This one took me a minute to get into, but once I got into it, I was very invested. I loved having an urban fantasy with queer presentation that is set in San Francisco with Japanese and Chinese culture/mythology. Emiko was incredibly badass, making her such a fun FMC to read about. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I'm very excited for the next book,

4/5 stars!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

Couldnt really get into this book sadly. Might give it another chance in the future, since a good friend really loved this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Neat magic system, seamless writing between both authors and POVs, family politics and drama. Lots to enjoy here.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

If you're on the hunt for your next book with dynamic characters, full of action, sword swinging, family politics and an intriguing magic system, EBONY GATE is one for you.

The story follows Emiko Soong, the retired Butcher of Beijing, from one of the eight premier magical families of the world. While Emiko just wants to retire in peace, she finds herself being pulled back into family drama when an old blood debt is called in.

I enjoyed how the culture and love of San Francisco’s Chinatown was woven into the novel, it felt reminiscent of NK Jemisin’s ’The City We Became’. As I read I was continually impressed with how smoothly it was written for two separate authors coming together to write a novel that is not split up into different point of views. Although at times I did crave less on Emiko’s lack of talent and more understanding of the world as a whole, some key backstory felt missing but hopefully this is all to come in book two. But seeing how the whole book took place within 2 days, an awful lot happened and we met a bunch of great side characters, Fiona and Kamon in particular and was that a hint of romance to come?

As always I read along with the audiobook which was narrated by one of my favourites Natalie Naudus so I highly recommend audio lovers to check that out.

3.5⭐

This was a great read! I struggled at times with the setting, but that has more to do with urban fantasy settings and me than the author's writing style and abilities (I find it easier to suspend reality in brand-new, never-before-seen settings rather than real-life settings). The characters were relatable and felt realistic, the action was epic, and the magic system was really fun. I hope there will be future installments because I'm already eager to revisit the characters and find out what happens next!

Book Summary:

Emiko Soong was born into one of the eight magical families of the world. That said, her life has been anything but ordinary – even by their standards. She once walked the path of the Blade (of the Soong Clan). Now, she walks her own path in life.

Well, mostly. As it turns out, when a blood debt is called against her family, even Emiko can't ignore it. So now she must find the missing Ebony Gate anchor, or else ghosts will take over San Francisco. Hardly ideal.

My Review:

Okay, can somebody please explain to me why I didn't read Ebony Gate sooner? This book is AMAZING! No, seriously, if you're craving a solid urban fantasy series to dive into, this is the one. I promise.

Ebony Gate has been described as a female John Wick story with dragons. The former didn't catch/hold my attention, as I haven't seen the movies (don't kill me – I don't want to see what happens to the dog). However, the dragon's promise tempted me.

I am so glad I gave this series a try. It has a similar vibe to the Kate Daniels series (one of my all-time favorite series). Mostly because Emiko is also a badass and stubborn heroine. Admittedly, the comparison ends there because both series are incredibly unique in their own rights.

There's so much to love about this book: the world, the characters, the magical system, and the intrigue. Wait, did I say intrigue? You bet! Even in this first book of the series, you can tell that there's a lot Emiko is holding back. Likewise, I'm certain there's much about her family that she doesn't yet know. I can't wait to follow this series (Phoenix Hoard) and learn more.

Highlights:
Urban Fantasy
Dragons!
Kate Daniels vibes
Pitched as Female John Wick

A delightful introduction to the Phoenix Hoard urban fantasy series -- I am excited for the continued adventures of reluctant Sentinel Emiko Soong and her squad! (Yes, especially Bao!)

"Ebony Gate" follows Emiko Soong, the former Butcher of Beijing who is dragged back into the underworld of the eight dragon families when the Ebony Gate is stolen. Emiko must find the Ebony Gate in order to save her city and her soul. I thought that the plot line of this story was well paced and generally exciting. Vee and Bebelle do well at crafting a world which feels lived in and describing the various factions and families within their world. I enjoyed each of the characters we met and the ways in which Emiko interacting with them. That said, I would have like a bit more time to explore the different characters and Emiko's relationship. Within the story this does make some sense as Emiko is a standoffish person, but as I learned about the people around her I found myself wanting to now more and more. Overall this was a fun adventurous read and I look forward to more in this world and with these characters.

