The Gatekeeper of Pericael

By: Hayley Reese Chow

Narrated by: Ian M. Hawkins

In Pericael, no one goes out after dark...

Twelve-year-old Porter would much rather spend his weekends playing soccer than channeling spirits in the parallel universe of Pericael. Unfortunately for him, Porter's family has guarded the gate between Earth and monster-filled Pericael for generations, so he's not getting out of Gatekeeper lessons anytime soon.

But some after-school activities are more dangerous than others.

When a soul thief threatens the gate, Porter reluctantly comes to its defense...and gets thrown deep into Pericael's dangerous jungle wilderness. With the help of two fierce native girls, Porter must learn to embrace the creepy spirits and find his way back to the gate. But the soul thief is racing for the gate, too, and if he gets there first, Porter won't have a home to go back to.

©2021 Hayley Reese Chow (P)2024 Hayley Reese Chow

Critic reviews

Literary Titan Gold Award Winner

B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree

Finalist in the 2021 Page Turner Awards

Semifinalist in the 2022 Book Blogger Novel of the Year Awards

Loved it more than expected! A true gem!

I had heard a few good reviews about this book from friends who suggested I listen to it, so I did, expecting it to be a typical YA fantasy book. However, I did not expect the beautiful world-building and depth of characters that greeted me in Pericael! Every detail and brush stroke of this new world fit together like pieces of a puzzle, creating a gorgeous picture of a place I want to visit (mortal danger and all). The magic wielded by Porter, the young gatekeeper, is built on both academics and artistry, and is certainly not for the faint of heart. This story of another land, however, is for anyone who wants to add fresh magic to their imagination.

Really great book!

I really liked the plot twists to this story. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes something fresh. The narrator was also good at bringing life to the characters.

Exciting fantasy read!

The Gatekeeper of Pericael was an exciting MG fantasy that was a joy to read (or in my case listen to.)

I was immediately drawn into this world. Pericael was so well fleshed out with it’s numerous monsters, magic, and characters. Porter was a likable hero. I enjoyed how he wasn’t a “perfect” gatekeeper and how he didn’t feel like the savior everyone thought he should be.

The audiobook was very well done too. Hawkins has a wonderful voice and his narration was pleasant to listen to.

I would highly recommend this book to any young readers looking to dive into a fantasy world!

A YA Fantasy With Excellent World Building

*This book was given to me by the author at my request, and I provided this voluntary, unbiased review.*

3.9/5

This was a light-hearted story that took a quite sudden turn for the serious and fantastical. The book is young-adult oriented fantasy, but has plenty of adult themes and is written well enough for any adult to enjoy. The MC, supporting characters, protagonists, world-building, language, and magic system were well thought out and mesh together cohesively. I thought that Chow did an excellent job bringing together a world with a different culture with the mannerisms and "usuals" of two teenage boys thrown into this strange new world. My only complaint is that there was not enough back-story (some was definitely provided, but I felt I needed more) to warrant the amount of peril that was present. Hopefully we will get more of that in future installments of this world! i would definitely recommend this to others; kids and adults alike!

Good read!

Haley Reese Chow does a pretty good job creating an alternative universe that is truly out of the ordinary. She does a very good job describing the inner working of this other world and immerses you in their culture. The main character is believable and somewhat annoying at times but rings true given his age. Good depth to the storyline and gives enough of a background so you are not lost.
The narrarator does an ok job. His punctuation is really good, just hoped he could help differentiate the characters a bit better.
I did like this book... and would like a book 2.