The Gates of Golorath separate the lands of humanity from the realm of the Lethen’al.Arielle is descended from the founder of the Areth’kon. She dreams of becoming a Mala’kar, a Bladeless Master, like her noble parents before her. An element of her past returns that may ruin her plans. Angus has forsaken the teachings of the Magi that almost fatally failed him. He has chosen to train with his … chosen to train with his father’s people at the Gates, but he is not prepared for what’s to come.
Their fates intersect when their squads arrive at the Gates of Golorath to complete their final year of military training. Competing amongst themselves and the other cadets, they struggle for prominence and acceptance.
But, as Angus and Arielle are drawn closer and the tensions between their squads mount, those around them begin to fear that which was foretold long ago. Will they choose to rise as saviors, or fall as destroyers?
Beyond their realm, the enemy of their people, the shrulks, mass in the human lands. For now, the Lo’ademn, the demons imprisoned since The Fall, still slumber in their prisons. Will this unlikely band of misfits become the heroes both worlds need or aid in its annihilation?
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The Gates of Golorath, Chaos of Souls Book One, by R. M. Warino is an epic saga of the creatures that guard the gates between Humans and Demons. Some call them Angels, but not like Seraphim or Cherubim. These angels are super-warriors. There are many military-type battles and suffering. Also, there is one great Angel love triangle. One can visualize the world building here as an epic film. This is not a book to be rushed through, but rather read slowly and relished. Well written with memorable characters.
Make time for this one. A long weekend with nothing more to do than read because you won’t want to stop. Epic fantasy that will suck you in.
This book blew my mind away in 2019. This high fantasy story covers the military-brotherhood of a training camp of angels. Now if you are thinking of angels with wings and harps, think again. These are super-strong, fighting machines who are being trained in teams, honing their skills while having their loyalty tested. While central to the plot is the connection forming between Angus and Ariel (on opposite teams), the band of brothers/sisters all get their fair share of character development as well as being tested. New bonds are formed, while others are broken.
In my top five of 2019 reads for action adventure that kept me enthralled. Perhaps because I read a lot of P.C. Wren (Beau Geste) when I was a teen? Lovers of Military fantasy, High Fantasy, and those who want action-adventure will rejoice.
‘Gates of Golorath’ is book 1 of the ‘Chaos of Souls’ fantasy series by R.M. Garino. It is set in a world somewhere between earth and the realms of heaven and hell, populated by a variety of angelic races – fallen and otherwise – and various other races and monsters.
For the initiates at the Gates of Golorath, there is much to be learned and much to be gained— but there is also much that might be lost if they do not successfully overcome the challenges with which they are presented. In that sense, this is an epic coming of age story, but it is also one of complex relationships fraught with obstacles and difficulties that must be met and endured if friendships and romantic attachments are to survive.
The characters are varied in terms of heritage, rank and personality, giving the reader a good sense of the social structures of the civilisation in which they live. The main characters, Arielle and Angus, are engaging and likeable, and although I did not always like the things they do, I did become quite invested in their story and the outcomes that awaited them.
This is a gradually-but-steadliy developed and very detailed story that will appeal more to dedicated fans of military fantasy adventure than to those who prefer sword and sorcery or pure magical fantasy, but it is an interesting and enjoyable story. I enjoyed the action scenes and the banter between different characters, but what I appreciated most was the imagery and energy of the writing. While the world building and orientation at the beginning of the book might be a little slow in terms of story development, it is rich with powerful images and expressive writing that I found to be very appealing.
Highly recommend to fans of sweeping epic fantasy with amazing attention to detail.
Hands up, I’m a reader of general fiction. I often start books in this genre and either don’t finish them or skip read. For me to fully engage, there must be,
1, relatable characters with distinct personalities and a clear purpose.
2, a strong storyline, purposefully leading somewhere.
3, consistent logic within the imaginative world created.
