I liked the action. I loved the setting. I did find the magic system confusing and the writing didn't flow well at times but overall enjoyed the plot.

Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle start an Urban fantasy in which magic users are descendents of humans who lived in a dragon realm.Emiko Soong, born without special powers, she thought, was the blade for her Japanese family until she let her sword get out of hand and committed a massacre. She broke her ancient blade and fled to San Francisco living a quiet life mostly in the Mundane world. Now, because of a promise made to her mother, she has to help a death god recover the Ebony Gate (hard from TOR) which magically blocks the gate to hell. If she can’t she will be frozen into a statue to serve the same purpose. The two clans of San Francisco are under a truce and one of them is responsible for the theft. This is a solid hero’s quest of a tale, far better than the usual Urban Fantasy. I look forward to Emiko’s next adventure.

This one was a little hard to get into with the large amount of world building at the top, but ended up being a good read! I enjoyed the action and the magic system a lot.

Emiko Soong's journey in San Francisco had me into the story from page one.

Searching for the Ebony Stone to prevent the gates of the underworld opening puts real stakes in a world that's already balancing on a delicate knife's edge. The sweeping world feels grand in scale despite so much being small. It's intimate but expansive. It feels personal.

How Emiko's past creeps in, the companions she makes, the magic system and the writing are all amazing. I especially love the mythological and folklore and religious theme tie in the magic system that really grounds it. Emiko feels like a well-rounded character with strengths and weaknesses that come through in her story. Her arc feels natural and woven in with the beautiful use of mythology and cultural experiences. She's an unwilling hero in some ways, and she shows that there are differences between living and surviving.

This is a series I think deserves some more hype. It has the potentiual to stand out in urban fantasy among some of the other greats. I can't wait to see where it goes next!

If urban fantasy is your jam, I would highly suggest picking up <I>Ebony Gate</I> - think Kate Daniels or Jim Butcher. With a mysterious theft, clan debts being called in for payment, death gods, and a healthy dose of magical sword fights this book definitely keeps you on your toes. The San Francisco setting gave me a new appreciation for relearning a city again as well. Personally, one of my favorites parts was Emiko’s love of weaponry and the occasional sword discussion.

Overall, a fun romp that I can see being an exciting series. While there are plenty of details to absorb the plot isn’t especially intricate, so go ahead and plan on tearing through it if you like action packed reads.

Julia Vee and Ken Bebelle create a magical story intertwined with element of Asian culture and folklore. The story features Emiko Soong. As a member of one of the top magical families, she relies on her weapon as the family’s Blade. When she is discovered covered in blood and surrounded by bodies in a Chinese Market, her life as a warrior is ended. This means a move to San Francisco, a change in profession and a quitter life, or so it seems. A god of death who calls in a family debt approaches her. She must find the Ebony Gate and hold back the ghosts of the underworld or give up her soul.

Ebony Gate is the first book in a series. As with most books of its type, there is a lot of character and world building. As a result, the pacing can run a little slow at various points in the book. This can distract from the overall engagement of the story, especially since the entirety of it takes place over a few days. Emiko’s background story is interesting. She is a strong character with a past and a talent that she has yet to explore. The magic system that the author’s create is rich and imaginative. The world building also has a lot of potential and I look forward to its further development over subsequent books in the series.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve done a tour with B2Weird, and I almost talked myself out of joining this one because I didn’t feel like I had time. I’m glad a little birdie hyped me up to join. (Thanks, @lexijava!)

I will admit the book started a bit slow for me. But when it picked up, my word did it ever! Emiko has a past that has not only caught up with her but is one she must reconcile with. Earning the nickname, The Butcher, Emiko must fight for her survival and fulfill the blood debt to the death god.

This was a journey! Emiko, alone, is a fascinating character, but the characters we meet along the way are interesting. Emiko is such a dynamic and complex character, and I enjoyed her interactions with the characters, and she’s different with each character. Her character arc was phenomenal and well done.

The writing is well done, although it was a bit of a slow start for me. The authors created an intriguing magic system I would love to learn more about. The story left some unanswered questions for me, but as this is book one of a trilogy, I suspect those questions will get answered soon. I’m so glad I was added to this tour. This was amazing!

Emiko Soong has exiled herself in San Francisco for the past two years trying to figure out a place for herself when part of her past comes calling. Sugiwara, a shinigami or god of death, calls in a Talon token from Emiko's mother. Emiko has until the full moon to find the missing Ebony Stone and its anchor stone before ghosts and the undead come sweeping out of Yomi - the underworld. Emiko will need to find power and allies as she traces the missing gate and confronts the thieves and her own past. An interesting urban fantasy filled with hidden magic and action. It will be interesting to see what a sequel may offer!

Thanks Tor and Netgalley for the chance to read this title!

