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.

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.