This book ticked all three and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you often read this genre you’re in for a real treat. if like me, it is a genre you only dabble in, the personalities of Arielle, Angus and their fellow house-mates will help you through the strange-sounding terminology. (There is a glossary at the back to help). The challenges and prejudices they face throughout their training are very well described and I loved the framing of the story by the elder recounting the story from outside the gates. Also, once I was into the read, the length of the book makes it very good value for money!
Books written with lots of names meant to be expressed in an elvish or angelic sort of tongue are always difficult to navigate but just as with a book like “Lord of the Rings”, this sweeping epic is so good that you completely stop focusing on the names after a couple of eventful chapters. I loved the fast pacing, descriptive phrasing and solid characterizations throughout this 400 and something pages of Magi prose.
Here’s a really cool line, “Silence slid across the room with deft precision.” Here’s another, “He let the lesson settle in and find a home within him.” The author spent enough time on each character and event to make me want to keep turning the page as quickly as I could to find out what was going to happen next.
The fight scenes were so rousing they had me cringing with imaginary pain. I kept feeling like I was reading a story about elves but this was really an epic battle between Angels and Demons over the literal fate of humanity at “The Gates of Golorath” which lies between the ethereal world and the earthly one.
The writing was fantastic and I was particularly fascinated with the touching love story between Blademaster trainee, Arielle and the Magi, Angus. Their love was Romeo and Juliet-esque in so many ways.
Lastly, I was glad for the glossary at the back of the book. It was a great and helpful addition and I would suggest reading through it first. Thank you, R. M. Garino, for keeping the reader uppermost in your mind. I am honestly impressed that this is the first book you’ve wrestled to completion. Consider this a solid vindication that your writing addiction should definitely continue.
Two thumbs up for this epic fantasy novel. The pacing varies throughout the book. Slower where the reader needs to learn the details of the world so it can be absorbed easily, and faster where there’s action, and you don’t want to be bogged down with too many details. Both are done with the finesse of a well-thought-out story. The history, society, and world they live in was vivid and believable.
The world Arielle and Angus live in is an elite military training camp. Military stories (for me) can be rather technical and drab, but this one was far from that. The fantasy element helped in that respect.
There are a lot of companions as part of Arielle and Angus’s squad and later Pride. Initially it was difficult to keep track of who was who, but as the story progressed, they all became dear, and I wanted them all to succeed and survive–even the ones who are more minor characters.
Looking forward to reading the rest of the story in book 2.
Right from the start, this story will draw you in. From the narration of the story told in Angus’s point of view, you get to really understand all that he has lost over the centuries. The world is very intricately layered with complicated rivalries, alliances, and friendships.
I love how the Prides come together to form something new, a bond stronger than their individual parts. Arielle is amazing with her magical abilities and her speed in picking up new skills. Angus is just as fun with his unwavering desire to please as well as to get into trouble, all with the right reasoning behind the messes.
There’s so much to tell about this story, but you’ll just have to read it for yourself to get the full understanding of what makes it so amazing. What are you waiting for? Go get it now!
So I always love a good angel story. This one did not disappoint.
The different factions of angels and the way that they interacted was interesting. However, I think my favorite storyline was that of Arielle. I could really her feel her grow throughout the book, and even though there is some romance in her story, it wasn’t immediate. We got to really meet her and root for her before she met the man she spotted at the beginning of the book.
Very complex with lots of worldbuilding, we see both the Realm of Humans, the Realms with Heaven and Hell, and the Realm in between. There are a lot of characters as well but getting a feel for each of who they were and what they wanted was a beautiful part of the story even when it got confusing at times.
While the plot moves slowly at first to introduce us to the characters, it picks up quickly leading for a very engaging read. Even though this is a long book, the writing was so well done that the time flew by.
Recommended for all epic fantasy fans!
Preface to review: This book is recommended only to readers who are hard-core fantasy adventure fans and who are looking for a long-term reading project. Others should note my comments below and decide whether this is a book you want to read.
The Gates of Golorath is the first part of an epic fantasy adventure. Author R.M. Garino has created a complex world that exists somewhere between the realm of humans and the realms of heaven and hell. Here, the Elc’atar warriors, guardians of the Gate, are charged with keeping the hoards of monsters from the netherworld from invading the world of humans. This world is populated by the descendants of fallen angels, who possess a variety of magical powers and physical abilities that aid them in their appointed obligations. This is a world filled with different races, families, clans, and politics, and this is just the first installment of a multi-part epic.
