ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J E Hannaford is powered by coffee, dragons and whisky. She teaches Biology in the real world and invents fantasy beasts to populate her own.
She lives in Suffolk, UK, and pines for the coast and mountains of Wales.
A love of nature and the ocean washes through the pages of J E Hannaford's stories and pours out of the characters who live in it.
ESMAY
Well, I don’t know what I was expecting from Gates of Hope, but I am pretty sure nothing could have prepared me for the wildly imaginative epic sci-fantasy adventure it turned out to be. It’s got dystopian landscapes and societies, completely unique flora and fauna, a magical academy and secret societies, at least six types of mystifying magic, planet hopping portals, and, hear me out, space dragons. What’s not to love… right?
From the very first page, I found J.E. Hannaford’s bold storytelling and rich prose to be incredibly immersive. Yes, we are dropped into quite a deep pool of unfamiliar fantasy terminology and complex history and lore, but the way that this entire world (or should I say universe?) unfolded through the three distinctly unique POV characters’ eyes felt wonderfully organic to me.
Whether it was Darin with his dream/song magic, dangerous secret society shenanigans, and newfound psychic moonhound bond (Star is the MVP!!), Suriin with her emotion magic and desperate lust for an adventure to take her outside the deep crater communities of Caldera, or the outcast Elissa all the way over on the moon of Tebein discovering outlawed magical powers that could save her entire race from the tyrannical rule of the alien awldrin overlords, if they don’t eliminate her first; I am not kidding when I say that every single chapter contained some type of new marvellous piece of revelatory world building that just filled me with awe.
However, as interesting and intriguing as I found the events unfolding throughout these characters’ increasingly wild lives, I have to admit that I never truly connected to any of them, and I soon found myself struggling to stay engaged by the almost slice-of-life storytelling. To me, Gates of Hope lacked a strong overarching conflict/plot pulling everything together into a cohesive whole, and it felt like everything was happening TO these characters rather than because they took any decision driven by personal motivations, which made it quite hard for me to really root for them.
Maybe I was just hoping and expecting this story to be something it was never meant to be, and ultimately I truly can’t deny that Hannaford’s ambitious vision for the Aulirean Cycle is beyond impressive. While this first book in the series failed to truly hook me at any point, I think the explosive ending showed a lot of potential and set up the sequel(s) in a very strong way. So, if you are looking for an exceptionally slow-burn and character-driven epic sci-fantasy adventure that is simply bursting with imagination, emotion, and heart, then I can’t recommend Gates of Hope highly enough.
ŁUKASZ
Sometimes, a book feels like it’s going somewhere, only for you to realize you’ve been waiting for things to happen and they still haven't. Gates of Hope is one of those books. It’s clear J.E. Hannaford poured her heart into building this world (interplanetary dragons, magical moonhounds, and a system of magic fueled by emotions and music), but all that effort doesn’t quite translate into an engaging story.
The premise is solid: a war-torn world, magical gates destroyed by a dragon, and three protagonists dealing with the fallout. But rather than picking up speed, the plot crawls. Elissa struggles under alien rule on one of the moons, Darin bonds with his moonhound while learning magic, and Suriin works on controlling her powers. They all have potential, but their stories don’t really connect, and for most of the book, it feels like nothing significant happens.
The pacing is the main culprit. It’s practically at a standstill for long stretches. The book spends so much time on small, everyday details and repetitive scenes that the plot barely gets a chance to move. Even when things finally pick up near the end, it feels too little, too late.
The characters also didn’t do much to save the story. While there’s some charm - Darin’s moonhound, Star, is a highlight - the protagonists themselves feel flat. Their personal growth and struggles should’ve been the heart of the story, but instead, it’s like watching three separate, slightly dull movies that never quite come together.
That said, the world-building is impressive. You can tell Hannaford put a lot of thought into creating her universe, and for readers who love rich, detailed settings, this might hit the spot.
If you’re patient and enjoy slow, slice-of-life fantasy, Gates of Hope might work for you. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a slog - a lovingly crafted world where not enough actually happens.
OFFICIAL SPFBO RATING
3:00 AM | 
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Łukasz |
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