Very Solid. ( )

I loved the premise of this book. Two friends, racing to stop the ultimate evil from entering the world. A setup for a globe (and realm) trotting adventure. My biggest issues were the character development was a bit uneven and the pacing was too. Overall enjoyed the story, and with a little more work this could easily be a four or five star book. ( )

Aaron is an ordinary college student who takes a job at a funeral parlor to help pay for school. There he meets Kyle, who turns out to be one of the walking dead and also a reaper. Together they must police the underworld and protect the gate between worlds. Of course nothing about this newfound job of gatekeeping is easy and Aaron and Kyle find themselves facing off with the Lord of the Damned in an effort to save humanity.
I thought this was a pretty good read, it was quick and fun and I enjoyed the story. I didn't fully connect with all of the characters, perhaps that could be improved with some more in depth character development. I also thought it was a bit rushed at times. All in all a good read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via the Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Reaper: Book One of the Gatekeepers has plenty of elements that should have kept my interest. It's not that the intended audience is teens and I'm 65. Today I read two of Phoebe Rivers' Saranormal books, which are set in middle school, and I could hardly put them down. I like the premise. I like the action. I appreciate the appendices and character list. I also appreciate the number of female characters who aren't damsels in distress.

Where this book failed to capture me was in its characters. The only one who came alive for me was Lilith, who is in only one chapter. Aaron Argent, Kyle Diselberg, and Alicia don't do anything for me. I rather liked Violet the librarian, but she's a supporting character.

Do I think that fantasy, horror, and adventure-loving adolescents will like this book? Yes. I can't recommend it unreservedly for older readers, though. ( )

The book is about a supernatural battle that takes place in the underworld and real world. There's this dark powerful being that wants to rule over everything. It's up to this group of supernatural beings to try and stop him. I really enjoyed the book and thought it was really interesting. I would have liked though to learn more about what Kind of training the characters Aaron and Kyle went through in order to become gatekeepers. I also thought that it went a little too soon from the newly trained gatekeepers to facing off with the dark sorcerer. ( )