The text here is very well-written, with lush descriptions and flowing prose that carries the reader away into this fantasy world. The names, relationships, motivations, and adventures of all the characters are sometimes difficult to keep straight, but there is no shortage of gripping action, romance, and detailed description.
The main story follows Arielle, a fledgling warrior who is going through the equivalent of Elc’atar boot camp for a year before being deemed worthy of taking her place as a guardian. She is drawn to a male named Angus, whose lineage is from a different “house” but the two of them are drawn together like Romeo and Juliet and are truly star-crossed lovers. There are many, many other characters, all of whom have hard-to-pronounce names, with their own lineages and back-stories, but Arielle and Angus are the focus, and they have deep histories and are developed in this book in great detail and are compelling and interesting characters.
If you are a fan of large-scale fantasy adventure, you will find this book entertaining. But be warned, it is quite long (600 pages) and the plot moves forward very slowly as we experience training camp with Arielle and Angus and learn about the over-arching plot only in very small bits along the way. Even at the end of book #1, it’s not really clear what the real plot is, who the real villains are, or what lies ahead. One of the major characters has just embarked on a dangerous assignment, which will no doubt be some of the story in book #2, but this epic is far, far from being over. This is not a quick beach read, and once engaged in the story, be ready for a very long road ahead. To make a comparison to the gold standard of fantasy adventure epics, The Lord of the Rings, what is missing here is a clear understanding of the nature of the quest and what the ultimate conflict is. The author has established the world, but has not fully explained why we should care or what the central goal is. It’s not really fair to expect Tolkien quality, of course, and perhaps the next book in the series will explain more, but for now the prospective reader should have a clear understanding that the road you are starting down is very interesting, but we have no real idea how long the hike is going to be and where we’re ultimately going. If you just want to dip your metaphorical toe into this genre, this book may not be your best option.
This is an epic fantasy that was pretty intimidating to start, to be honest. There are a lot of new terms and names that seem confusing at first. However, the more I read, the more it made sense, and the more I loved it. It’s full of action and emotion, plus a little humor and romance. It’s a coming of age story unlike anything I have ever read before.
Garino has created an incredible world with magic and demon fighting. The descriptions give a fantastic visual without being over the top. In my opinion, he found just the right balance between the descriptions, storytelling, and dialogue. I loved the characters as well, and their interactions with each other. There are deep family lines, some of which do not get along. It leads to drama and sarcastic responses that had me laughing. This story really shows that some bonds are stronger than family, and that family doesn’t always mean blood.
I really enjoyed this book. I am very new to the epic fantasy genre, as many of you know, but once I got into the story it didn’t feel that different than my usual preference of books. It just had a bit more detail and length. If you like fantasy, I’d definitely give this a go. It’s very intriguing and I cannot wait for the next book!
*Original review on Functionally Fictional.*
Pitting two childhood friends against the forces of evil, this well-plotted fantasy is packed with whimsical intrigue and speedy action. Angus, a Magi apprentice, and Arielle, a Blademaster in training, arrive at Gates for their final year of military training and immediately feel the pull of a strong bond they once shared as angels. But there are evil forces who want to hunt them and rip them to pieces. Packing the novel with well-crafted fight sequences and intriguing characters, Garino sets a solid foundation for the next installment in the series. Though the story takes little time to develop, the interesting premise and sharp dialogues keep the reader glued to the pages until the end. The cliff-hanger finale will leave the reader wait eagerly for the next installment in the series. Definitely recommended for fans of epic fantasy!
I couldn’t put it down. I’m a voracious reader and this book kept me happily turning pages. The world building is superb and I am looking forward to reading the second in the series. I love the military academy and the dynamic between Arielle and Angus. The Lo’el are awesome as well. This book has so many elements that draw me in and keep me hungry. The writing is worthy of awards. Love love love it! The Gates of Golorath