Ariel Kaplan uses elements of the fall of the Islamic states on the Iberian peninsula and Jewish myth to create a stunning world—and a stunning series opener—in The Pomegranate Gate. Our protagonists are forced to flee their homes when word comes that the Inquisition is coming to either force the Jewish people to convert or leave with only the clothes on their backs. Toba and Naftaly have barely been on the road a day when very strange things start to happen that change everything they thought they knew about the world. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series because this book ended with a hell of a cliffhanger. (Readers who dislike cliffhanger conclusions should wait until the whole series has been published.)

Toba and Naftaly trade duties narrating the events of The Pomegranate Gate. Toba, who grew up scholarly due to her inability to run or shout, falls through a magical gate on the first day of her family’s expulsion. She is rescued by a friendly, magical man who, for lack of anything better, takes her to his uncle’s castle. Barsilay is Toba’s guide to the world on the other side of the gates, although neither he nor his uncle Asmel are very generous with details. You’d think the pair of them would learn to better educate their unlikely house guest after witnessing her complete inability to stay quiet and out of the way. Toba unintentionally causes trouble wherever she goes. It would be more fun to watch if the folks on the other side of the gate weren’t so free to dole out death threats or make one-sided bargains with her. (It’s still pretty fun, though, with Barsilay’s snarky comments and Toba’s gift for exasperating Asmel.)

Our other narrator, Naftaly, is even more hapless than Toba. Where Toba is hampered by her curse (the reason why she can’t shout or run or work magic), Naftaly was clearly somewhere else when they were handing out street smarts. Luckily for him, Naftaly is taken under the wing of a homeless woman who knows her way around living on the road. Less luckily, his mentor can’t help him with his ability to walk around in people’s dreams. When Toba’s mother finds him after Toba goes missing, he is whisked into a series of schemes to try and get the young woman back from wherever she’s gone.

The Pomegranate Gate is brisk with plot and packed with fascinating characters. I would have enjoyed this book even without its rich world-building. The setting—which includes a dense history of political betrayals, original magic going awry more often than not, hints of fantastical creatures like the ziz, a small apocalypse, and much more—makes this book utterly outstanding. Fans of adventurous fantasy that defies all the usual tropes will be enraptured by The Pomegranate Gate. Here’s hoping book two arrives quickly and lives up to the promise of the first book.

When I was reading other reviews for this book, someone mentioned it had a Studio Ghibli feel and it absolutely does! If you enjoyed reading or watching Howl's Moving Castle, The Pomegranate Gate might just be your next favorite book.

What I loved most was the characters. Our main characters are Toba and Naftaly. Each thinks they are so worthless and problematic. Throughout the book you get to know each of them as they slowly begin to realize who they are, and how much they are really worth. The character love doesn't stop with them, though. We have two characters who are Maziks (magicians?) who help Toba figure out a new life for herself when she accidentally gets transported through the Pomegranate Gate. Another favorite character is "the old woman" who partners up with Naftaly and helps him cope with his strange new life, as well.

I don't want to say too much because the book has so many surprises and magical moments. If you are like me, you might find some of the politics in the book a little slow or confusing, but hang on because the magic comes right back!

It's been a couple of weeks now since I finished and I cannot stop thinking about and missing these characters. I hope I don't have to wait too long for the sequel.

If you like dream-like fantasy with lovable characters who will steal your heart, this is the book for you. Get ready to be transported to another world where everyone isn't quite what they seem.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Erewhon Books for a digital copy in return for my honest opinion.

DNF at 10% - look I tried to get into this but found the premise to be extremely confusing and I’ve read hundreds if not thousands of fantasy books at this point - I just had no idea where the author was going with the story and wasn’t intrigued enough to carry on

The blurb for this one sounded really cool and the cover is gorgeous, so it seems like a book I would love. Unfortunately, I have tried to get into this one multiple times and just can't make it stick, so I have to conclude that this particular book is just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Books and Ariel Kaplan for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I gave this book 4.5 stars out of 5. I loved this book! Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. This is the first book in the Mirror Realm Cycle and I am so excited to know that there is more to come. This first book is a Spanish Inquisition-era fantasy inspired by Jewish folklore. I really love reading fantasy based on folklore but have never read anything based on Jewish folklore and it was so magical!

