“The Gateway is open… ”
These cryptic words wake college student Jess Ballard from a terrifying dream into an even more terrifying reality.
Jess’s life has never been what anyone would call easy; doing damage control in the wake of your nomadic, alcoholic mother doesn’t exactly make for a storybook childhood. But now her world has fallen apart just when it should be coming together: her … together: her mother gone — dead under mysterious circumstances; her life uprooted to stay with estranged relatives she’s never met; and there’s something odd about some of the people she’s been meeting at school:
They’re dead.
Aided by Tia, her neurotic roommate, and Dr. David Pierce, a ghost-hunting professor, Jess must unravel the mystery behind her hauntings. But the closer she gets to the truth, the more danger shadows her every move. An ancient secret, long-buried, is about to claw its way to the surface, and nothing can prepare Jess for one terrifying truth… her encounters with the world of the dead are only just beginning.
Spirit Legacy is the first of three thrilling novels in The Gateway Trilogy by E.E. Holmes.
more
An Excellent YA read! Great story line, great characters, delight ful to uncover the layers, createing this world… Excellent maturily level in the characters. Great story telling! A creative weaving of story in life… Looking forward to the future books in the series… !
Deadly Intentions.
The cover and description of Spirit Legacy drew me in, and the protagonist, Jess Ballard, and her story kept my interest throughout. Holmes has created in Jess Ballard a unique and funny character who you want to cheer for all the way. Her roommate, Tia, is the perfect pairing for her, ultra organized and unconditionally supportive. I love these two together. The intrigue just kept building with unanswered questions, dubious motives, and strange phenomena. Is it the ghosts who have deadly intentions? Or her friends, her family? Holmes kept me guessing right to the end. Paranormal and Urban Fantasy fans will love Spirit Legacy. Thankfully, this is a series, so I have more books to enjoy.
I was drawn-in to the multi-faceted characters from beginning to end. I loved the realistic and consistent nature of the character’s personalities, while emerging us, readers, in a fantastical world, with exciting and magical twists and turns. Loved it!
I immediately purchased the next book in the trilogy and then on to the following series: The Gateway Trackers. I highly recommend this book and anything E.E. Holmes writes.
Second time reading this one and I liked it better this time around. This one sort of reads like a prequel, more than anything else, since the world Jess is about to enter isn’t touched on until the very end. However, it holds its own as a series starter, with Holmes providing small clues throughout the work.
Spirit Legacy entwines with the urban/paranormal fantasy genre better than any book of its kind, and there’s no wonder why it has remained atop the best-seller list for years.
Great book! Fast paced and kept me interested.
Spirit Legacy
The Gateway Trilogy, Book 1
By: E. E. Holmes
Narrated by: Lyssa Browne
There is so many layers to this book! An orphan that starts to see ghosts when her mother dies. She moves to her aunt’s house and then to a college dorm. There at the dorm she gets in trouble because she doesn’t realize that the boy she talks about seeing is dead. It gets worse! Many twists and turns! Family secrets come to light. Very exciting! Going in my favorite file! Enjoyed it from the very beginning! Picked up book two!
Narration was terrific! Really added to the story!
I started reading this book after asking my own audience who else they read and love. I have to say, I am THRILLED to have stumbled on the world of the Gateway Keepers. This first book was haunting and I enjoyed the world-building E.E. Holmes has deployed and the mythology behind the concept. I’m currently reading Book 2 now and loving the new (but still familiar) haunting vibe. (PS- Milo rocks!)
I’ve read all the books in this trilogy, including the Gateway Tracker books that follow. I’ve found that if I don’t like at least one of the characters in the books (hopefully the main) I won’t continue to read them. In these books I’ve found quite a few characters to like. I really do appreciate watching the girls in the books grow and change. I’m looking forward to more books and can’t wait to read them.
Good Story But Anti-Conservative?
I came close to giving “Spirit Legacy” 4 to 4 ½ Stars because I really got involved in the characters and the story. It was a well written book and I thought Jess was a great main character. She was strong in the face of adversity and was not afraid to fight for what she thought was right. She also had a good sense of humor – a little snarky and sarcastic but enjoyably so. So why only 3 Stars?
For one thing, in all but one instance this was a totally non-political book. But then suddenly, right out the blue and for no discernable reason, on page 17 the author wrote:
“Karen always listened to talk radio, a nod to her political vigilance. I couldn’t really tolerate the rightwing sentiments, but I let the sanctimonious voice of the host drone on, harmonizing with the smooth hum of the car’s engine.”
This statement was the one and only political message I found in the entire story. I just don’t understand why the author felt the need to insert a dig at conservatives in an otherwise enjoyable and non-political story.
Why would the author throw in something overtly political when there was no compelling reason to do so? It didn’t add anything to the story, but it did appear to show an anti-conservative bias in the author and pulled me out of the story.
I continued reading, in part because I was enjoying the story, but also to search the text for a like slam at the left. After all, fair is fair, and the left has people that are just as radical and just as violent as does the right. Unfortunately I was unsuccessful. As I mentioned, that was the one and only political statement I found.
I am by no means a far-right fanatic but it just seemed out of place for the author to single out the political ‘right’ while totally ignoring the just as fanatical ‘left’. Perhaps she was simply trying to be relevant to teen and young adult readers, but if that’s the case she needs to remember that conservative young people also buy and read books.
Sorry for the sermon but that message just seemed out of place, plus the author is openly slamming 50% of her possible audience. It just doesn’t make sense unless her political beliefs are so strong that she felt the need to push them into our faces.
**Caution: Minor Spoiler** Other than that I enjoyed the story and the mystery up until we started getting to the explanations for Jess’s powers, along with her ability to see and communicate with ghosts. I had a little trouble buying into the ultra-powerful secret organization and the whole ‘gateway’ for ghosts thing, but I’ll admit it was well done. Maybe I’m just tired of having all-powerful secret organization being a staple in stories? **End Spoiler**
Do I recommend this story? Sorry, but not with an out of place anti-conservative political message like that. If the author would delete that two-sentence slam then I’d shift my rating up to 4 or 4 ½ Stars, plus I’d give it a strong recommendation. As it stands, I’m just too tired of being continually slammed for believing in our constitutional rights.
The book was great and I am already reading the next book in the series. Only complaint is with the narrator, she skipped paragraphs through out the book.
I have to say, the story didn’t grab me as much as the author’s writing. That’s why I didn’t give it 5 stars but still recommend it. The story is fine, the characters are believable and likeable. The book is very well edited. What really kept me reading to the end of the story is the author’s writing style. So descriptive without being wordy or boring, no clichés and her (his?) descriptions are so imaginative. I wish I had the book at hand to list a few, but I don’t have it, at the moment. I don’t know what else is available by this author, but intend to look as I enjoyed the writing style enormously.