Thank you to NetGalley and Rebellion Publishing for the ARC. All thoughts are my own and I wasn’t paid to write this review.

I first heard about this book from a Booktuber, and thought it sounded like something I would enjoy. I have to say, I did enjoy it. It’s was amazing. The Jewish representation, the world building, the characters, the premise, the writing. All of it was absolutely perfect in my mind and this is easily one of my favourite books of 2024, I am so excited to read the sequel and continue the adventure.

This was a wonderful book, honestly like nothing I have ever read before. Filled with intersectional communities such as religious and otherwise as well as the unique world of maziks this was filled with jewish folklore and the worldbuilding was absolutely unreal. In the human realm, our main characters face religious persecution and familial losses for simply being jewish, and in the realm of the maziks through the gate there is an unknown amount of years worth of history filled with secret societies, antimonarchists, restorationists and all tied together through mazik magic.

Toba and Naftaly are crucial to the plot in uniquely different ways, but born into the human world both do have mazik heritage which has benefited them both differently. Tobas journey mostly takes place through in the mazik realm and has her getting to know her truth. Naftaly on the other hand has a books his father swore him to protect at all costs and visions he doesn't understand. The way this all ties together was not something i at all saw coming but i love every second of it. additionally, alongside toba i grew to love barsilay and asmel and everything they did for truth to be pursued.

One of the unique things I spotted and enjoyed the creativity of was how salt is harmful to maziks but is actually something Jewish people use for koshering meat, it was just one of many particular details i liked. Additionally - JEWISH PIRATES had. me absolutely gagged even though they were only brief and irrelevant to the majority of the plot. The plot mostly revolves around these mysterious different realms, the gates to them and the gates connection to the moon cycles but i honestly loved it, i didn't see any of the plot twist coming nor the reveals of who some of the characters going under title aliases were. This is my first read filled with jewish folklore, and the glossarys definitely helped me understand the complex worldbuilding, despite the complexity i really adored this and would not only reccomend but has definitely got me interested in learning more about jewish folklore.

Sadly, it DNF this book at 40% after two weeks of trying, I am just unable to try any more. 
I wanted to love it, I requested it because the fantasy world inspired by the reconquista time in Spain made it very appealing as I am Spanish and passionate about Spanish history, and love to read Jewish stories as they are not wildly share in Spain. But this book was slow, lacked motivation and I by 40% I still didn't know what the actual plot was. 
Motivation is that I don't understand why the characters are doing what they are doing; that's probably also because the plot is not clear, I don't think the plot has to be clear from the beginning, but by 40% I should be able to understand what's happening and why. It also moves very slowly and feel a lot of what happened could easily not been part of the book, making it shorter and with better flow. 
So I don't know, I might give it another try in the future, depending on who much my mind go back to it, but I doubt it.

Rebellion Publishing and Net Galley were kind enough to send an uncorrected proof of this rich fantasy in return for an honest review.
While I rapidly became immersed in the mirror landscape of the land through the Pomegranate Gate, ultimately, I found myself confused by characters, the mix of real Inquisition history and fantasy versions, and who knew what about whom, or not.
This is a richly imagined story, with many interesting characters and I applaud Ariel Kaplan's ambition in creating this extremely involved story line for his characters to follow.
There are obvious parallels with persecution of Jews and Heretics in the time of the Spanish Inquisition , but the fantasy element of Maziks and their knowledge and use of magic, gives an added layer to this book.
I am sure there are many readers who will devour this story and eagerly await it's sequel, but, for me, it was too convoluted in parts, leading me to lose the thread of the story and therefore to find it hard to empathise and sympathise with the main characters.
The introduction of a buchuk, while providing an interesting moral dilemma for Toba and her Toba Bet, was occasionally a hindrance rather than a help in understanding what was going on
Naftaly Elena and the old woman are an enjoyable triumvirate to follow, although, the darkness of Naftaly's encounter with Barsilay, the elegant and charming Mazik first encountered by Toba gives a depth to that part of Naftaly's, story arc given that he meets Barsilay in dreams where he, Naftaly, finds Barsilay being tortured and imprisoned.
There is some fairly unpleasant violence and torture depicted in the book, but thaf can only bs expected with a storyline so linked to the brutal reality of the Spanish Inquisition.
In closing, I might have to say, having read many of the other very positive reviews in Good Reads, that "it,'s not you Ariel it's me!"

This was a beautifully constructed tale, set in Spain during the 16th century, when the Spanish inquisition expelled the Jews. Sitting alongside this historical world we also have the world of the Maziks, magical immortal beings who can only step into the human world during the full moon. These worlds are intertwined and mirror each other in nebulous ways: the upheaval of the expulsion of the Jews is reflected in a political power struggle in the world of the Maziks, and in the chaos of flight two young Jews, Toba Peres and Naftaly Cresques, become separated from the rest of their friends. Toba stumbles into the world of the Maziks, while Naftaly joins forces with an old woman who refuses to give her name, and must make his way through mortal Spain on his wits, while visiting Maziks in his dreams.