We have two POV’s in the book. One is Toba. She can speak but not shout, sleep but not dream. She can write with both hands at once, in different languages, but she keeps her talents hidden at her grandparent’s behest. Then there is Naftaly. He sees things that aren’t real, and dreams things that are. Always the family disappointment, Naftaly would still risk his life to honor his father’s last wishes to protect a family heirloom book which he is told to never read. When Toba and Naftaly’s stories collide amid the chaos of the Jewish exodus amid the Inquisition, there is adventure in store in their realm and another! I fell in love with both of our MCs! I also adored the old woman who ended up traveling with Naftaly who I found to be hilarious in a dry dark humor way which is my favorite kind of humor.

Toba stumbles into the mirror realm of the Maziks, mythical immortals who have an inquisition of their own going on in their realm. I loved the Mazik characters Toba encountered and I was so drawn into their realm and wanted to know everything about it. The magic was enchanting! Naftaly ventures with Toba’s grandmother to find her and on the way they discover the secrets of the heritage of both families!

The end of the book absolutely gutted me in the best possible way. It was so poignant and somewhat sad yet hopeful. I need the next book ASAP! My only small complaint with this book was that there were so many characters in play by the end of the book that it was easy to get confused about what was going on. I had to reread several pages at a time to refresh who everyone was in my mind, mostly the numerous Mazik characters. However, it’s a wonderful book and I will be reading the next installment as soon as I can get my hands on it!

The Pomegranate Gate will be released on 9/26/23.

This book has a great story, and a lot of interesting characters.

Unfortunately, this book has really bad pacing, characters stuck in an area where they feel inconsequential for too long, and by fifty percent, I didn't care anymore. I was reading, but whatever was happening, went into the brain, and out immediately. The fact was, I was invested in a lot of things that kept happening, and then there would be too long of characters faffing around, and I'd stop caring, and be tempted to DNF, because this book dragged it's feet so badly.

So, yeah, interesting ideas, pacing completely destroyed it for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Erewhon for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Pomegranate Gate is a historical fantasy taking place in Spanish Inquisition-era Spain that blends Jewish folklore and history with portal fantasy. Though it got off to a slower start, and it took me a minute to find my groove, I really enjoyed this and thought that Kaplan’s storytelling was extremely well done and beautifully woven together.

Toba is hidden away by her grandparents and though she struggles to run or scream and cannot dream, she is immensely talented with languages and can write with both hands, meanwhile Naftaly dreams of strange people his father forbids him from talking about. The two of them are keepers of mysterious objects; Toba has a special amulet she must not take off and Naftaly protects a special book he is neither allowed to read nor open. When the Queen demands conversion, both Toba and Naftaly are forced to flee, but Toba accidentally crosses through a gate into a realm that is like hers and also is deeply different while Naftaly begins traveling with Toba’s grandmother and a nameless old woman in an attempt to return her to their world (and, also, leave the country to avoid persecution).

I really liked Kaplan’s prose and I thought the world building was very interesting—I loved the way that the Mazik realm was built and the politics of it were compelling. I thought both Toba’s and Naftaly’s stories were interesting and held my attention, and there are a couple of other POVs sprinkled throughout that were neat peeks into the world. I don’t know if I always loved the points where the POV changed, but I do think they made narrative sense. I found all of the main characters and major supporting characters to be fully realized. There are a couple of side/supporting characters that felt a little one-dimensional in comparison, but I think this is more because this is the start of a series and they have time to grow. (In particular I loved the old woman and Barsilay and I hope you do, too!!!)

I’m very interested in seeing where the rest of this series goes, and I’m impressed at the scope Kaplan has achieved. I really enjoyed the way she wrapped up some of these storylines while leaving off in a place that leaves you curious as to what happens next but satisfied that that’s the way the volume ends. I’m not a plot driven reader nor am I very good at theorizing while reading, but this book took me by surprise at so many points and it was delightful.

