Hidden Gates
P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy, #1
by D.T. Dyllin
Publisher: Dragonfairy Press (Feb. 28, 2013)
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Format: eBook (299 pages)
Source: Author/Publisher
Purchase: Amazon Print | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 stars)
For P.J. Stone, being a “Seer” who has never seen anything is less than fun. And P.J. isn’t known for her patience.
To make matters worse, she must choose a suitable mate to continue the Seer bloodline. Duty always comes before her heart…at least that’s what her parents taught her. When she finds herself wanting someone who is considered off-limits, P.J. is forced to question everything she believes.
As if navigating her love life isn’t complicated enough, P.J. finally receives a vision—of a threat to her world that only she can perceive. But no one will believe a fledgling Seer’s warnings. With nowhere else to turn, she may decide to trust a stranger with her life, her world, and maybe even her heart.
At A Glance
Such a great concept buried under a lot of sex.
The Good
Despite the odd romantic beginning, I was drawn into this book straight away. The premise was fascinating and the characters were interesting. The whole supernatural people living among us idea was fun. They had their own society within our normal society and the dynamics fascinated me. Then the twists and turns Dyllin implemented at almost every turn were exhilarating. The more I read, the more I wanted to know what was really going on. I was amazed with where Dyllin took this book. I never would have guessed how complex everything ended up being.
Bryn was super hot in the beginning. I loved his passion, his love, and his feeling towards P.J.. Bryn + P.J. = steamy. I never expected the depth of their connection. Khol was also oh so delicious. He is not really a good buy, but not really a bad guy either. He does some terrible things but before all that, I really grew to like him. He never hides his feelings for P.J.. He was pretty honest up front with what he wanted. I felt bad for him near the end. He got the raw end of the deal, but he also deserved it. I think I liked Khol so much because you never knew if you should love him or hate him. When a character isn’t 100% good or bad, they keep you on your toes. And I can’t help but respect that.
I am interested to see what is going to happen next. The book ends when all seems hopeless. Not much progress has been made with the problems that come up, so I feel like I need to know how it all works out.
The Bad
The world-building is greatly lacking. I never really understood the what and why of a lot of things. It’s like we get thrown into P.J.’s world without a map or precursor or anything. Which also meant the character development was flimsy. What happened was the romance took precedent over all that important stuff.
I could tell from the beginning that something was wrong when P.J. kept vowing that Bryn was only her friend and she has NEVER thought of him as more. Then all of a sudden, within pages, she was madly in love with him and couldn’t live without him. No build up, no slow romance, just BAM, insta-love.
I think the immaturity of these characters who were suppose to save the world really got to me. They all focused on sex more than on what was going wrong with the world. The whole plot of the book was pushed under the rug for a whole bunch of chitty chitty bang bang. And P.J. pretty much rubs up on three separate guys, actually four. I am all for women expressing their sexuality in any way they choose, but dear lord, have some restraint. Sure, these guys are suppose to have some sexual mojo but it got so tiring watching her “resist” every person with a penis.
By the end, I no longer really liked Bryn and P.J. together. Bryn turned into a hypocrite and abusive, and P.J. took too much crap from him.
The Snuggly
If you are looking for a paranormal read with a lot of sex, look no further. This was almost like a paranormal romance. P.J. was hornier than a teenage boy hiding in a girls’ locker room. The sexual tension, sexual energy, and just plain sex never ended. It took up most of the book. I enjoyed it sometimes, especially in the beginning when Bryn and P.J. had that puppy-love thing going. It got a lot more aggressive near the end. And there is a rape scene, so beware.
Final Thoughts
I might read book two if I get it free somehow, just to see what happens, but really, I wouldn’t suggest this book to many people. Just too many bads for my taste. Hesitant to recommended.
His lips met mine with an undercurrent of electricity. The kiss started out soft and sweet but began to gain momentum quickly. I gasped as his tongue slid in to deftly take control of my mouth. An unfamiliar feeling of liquid heat pooled in my middle, causing a moan to escape from me as I wrapped my arms around his shoulders in an attempt to pull him closer. It was like my body was on fire, and Bryn was the only one who could bring me relief.
Sarah Elizabeth
Yikes. Sounds like porn! Nothing worse than just sex when you expected a storyline. Will avoid this one I think!
Jennifer Bielman
Yeah, not what I expected at all.
Jaclyn Canada
I didn’t actually finish this one. It’s like you said, she says her and Bryn are just friends and there is insta love…I kept going…then Bryn is gone and she is ‘resisting’ two more guys. I couldn’t keep reading. What could have been a really cool story was buried under her hormones. Great review. Jaclyn @ JC’s Book Haven
Jennifer Bielman
Exactly. I don’t regret reading it but I wasn’t really happy by the end.
Elisa
hmmm, not really my thing, too much chitty chitty bang bang. (that cracked me up by the way!) But great review!
Jennifer Bielman
LOL, I don’t know why I call it that now.
Sam
I like the sound of Khol. Character’s who can be difficult to figure out are usually interesting to read about. Excessive sex isn’t really something I like in books, though, so this probably isn’t for me. Great review!
Jennifer Bielman
Yeah, if you were going to read it, Kohl is a good reason to.
Melissa (My World...in words and pages)
I’m loving the cover. But…I don’t think it’s for me. Sounds like to much sex for me. Thank you!
Jennifer Bielman
Yeah, I don’t think you would like it.
Brandi Kosiner
Sorry the world building was lacking, but glad that the characters were interesting. I am not sure if this is for me, but good to hear that you enjoyed it.
Brandi @ Blkosiner’s Book Blog
Jennifer Bielman
At least some parts are enjoyable.
Lizzy
Man, I really hate it when the world-building is lacking. That’s one of the things that either turns me on or turns me off with a fantasy novel. Well, thank you for the review. I might still check it out because it does have a very pretty cover, but it probably won’t be for a while.
Jennifer Bielman
Yeah, the cover really is amazing. Hopefully you like it more than I did.