Listening at the Gate (review)
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The sequel to the two prior fantasy titles in the Seeker Chronicles (Long Night Dance and Dark Heart) reintroduces Kat, who ran away from home after her emotionally distant father tried to use her as a marriageable pawn in an attempt to improve his social standing. Now seventeen, she is eager to return home, since she is still in love with Nall (whom she left behind when she escaped) and is ready to face her childhood demons. In her absence, however, a cruel overlord has destroyed most of the good things she remembers from home, and a fierce war is brewing between the beleaguered townsfolk and the power-hungry minions of the overlord. There is also a threat from a mysterious third group of people known as the Rigi, who seceded years ago and blame their devastating new illness on the townspeople. As in the previous novels, the main focus is on intensive personality development, which results in complex and interesting characters. Unfortunately, this emphasis also means that the action often takes a backseat to introspective monologues on nothingness, belonging, and destiny. The third in the series reads more like a companion novel than a sequel, as many of the earlier events (Kat's coming-of-age ritual, the reasons for her escape) are not only mentioned but revisited in depth. The result is a poetic, dreamy, and languorous fantasy that may captivate patient readers; prior fans won't mind diving back into this elaborate world and will appreciate the long-awaited romantic connection between the two main characters.