Kaplan tells a tale of diaspora and refugees, of hate and fear and politics in multiple realms, of finding yourself even as you're forced to the margins, and some real interesting side characters who are lurking under the surface of the narrative and are clearly biding their time for a future installment. Kaplan does an amazing job with the setting and rules of the magic worlds just adjacent to ours. This is set to continue, and I'm incredibly interested to see where the next entry goes. Pick this up for a unique fairy tale and for young protagonists finding their own way in a world that hates them for who they are.

This book was an interesting mix of Jewish folklore and history of the Spanish Inquisition. There was magic, a parallel world, and a rather large cast of characters.

This one wasn't really for me. I found it confusing, which made it hard to stay engaged in the storyline. I found the juxtaposition of the non-Mazik world against the Mazik world was not well explained. I'd have needed to understand more about how these two worlds coexist in order to really understand the story.

This book was by and large clean, though there was some violence and language.

I recieved an ARC from netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the first in a new series that mixes historical influence and Jewish inspired folklore against the back drop of a Spanish inquisition-esque setting. This epic portal fantasy is full of ancient magic, political intrigue, enjoyable characters, and a yearning romantic subplot. This book features a very atmospheric and lyrical style of writing that feels like you've stepped into the pages of one of Grimms original tales. It explores themes of power, oppression, and religious persecution. It will appeal to fans of the Daevabad trilogy, Ava Reid, and Studio Ghibli!

A captivating fantasy novel with enchanting world building, inspired by Jewish lore. Honestly, my only complaint is that I wish a map had been included-this was a very fun read and I can't wait to see Ariel Kaplan releases next.

A historical fantasy book, that draws on a rich tapestry of Inquisition era Jewish history.

The Queen has ordered that all Jews must convert or be exiled. Among those who must make the choice are Toba, a girl who has never been able to shout or run, and Naftaly, a boy with strange dreams and waking visions. While fleeing, Toba accidentally stumbles through a gate into the world of the Maziks, and right into the midst of a vicious battle for power. On the other side of the gate, Naftaly is determined to find her.

This book was breathtaking. Beautifully written, the world of the Maziks and the journey of Toba and Naftaly are both richly imagined and terrifying. The book draws on a rich cultural and historical tapestry, in a way that brings it to life.

The character development is also incredible. This is a book that thrives in the morally grey, at the edge of complex and difficult decisions. The relationships between the characters are also written beautifully.

Really looking forward to the next installment!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

The Pomegranate Gate is the first book in a Jewish fantasy series. This is a good start to the series and is filled with excellent characters and a stunning world. It is perfect for fans of The Winternight trilogy and The Daevabad trilogy, with court politics and rich folklore. There is a historical fantasy feel to the story that I think readers will love. While too much focus on history is not always my favorite, this book has enough whimsical world building to counteract that. I will say it definitely starts slow and can take a bit of time to fully get into, but by the end it is filled with action and moves along much faster.

I think my favorite thing about The Pomegranate Gate though were the characters though. Naftaly and Toba were such interesting characters to follow. The side characters are all incredibly unique as well, and I loved the found family aspect.

I will definitely be picking up the next book in the series once it comes out and I am very eager to continue the story and see what comes next!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an eARC of this book.

I was very interested when I read the blurb as I have not yet read anything about Jewish lore. But I think that added to my struggles with this book as most of the times I have no idea what a certain word meant. This book has put me in a slump and I have struggled to finish this for months.

The world is beautiful, and the plot has so much depth I’m sure other readers would find enjoyable. Some characters are also enjoyable, and I guessed who that prisoner was early on. But the pacing was so slow for my taste. The story picks up in the last few chapters but by then I was already struggling just to finish.

3.5/5

The Pomegranate Gate is an enchanting and engaging start to a thrilling fantasy series. The writing is beautiful, and the characters' relationships kept me hooked. The world-building is detailed, maybe a bit too much at times, but it adds depth to the story. It transported me to another realm full of magic and mystery. The plot is complex but rewarding, with satisfying subplots that kept me guessing. Although the pacing was slow at times, the gripping plot and twists made up for it. The alternating viewpoints of Toba and Naftaly are well-done, slowly revealing their growth. Naftaly's romance was touching, while Toba's felt a bit off. Overall, The Pomegranate Gate is a must-read for any fantasy lover, and I can't wait to see what thrilling adventures await in the rest of the series!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the eArc.