As a start to a series I would call Ebony Gate a fairly average beginning- the magic system is really interesting and well established, the main character isn't particularly unique but she is likeable and fun to follow, and the urban setting lays the groundwork for some pretty interesting world building. It has the start of what can easily become a really fun and engaging series, and since it is the first book a lot of what didn't land with me are things I could overlook as I'm sure the authors will be able to hone their craft even more as the series goes on. My main cons with the book has to do with the writing itself (which again I'm sure will improve as more books come out) which in the very beginning comes off as slightly expository and pretty heavy handed and repetitive throughout all of the book. There is one particular bit of information that the main character, Emiko, repeats over and over and over throughout the book that it honestly starts to get kind of annoying as it becomes very obvious very quickly what the authors want to do with it as the series goes on. I would have much preferred if this bit of info was mentioned more sparingly as it isn't exactly something the reader would forget due to how intrinsic it is to Emiko's character and her past. Aside from that, I found that to me at least, the plot was pretty predictable and obvious from the moment it was introduced to the story, I still very much enjoyed it but I just wish there was more of a mystery to it in order to add some suspense to the story. That being said, this book has plenty of pros that I really enjoyed- Emiko was a fun character and I loved how strong, loyal, kind, and determined she is, I also really appreciated how her skills aren't just her grandstanding and thinking about how she COULD do all these badass things, but ones that we actually see her employ to prove how capable and badass she is. I also really appreciated the focus on her relationship with the people around her and her love for the city she lives in, this protective care lends believability to her actions throughout the book and made her feel more well rounded. Even though this book wasn't a 5/5 for me, I still found myself enjoying it more often than not and I'm excited to see the world and story develop within the following books.

DNF @ 25%

I was very disappointed that at this was not the book for me. The pacing was off and it did feel like a lot of the book could have been trimmed out. The writing style felt unfinished and awkward in places.

I did love all of the details of the world that the authors created - the culture and magic especially.

Yea this was OK. Didn't quite grab me as much as i wanted but i liked it and know who it will grab. Thanks

This was a great read from start to finish. Loved the urban fantasy setting of San Francisco. Loved the Japanese folkloric elements that was the backbone of the world building.
Our FMC, Emiko, was a badass, who was struggling with finding her path once again after choosing to sever ties with her old life and the consequences of that decision. She finds herself answering a talon call that her family owes to a death God, and has to find a gate before the ghosts of the underworld take over the city.
There were frequent actions scenes on page that were immersive, and showed that our FMC was not infallible, which I appreciated.
There is also found family in this story and I loved that for Emiko, because she needed that support.
A really enjoyable story.

An unfortunate DNF @ 45%. I really wanted to love this title - the premise had such promise but neither the plot or the characters really held my attention. I don't sense any tension or sense of urgency that the plot should be giving. I'll be keeping an eye on the author's and their future projects but I need to put this one down.

Enriching and captivating - this book doesn't get enough attention because it's truly a complex novel that explores duty and honor through a rich Asian inspired community. Tradition is explored, questioned, and challenged that is set against an army of the dead. Emiko was so fascinating to read about and I loved following her journey to redefine her role for herself but also for those around her. She was truly such a badass.

I absolutely LOVED this book. The world was so fascinating and I totally binged it in a day. So unique, the writing was smooth and it held my attention. Highly recommend!!!

‘Ebony Gate’ is a good story with a slow start and long ending. This is a case where I liked the first one just fine but I think the second one will be much better and allow the authors to hit their stride.

This is marketed as a female John Wick series, and while I do see that, I think my number one comparison for ‘Ebony Gate’ is the Witcher Series. Though definitely urban fantasy instead of ‘high’ fantasy, there’s similar themes and tropes, if you’re a fan of those books you will definitely like this!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ebony Gate is a ride that borders on Young Adult, New Adult. I found it a touch too violent at times, but I couldn't tell if that was what actually bothered me or the constant recycling of inner monologues. Blade, Butcher, Sentinel etc I'm pretty sure I had gotten that Emiko had left the life and was in SanFran by the 3rd time she has whole pages of reflection on it.

I love how Emiko is a strong female character. She is AMAZING. What's not so amazing is that we have 3-4 possible love interests in just the first book. I felt like I was getting whiplash from all the emotions Emiko was doing whenever Adam, Freddie, or Kamon were in the vicinity. I also felt that when we are introduced to the twins, Emiko is far to quick to be impressed with Freddie. It's weak characterization if we are going to develop the male twin, while the female twin is still referred to at the end as pristine, fashionable, and immaculate. It felt a little gross, if I'm honest.

The pacing was also wonky. I must've missed it - I couldn't seem to understand why there was no urgency happening. Where parts were fast and exciting, others dragged. As such, while I enjoyed how unique the story was, I just am not a fan of other things. A solid 4 stars for a read I wanted to love and just ended up liking.

Thank you to the publisher, the authors and Netgalley for allowing me to preview an ARC of Ebony Gate. The above are my honest thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and Tor for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ebony Gate is marketed as a female version John Wick story.