Thank you to B2 Weird for including me on the tour, and Tor Books for a finished copy in exchange for promotion and an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This urban fantasy novel follows Emiko Soong who has escaped her bloody and traumatic past to live a quiet life as an antiques importer in San Francisco, California. When a god of death calls in a family death, Emiko has no choice but to answer. The shinigami commands her to find and restore the Ebony Gate, which holds back ghosts from the world of the living. Emiko will have to use everything at her disposal to bring back the gate and it’s legendary anchor or forfeit her own soul.

Y’all this book is wild!! It does not stop and I loved every second of it. If you were to take the Jon Wick movies and give them a better plot than just violence, soak it in Asian mythology and folktales (I remember Japanese and Chinese to be specific), and make the MC a woman, you would have this book. I enjoyed the Jon Wick movies to be clear, but this was so much better! This book isn’t a heist but it definitely has that high stakes, we must recover this object feeling.

I really loved Emiko’s character. She was compelling and while I wanted to shake her at times for her stubbornness, the reluctant hero vibes really worked for me. Emiko grows a lot in this story too. We see her go from a very closed off person, to someone who is starting to realize how many people depend and count on her to be there for them. We see her slowly begin to take down her high internal walls and I can’t wait to see this continue in the sequel. While there are two men I would say could possibly be a romantic interest for Emiko, there really isn’t romance in this book and I loved it for that! I would love to see Emiko eventually get to a place where she feels safe to trust someone like that, but she’s definitely not there yet. Also a 48 hour countdown to your possible eternal death is not the best time to start kissing people lol.

Overall, I cannot recommend this one enough and I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Rep: Japanese-Chinese cishet female MC with PTSD, various BIPOC side characters, sapphic side couple.

This book had SUCH a cool concept but I struggled with the writing/editing and understanding the worldbuilding.

Why isn't anyone talking about this book? It has everything---a badass main character, action, and magic! The idea of cities having their own magic was cool, but what REALLY had me were the action scenes. They were some of the best I've read in a long time. In the end, I was left with a lot of questions, but I assume that's because this is the first book and the setup for something more to come. All in all, a really solid story!

A worthy and fun addition to the urban fantasy shelf! Vee & Bebelle take great joy in writing a coming-out-of-retirement story rooted in an intimate knowledge of San Francisco and Asian culture in California. It's a strong series opener, if at times a bit over-stuffed -- but they're aiming for a trilogy instead of an open-ended series, so I get it. It's fantastically rich and a total blast for summer reading, and I look forward to the next book!

Reading this reminded me of how much I love Urban Fantasy as a sub genre. My first thought after finishing this was is this going to be a series? Because I am going to need a lot more!

I liked the premise of this with Emiko minding her business and trying to overcome her reputation as the butcher of Beijing (Doesn’t help that she stills walks around strapped with the sword though lol), even as events and politics strive to draw her back in.

The world building is really interesting - I love everything dragon related but in this scenario the characters draw on their powers and have dragon like traits as opposed to seeing actual dragons. Character development is mainly focused on Emiko in this first book but there are some minor players (Kamon, Fiona, Popo, Uncle Jimmy) that I really want to delve into as well as some almost completely absent ones that I’m dying to see in action (Emiko’s parents). I also love thatSan Francisco as a city is also a character and has its own powers and relationship with Emiko.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about her talents and I want to see how that unfolds going forward. She’s not the sharpest mind and has no head for cunning and politics but Emiko is a very interesting badass character that carries the book. Can’t wait for the next one.

I wanted to enjoy this so much more than I did.

I enjoyed Emiko's character. She's like Kate Daniels in terms of sass and power and swordplay. I enjoyed the concept of the world created.

I just...did not enjoy the writing style. There was so much repetition and the use of filler words (nearly, almost) jumped out at me in a bad way, and I felt like a lot of the information was pounded into me instead of shown. Which is how a lot of first books in urban fantasies are. Plus the plot was messier than it needed to be, with lots of convenient moments where Emiko fell just short of the goal in order to draw out the plot, and the potential for a love triangle?

But this was an interesting first book in a new urban fantasy series, and I did enjoy it.

It was like Kate Daniels meets The City We Became with a dash of Jade City (in terms of powers, not plot or characterization or culture—and fewer extra-dimensional tentacles).

