from.

The epicness of this series is just beyond me! I enjoyed and loved every second of reading this ten-part series. What I appreciate most though is the fact that as much as possible, the auth I ought to write my individual reviews for each book in the series but I figured that it’s more proper for me to consider each book as part of a whole saga (containing seven arcs) encompassing thirty years in the life of John, a human transported into another realm – a world where his housemate Kyle came from.

The epicness of this series is just beyond me! I enjoyed and loved every second of reading this ten-part series. What I appreciate most though is the fact that as much as possible, the author tried solving all the loopholes in it. What totally bugs me is the conclusion which I would be discussing a little later on.
So John along with his friends (a couple named Laurie and Bill) were accidentally transported into Basawar (think of a Narnia-like world minus the talking animals), the place where his odd housemate Kyle “apparently” came from. Kyle is the “Kahlil” who was destined / ordained to kill John who’s the incarnation of their god. He’s the human seen by the oracle who will be destroying all of Basawar.

The plot of the story thickens as John meets the young handsome priest Ravishan who is training to become the next Kahlil. Meeting Ravishan made their tumultuous entrance into Basawar more bearable but their world is about to get more complicated as John and his friends found themselves under the Bousim household where John was forced to accompany Firiki (The son of the lady in Bousim household) into the doors of Rathal’pesha to train as an ushiri (in contention of becoming a Kahlil). There, John meets Ravishan again and has shown potential to become a priest himself. Due to discrimination, he was relegated as some sort of a medic priest. As the story goes by, John was able to piece everything together coming to the conclusion that Ravishan and his housemate were one and the same, although John first meets Kyle as a Kahlil and this kahlil in training – Ravishan is the guy he fell in love with.

At times, the story tends to be a tad bit confusing because of the interchanging timeline in it especially during the second arc but as it went by, it’s just like reading some sort of backstory although at one point – the past and the present (see, Kyle followed the trio into Basawar) meets (ala Lake House meeting of some sort) and their reunion was truly one for the books.

I actually cried a little for John who is now known as J’aitbaya. I cried because he’s been living in Basawar for 30 years and was still nursing his broken heart from his separation from Ravishan. Although one and the same. Kyle still felt different from Ravishan. It’s like he’s simply a replacement of his young self. But all the same, John still love Ravishan and gave the same affection to Kyle.

Now the question bugging me at the end, is Kyle immortal now like John? After he passed on, he was possessed by the holy bones of the young Ravishan. Did he become immortal himself the way the oracles are immortals? I sure hope so because these two more than deserved to be together especially after what they have gone through.

To conclude this, I wished that more people would read this series because of its exceptional story that you’d regret missing. The humanity in it is truly heartfelt and the way John and Kyle have proven their love and devotion for each other was truly an amazing feat. It’s just so beautiful it almost hurts.

‘tis definitely one of my favorite series – another great feat to achieve by one of my new favorite authors – Ginn Hale who brought us the amazing Wicked Gentleman and the stunning Lord Of The White Hell. Indeed, Hail Ginn Hale!
...more

Like · see review

Apr 18, 2011 Bookwatcher rated it it was amazing

Shelves: magic, glbt-gay, fantasy, read-it-or-manu-will-kick-my-ass

So.... Probably you want some words about this book and why I gave 5 stars... Hummmmm...
Ok, let me tell you it's funny, and dark. That's certain... I'm sure about it.
It's also a fantasy... No doubt about it neither... And... John... Well... No wait... His roommate is... No, maybe not, he isn't...

Yeah I know, sorry I don't make sense at all... Let me try again... There are another world, to travel from one to another John roommate get hurt... He is funny, and sad, and a killer, and bad, but a ...more

4 likes · Like · see review

Mar 06, 2011 orannia rated it really liked it

Shelves: m-m

Four and a half stars.

And now I know the downside to serials...waiting a whole month for the next part! *dies*

Like · see review

May 11, 2011 Lola rated it really liked it

Pretty short. Not a book. More like a quarter of a book. It introduce a bunch of characters who mostly likely will be the main casts and leave it at that. That's it, nothing more is really explained. -.- Not as good as Hale's other book called Wicked Gentlemen. I suppose that's what happens when you try to squeeze money out of a book by cutting it up into several pieces and renaming them "#1-#6" ...more

Like · see review