There are eight premier magical families in the world and our main character Emiko Soong belongs to one of them. She was once upon the Blade of the Soong Clan and never needed any magic, but that all changes when she finds herself drenched in blood, surrounded by bodies, and the scent of blood as well as human waste while she is in the middle of a market located in China. Now, she is living in San Francisco living a quiet life and is trading antiques. But that quiet life she has been living ends up being uprooted by a Shinigami, which is a god of death and it calls upon Emiko for a family blood debt. Emiko must recover the Ebony Gate, which just happens to hold back the lovely, hungry ghosts of the Yomi Underworld and if she does not recover it, then life will suck because she will have to forfeit her soul to be the anchor. Oh, and the catch: she has about a day to complete the task.

It really has been a while since I have delved into an amazing and unique fantasy world that brims with intrigue and some awesome magic. While yes, this is a contemporary fantasy world, I still really enjoyed exploring it and for real it has been a while since I have been in a contemporary world...now, I just need to get back into the epic/high fantasy worlds as well, but baby steps.

For a side note: I do not know anything about John Wick so I cannot comment about the comparisons.

I am going to start off with what did not work for me:
My biggest issue with Ebony Gate was that it suffered from pacing issues. The beginning had somewhat of a slow start, but it quickly picked up and I became very intrigued with what the Ebony Gate was, the Yomi Underworld, the magic system, and the Shinigami. But, during the last quarter of the book, I felt it struggled from pacing issues once again and I was to the point where I was ready to be done with this book because that portion of it was dragging. This why I gave Ebony Gate a 4 star rating.

What worked for me:
I loved that Emiko feels like a real person with flaws and being exhausted like most of us adults are. She is really fleshed out as a character and has great character development as the story progresses. I love seeing her reluctant about having to go about this task and being pretty annoyed that this has been dealt to her, but even more annoyed about there being a deadline attached to the task.
The magic system was definitely unique, and I loved learning about the families with their magical abilities/being descendant from the Eight Sons of the Dragon.
Also, I enjoyed the immersion of Asian culture due to it highly influencing the world building.

You will love this book if you love these tropes:
-Reluctant Hero
-The Quest

When reading Ebony Gate, I kept thinking of Jade City by Fonda Lee because of the politics, magic, and then the Asian culture. I am just going to say if you loved Jade City, then I think you'll enjoy this book.

I really enjoyed the world of this book! In fact, that might be the strongest part of the book for me - the San Francisco created and the magic underbelly felt very planned and realistic, and is something the authors have clearly spent time in developing. The different Clans and how they interact with each other, as well as the overarching impact of the different family branches and the rich histories they had were fun to dive into and read about and gave the book an extra flavour. There was a lot of world building thrown at you in the book - start to end really - but particularly at the start it was hard going to get my mindset into the histories and politics. It’s not dumbed down and explained in great detail, so the book expects you to catch up and update your understanding as you go rather than have a rock solid understanding of the plot and mythology from the beginning. Similarly, there is a lot of characters and background information given to you at nearly all points in the story, and it is keep up or drown really. The book felt Ilona Andrews like in its reading - there was very little overly flowery prose and read fairly straight to the point. The Japanese inspiration and mythology included in the book was very interesting and fun to read about, and I enjoyed that it was dumbed down or overly explained for an audience that might not be as familiar with it.
I enjoyed Emiko as a main character and enjoyed her perspective. She was slightly harder to connect to at the beginnng of the book, but this fit into her character at that point and how she is traumatised and closed off after the actions she took that led her to being the Butcher of Beijing. The world she comes from is cut-throat and unsentimental and we feel that in her character until she is forced to open up to others, and she then realised she has been making friends and allies despite herself. The only thing that frustrated me about Emiko was her inability to evaluate her own power objectively - it was fairly obvious where the story was going in terms of her power and role, and I hate being that far ahead of my protagonist! I do like the mystery of her mother and the talon, and I do want to see where the family history and secrets bring the story once she returns for her brother’s tourney.
For me, the biggest issues with the book was the pacing and timeline. We are given a fairly tight deadline and throughout the book it didn’t feel real or pressing - Emiko takes multiple side tracks and all these different side plots are introduced and the time spend on these means that the deadline loses all meaning for the story. In the same vein, it feels like Kamon and Adam are added in a ‘she must have multiple love interests and choices’ tick the box exercise rather than as organic characters that can stand alone. I’m hoping throughout the rest of the series we see these characters fleshed out into more than ex or potential love interest.
Overall this was a good read with some minor issues with pacing and some writting choices, but I’m very interested in reading the next in the series and will be adding it to my list!

It is a fun and enjoyable read. The Asian vibe fantasy inspired is good. Though I somewhat little dislike the futuristic vibe more than the classical vibe of the setting of the story is but otherwise, the characters and world-building are good.