The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan

Pages: 512 

Publisher: Solaris 

Released: 20th of July 2023 

Two worlds bound by a pomegranate gate...

Toba Peres can speak but she can’t shout; she can walk but she can’t run; and she can write in five languages… with both hands at the same time.

Naftaly Cresques dreams every night of an orange-eyed stranger; when awake, he sees things that aren’t real; and he carries a book he can never lose and never read.

When the Queen of Sefarad orders all the nation’s Jews to leave or convert, Toba and Naftaly are forced to flee, but an unlucky encounter leaves them both separated from their caravan. Lost in the wilderness, Toba follows an orange-eyed stranger through a mysterious gate in a pomegranate grove, leaving Naftaly behind.

With a single step, Toba enters an ancient world that mirrors her own. There, she finds that her fate—and Naftaly’s—are bound to an ancient conflict threatening to destroy both realms.

What I Have to Say 

This book was so wonderfully Jewish. I liked especially how the characters weren't just said to be Jewish and then move on with the plot, they actually kept to the Jewish traditions. It was also based on Jewish mythology. As someone with Jewish ancestry, it was nice to see these characters and imagine what it would have been like for my family at the time. 

I preferred the bits with Toba more than the Naftaly bits. Both had their ups and down but I liked exploring the Mazik world. I also just liked Toba more as a character. She was more interesting to me, whereas Naftaly I only really found interesting when he was dreaming. 

All in all, I just really enjoyed this book. It was well written and the characters were great. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy. 

4 stars 

My thanks goes to Solaris and Netgalley for providing me with this copy for review.