Full of fantastical whimsy and Jewish folklore - this book is great. Forgiving its slow start, it begins to pick up and I fell right for our MCs, Naftaly and Toba. With a lovely found family trope, this series is bound to be one that I will happily return to.

I found this to be in the same vein as Katherine Arden - so if you loved the Winternight Trilogy, definitely give this a shot. It feels like you're just floating along a lazy river of fantasy and fairy tales. Ariel Kaplan has a joyous, fluffy way with her writing that is unique and uplifting. A perfect blend of real history with fantastical elements that will leave the reader thinking about it for days and weeks after finishing.

The first adventure in the Mirror Realm Cycle, a Spanish Inquisition-era fantasy trilogy inspired by Jewish folklore, with echoes of Naomi Novik and Katherine Arden.


This was wildly and unexpectedly captivating

Thank you to netgalley for the free read

Thanks to Erewhon Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5/5

I adored this book. I saw a description that said it was Studio Ghibli-esque and I knew I had to read it. I am here to report that I think that’s an accurate description. It starts slowly and is very whimsical, and it really ramps up as it goes along. I loved all of the Jewish folklore that inspired this book, as well as the setting of the Spanish Inquisition which is an era I’ve never read a fantasy book set in.

I also found the Mazik (fae like people) to be a refreshing change to the standard fae type that we see in a lot of books these days. The most Ghibli-esque thing for me was the dream-related magic, which I thought really added to the whimsical quality of the whole story.

Can’t wait to read the next book. I’ll definitely be adding this one to my collection.

The Pomegranate Gate is truly a wonderful beginning to what is sure to be an enthralling and immersive Jewish fantasy trilogy. Set during the Spanish Inquisition, it follows the story of Naftaly and Toba as they traverse myth and legend and the magical court behind it all. As a portal fantasy, I loved the interwoven aspects of whimsical libraries and atmospheric courts and the nuanced, thoughtful investigation of identity and politics. Kaplan’s writing is both incredibly beautiful and wholly captivating and will really appeal to readers who enjoy their fantasy to come with a side of gorgeous prose. Although the pacing is slightly on the slower end (which I personally love) it didn’t take long to suck me in and I read the entirely of it in two sittings, as I didn’t want to leave Kaplan’s gorgeous world and personable characters.

Both Toba and Naftaly were wonderfully endearing, the secondary characters even more so. Yay, found family! Although the romance only began to develop in the latter half of the novel it was so beautifully done I am *still* thinking about some of the gorgeous bits of yearning between the characters.

Overall, The Pomegranate Gate is everything I like in a book. Historically influenced that delves deeply into politics and identity, a romantic subplot full of yearning, whimsically poetic writing and deeply atmospheric. It will appeal to fans of Strange the Dreamer, The Starless Sea and the Daevabad trilogy. Needless to say I am absolutely desperate for the next instalment!

3.5 stars rounded down. I wanted to love this book, and I try to support any Jewish fantasy books on principle, but this book dragged on without an end in sight. The pomegranate gate had a list of elements that would be good, but the execution was not the best.

Things I did like:
-The characters felt real and very Jewish in their interactions. I especially loved Toba Bet and the Old Woman. Naftaly is a character that grows on you and will blossom in future books. Overall the relationships were interesting and realistic
-The intricate world-building and magic system. I wish there were more details on and explained about Maziks and their world. Are they like Fae?
-The weaving together of Jewish folklore and realistic religious persecution

Things that I think could have been improved:
-THE PACING. It was so slow, and reading this book took me a long time. There was so no reason why this book was so long and slow, especially in the beginning
-Some of the plot points were confusing, and things just sort of happened
-The romance of one of the pairs felt a bit rushed

Overall I am a little sad because I wanted to LOVE this book, and because of the pacing and beginning, I probably won't be reading the next one in the series.