This was a highly anticipated book for me and it really delivered! I loved the world building and loved Emiko and her badassery so much. The story kept me engaged and especially loved the fight scenes, super cinematic! It was fun to read a book in a city I'm so familiar with that made me feel like some of these events could be happening now under my nose. There were a few questions and nuggets of information that weren't answered for me, but I'm hoping that means we get more in the next book and more of a background on Emiko, especially with info about her expulsion from school. All-in-all this was quite an enjoyable book and would definitely recommend. Can't wait for the next book!

This book was amazing! Thank you Ken for sending me an arc to read and review. Excited to see you at Third Place Books on the 12th. My review is going to be a long one because I have a lot of thoughts on it! The book is amazing and I can't wait for the next one.

Ebony Gate has been compared to John Wick and Doctor Strange, and I can see why. If you enjoyed those movies I think you'll like this book. It also reminds me of the Yakuza games as well, just with magic added.

I loved Emiko from the beginning; she's a great character to follow. She is a hero that is a little depressed and has had a lot of trauma in her life. Emiko is strong-willed, witty, relatable, intelligent, courageous, and kind. She is a little self deprecating though, which I think is relatable to a lot of us.

The only critiques I have for the book would be that there is a lot to learn in the first couple hundred pages, and that there is a little oversharing of details. I wish there was a glossary of terms, a list of whose in which clan and of the different powers and monsters. But that's not a big deal because I can make a list for myself. There are at times, especially in the beginning of the story, more details written than needed. It could have been condensed. But it was also nice having that extra time to see Emiko's day to day life when she's not fighting people or monsters.

After the first couple hundred pages the book really picks up the pace and sucks you in. I was hooked from the first line of the book, but I love once the story really gets going. I wrote down a list of terms, monsters and powers. The world Ken and Julia created is complex and beautiful. I haven't been to San Francisco, but I felt like I was there through the stunning imagery. I haven't read a story like this before, it was intriguing, unique and kept me flipping the pages. I loved learning about the magic system, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

A bit of mixed opinions on this one.

The story and setting were great, but the pacing and flow needs some work. The urban San Francisco setting was fascinating and and the Chinatown setting felt very authentic.

The plot a bit flimsy at time and characterization needs some work. The MC was introduced as some kind of badass "Butcher if Beijing" but we very rarely see that persona in the book, esp in earlier stages, MC mostly felt like a newbie learning the ropes rather than someone who inspires fear and awe befitting that title.

The pacing also needs work. It takes a backseat to world building. Per se, that's not bad, however it still drags the story progression greatly. The MC is strong, but I'd have more instances of demonstration of that strength esp in views of fellow characters rather than some odd non consequence fights.

A good read, that I felt has a lot of potential. I'd be following the authors for their next read.

Thank you @b2weird for setting up this book tour with Torbooks for Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle's "Ebony Gate."

What is the worst part about San Francisco? The traffic, housing costs, or the machinations death gods and magical families? We dive into a present day fantasy following Emiko Soong, The Butcher of Beijing. As she tries to help with her antique import business... Except a Shinigami calls in a favor from her family that she has to pay, and failure to complete the task means loss of her soul.

I was going back and forth between the book and the audio, thanks Netgalley. And I loved Natalie Naudus in this one. From Emiko's inner to outer snark, threats, and being a little thirsty at irresponsible moments it must have been a blast to voice.

Reasons to read:
-Fantastic worldbuilding
-The historical events explained by magical occurrences
-Emiko is just fun
-The swagger
-Fun side characters
-Great action
-Looking forward to the next one

Cons:
-She definitely could have put the roots through that guy's foot to stop him

Ebony Gate is the story of Emiko Soong, the previous Blade of her clan, just trying to live a mostly normal life in San Francisco. Emiko does not have magic like the rest of her family and the seven other clans, and has struggled with that difference. Emiko is endearing and does not make friends easily. Paired with an interesting premise, this book was one of my highly anticipated releases for 2023.
The beginning of the book felt slow, with a bit of information overload. After that, it was almost nonstop action. While fun, the pacing felt off at times, but did not ruin the story. The fight scenes were excellent, too. I will say that the interwoven mixture of Asian mythology and culture was confusing at times, while I kept trying to recall which was currently in reference and how that related to Emiko and the story.
Overall, I'm intrigued enough to definitely pick up the next book, but was a little underwhelmed overall. Book one ends with some unanswered questions that I'm looking forward to seeing addressed in the next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor/Forge for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.