The Enchanted: The Gateway Chronicles 4

Read the last 3 books in this series back to back within a 3-4 day time span, so I can't even tell them apart. All I can say is I loved it and the series just gets better as it goes, so it's definitely worthwhile.

The Enchanted seems to me a magical book, even more so than its predecessors. Despite the fact it explores the darkest parts of Alitheia we've seen to date and follows the deaths and personal tragedies of several beloved characters, the novel has a fairy tale-esque feeling as romance blooms full-fledged in this latest re-release by K.B. Hoyle. It is said that The Enchanted is a book of relationships, and I would have to agree. The narrative rises and falls on Darcy's relationships with her mentor (Rubidius), her direct antagonist (Colin Mackaby) and her king (Tellius).Rubidius is cantankerous, bossy, perhaps a little egotistical, yet that all goes hand in hand with being a vast resource of knowledge, wisdom, and power. Darcy, who's had trouble with being honest and trusting others in the past, learns to finally put full faith in Rubidius in The Enchanted and he, in turn, trusts her with guarded knowledge that is pivotal to the prophecy and her role in it. Vulnerability is introduced in the midst of this newfound, mutual respect as well, leading to what may be my favorite interaction with Rubidius in the entire series as he and Darcy finally discuss her long-hidden Oracle.And then comes Tellius—courageous, proud, handsome, refined, fully grown and preparing to take his crown. He is also painfully aware of his uncertain and seemingly complacent role in the prophecy and downfall of Tscelloch. His arc in this story is both beautiful and tragic, the man in love at war with the boy who's lost so much, and the pages don't turn fast enough to satisfy. It certainly doesn't hurt that Hoyle added two toe-curling, heart-wrenching scenes to his and Darcy's chaotic affair either. Darcy's relationship with Tellius has always been rocky, but it solidifies at last in The Enchanted despite all the ups and downs, despite her murky oracle, despite his misgivings—though whether their relationship ends happily ever after remains to be seen by the end of the novel.Darcy's relationship to Colin, too, takes a turning point as she shows him mercy time and again only for him to return to Tselloch. Colin Mackaby is an intriguing, dark, somewhat tragic character along the lines of Credence in Rowling's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Vulnerable and lonely, he first looked to Tselloch as a twisted form of salvation and now is so immersed in this, immersed in the endless greed of power, that it is doubtful he'll ever be able to find his way back to the light. Still, Darcy pursues him.With the light of love comes the darkness of shadow, and as such, this is the first book in which mortality is majorly confronted. After suffering several deeply painful losses, Darcy and Tellius both must come to terms with their fragile mortality, that of their friends', and of one another. While Tellius withdraws in a counter to his usual explosive reactions, Darcy faces her own mortality without hesitation. We, the readers, know of her oracle, "Twice wed, twice dead, twice stained red," yet this is the time for it to come to light and be brought into action. Darcy, who once was ready to give in to the darkest of enemies in the face of her impending death, now stands tall and acknowledges it with the steadfast purpose of one who knows their life (and death) may impact the world in brilliant ways. It's a sharp contrast to the thirteen year old girl we first met, and while age certainly has something to do with it, her experiences, relationships, and purpose have shaped her into a queen at heart, ready to do anything for her love of her king and her country.But I get ahead of myself. There are other notable elements of The Enchanted—Sam shines in her role as The Companion tempered with the same wisdom and age as Darcy, Cadmus is charming and sweet in the way handsome and gently-raised young men often are, our knowledge of magic and the Orodreos landscape deepens and the scenery shifts drastically throughout the book as they journey on, and crucial plot elements are explored in rapid succession. Hoyle's edits serve one purpose and one purpose only: to make what I thought was a perfect book somehow even better, and I am thrilled to read on.

My daughters and I spent the summer reading The Gateway Chronicles. My 13 year old, Amy, even wrote the first three reviews for the series, and now I'm taking my account back so I can have my say!The Enchanted is the fourth book in The Gateway Chronicles, and the six friends return to their camp, and then to Alitheia, in a unique situation. In the books, the characters spend a year in the parallel universe of Alitheia, age a year, and then come back to their world at the same moment, and the same age, they were when they left.This adds an intriguing dynamic to the plot, because each teenager lives a year of their age twice. So in her world, physically, Darcy is 17 when makes her fourth trip to Alitheia. However, because she has lived each year over, by the time she shows up for fourth year of camp, she's experienced 20 years and turns 21 when she hits her birthday in Alitheia. So although she is 17 in her own world, she's a lot more mature than your typical 17 year old once you consider her years and experiences in Alitheia.Now that we've established this isn't like a Romeo and Juliet scenario when it comes to age, (No "Younger than she are happy mothers made" business. - Ew. Weird.) we can get to the point - After fighting the prophecy for years, Tellius and Darcy realize that maybe their mentors were right that the prophecy was trying to predict the future, not force it, and begin their love story in The Enchanted.In The White Thread, Darcy got a chance to experience the fluttery feelings "of when her crush asked her out." With my daughters and their friends, I see this definitely being a thing. Although I remember these fluttery feelings from my tween years, I've been trying to explain to my girls that there isn't much point in "going out" with a boy, without even "going" anywhere, or any intent to be in it for the long haul. Because we follow Darcy and her friends for several years, they go through the crushy-mushy phases like all kids, but then we also see them move on to being more mature, and sensible, in their relationship choices. Seeing that contrast and growth is helpful for a young adult audience. It's showing them that crushes are something you're supposed to outgrow, and commitment is a serious decision to make.As I mentioned in the last point, Hoyle's characters are pushed into situations where there's too much at stake to make a decision driven solely by emotion, and this also applies anything related to romance. Darcy and Tellius take "It's Complicated" to an intense level, as the two are forced to not only consider their own feelings, but the long term consequences of their potential marriage, not only for Alithiea, but each other.In too many of popular narratives, romantic relationships are fleeting, and there's nothing wrong with another person serving a purpose in your life for a little while, whether it be one night or one year or whatever, and then "moving on." Anyone who has lived in the real world knows that situations where individuals are treated as disposable in relationships are incredibly messy and complicated, but pop culture tends to romanticize and tidy up situations that none of us would want to be anywhere near "in real life."The relationships among the teenagers are in The Gateway Chronicles offer a counter-narrative of seeking out relationships not just for recreation or an emotional fix, but as an investment that will shape your entire future. If the investment is made wisely, it can shape your future for the better. However, if it's made poorly, then it's going to do more harm than good.