How many of
us as children dreamed of being something greater than our circumstances? How many dreamed, though insignificant and often
unloved, of making a difference in this big world; leaving a mark that will
inspire many generations to come? I’d
like to say many of us have had that dream, but that’s just not true. There are only a few. Because to dream like that is to be willing
to dedicate a life in fulfilling that mandate, and to be quite honest, not many
people have the dedication and fortitude to see such visions to the end. But in Beyond the Tempest Gate by Jeff
Suwak, that’s exactly what Gabriel Aterias accomplishes.
Born to a
poor and neglectful pig farmer, Gabriel has no prospects of a glorious future,
not even a comfortable one, but that doesn’t stop him from believing the story
of a prophesied Holy Knight from the Church of Dunrabian who will rise up and
defeat the evil demon, Elezear. Gabriel does more than believe, he pursues this
calling with pure dedication and doesn’t allow anything to stop him, not even a
protective elemental barrier guarding the demon and the island it habitats,
called the Tempest Gate.
This story
touched my heart, pulled on the hope I once had as child, but then caused me to
peer into a mirror and question whether the quests I’ve ventured have been my
true calling or had I deceived myself into believing a lie. Not many stories touch my soul. Not many
writers would I call a true word weaver.
Beyond the Tempest Gate and author Jeff Suwak encompasses them
both. The language and illustrations in this must read are beautiful and
poetic.
Till next
time,
~T.L. Gray
Book Description
From the time he was a young boy, Gabriel Aterias knew he was destined to rise from the peasantry and become the Holy Knight of the Church of Dunrabian. By the time he was twenty four years old, he had already led the Church’s armies to greater victories than any other man in history. Yet, his greatest feat still lay ahead of him.
Beyond the elemental barrier of the Tempest Gate lurks the demon Elezear. An evil older than the world itself, it nearly eradicated the human race once before. For five hundred years, the people of the Five Kingdoms have slept uneasily, praying that the creature would not escape the walls of storm that confined it.
Gabriel vows to destroy the demon. His quest will take him far beyond the borders of civilization, across the ocean, and into unimaginable darkness. What he will soon discover is that the greatest danger in his quest to save the world may very well be the loss of his own soul.
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