The structure of this book was very clever: the theme of linked duality emerges everywhere from the worldbuilding (mortal vs. Mazik world); plot structure (Toba vs. Naftaly's separate-but-related storylines); character (at one point Toba splits into two versions of herself, Toba and Toba Bet); and even the smallest details of magic. Naftaly, in learning to transform cloth into gold, learns that linen will hold the transformation but wool will revert more quickly.

There were some elements that were a bit confusing, in particular a certain amount of backstory that is revealed a little bit too slowly, so that by the time certain important events are revealed I've forgotten why they were important, since their initial hints that introduce them were so long ago. But overall, this is a fresh new story, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel.

Longer review to be posted on nerds-feather.com on 22 May 2024.

Sorry, thought saw the different cover and thought it was a new one.
This was my review:
I'm not sure if this fantasy, alternate history or a mix. There's some parts that made me think of the Moriscos and the forced conversion of Jew in Spain, there's elements of Ashkenazi folklore, and there's a story I loved as it mixes all these elements.
Not a fast paced or action packed story but one of small things and emotions.
There's a lot of characters and I loved the world building and the storytelling.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

When I say that Solaris are one of my favourite publishers, I am not exageratting. They have such an amazing eye for books that every release I've read of theirs in the last year has been an instant favourite, and The Pomegranate Gate is no exception.

I picked up this book in the middle of a reading slump and was a little concerned at the size of it. I've been struggling to get into books or get through them at all and this felt like a recipe for disaster but honeslty I was hooked. The worldbuilding in this is just absolutely incredible - something I've come to expect from Solaris - and everything felt so richly detailed.

There's such an air of mystery to this book because of weight placed on names, and it threads so smoothly through that you kind of almost forget about it, until it hits you again that hey, there's this whole THING you don't understand. It's absolutely gripping, and I'm a huge fan of the magic and mythology systems.

Cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!

I absolutely agree with the comparison to Naomi Novik's style of writing. The narrative tone is almost removed, very reflective on the actions that are taking place, rather than being caught up in them. I enjoyed the eclectic range of character, particularly the old woman (impossible to not love her attitude towards life), Barsiley, and Toba (the elder).
I don't know how keen I was on all the various perspectives, I spent most of the time waiting to get back to Toba's POV but the pieces did all mostly come together for the finale. I don't know that I would pick up future books in this series, but I really enjoyed the overall historical-fantasy setting, and particularly all the ways this book covered topics such as language and translation!

Within a few short chapters of 'The Pomegranate Gate' I knew I'd found another top quality fantasy series to invest my reading time in. Kaplan is one of those writers who can draw you into a story quickly and effortlessly, the writing flowing, the characters feeling like friends in a short span of words. The story is set in a fictional version of 15th century Spain, where the decree to force Jewish people to convert to Christianity or leave the country has just been announced. The viewpoint characters are two young people affected by the decree. Toba and Naftaly are separated from the column of refugees heading for the coast to escape. Toba accidentally crosses into a parallel world ruled by Mazik (similar to elves), where she must stay for a month. Naftaly finds himself with only a nameless and irascible old woman for company, and is suffering from worsening visions and strange dreams. Their stories unfold and eventually intersect, as they realise events in the Mazik world are reflected in the human one, and vice versa, and that sinister plotters amongst the Maziks will soon be wreaking havoc across both worlds.

It's a classic fantasy adventure with all the right elements to succeed. I've read fantasies set in Spain around this period before, but generally those have focussed on Muslim characters and legends rather than Jewish. The setting and concepts are familiar enough to not require effort to learn and understand, whilst still feeling fresh. The characters are all likeable (except the villains), particularly my favourite, the old woman. Her presence is a clever touch, cutting through the fantastical with practicality and cynicism that won me over very fast. If she'd been part of the Fellowship of the Ring in Tolkien they'd have finished the quest in half time but she'd probably have stolen half the elven artefacts in Rivendell on the way.

The plot is exciting, with lots of drama and intrigue, and it didn't turn out as I expected. I looked forwards to reading it and was compelled to keep trying to fit in 'one more chapter' when I should have been doing other things. My only criticism is that it suffers from 'first book in a series' syndrome - you get a lot of the set up but most of the pay off will be in future titles. I'm very glad it's a series, as I can look forwards to more outings in this world, but it does compromise the satisfaction you should get at the end of a book. That's true of most series, but some authors manage to give more of a satisfying interim story-arc conclusion so you don't feel quite so much that you've been left hanging.

I can see this becoming a really popular series in the same way as the Daevabad and Sandsea trilogies (SA Chakraborty and Chelsea Abdullah respectively). Certainly I am looking forwards to the next in the series being published so I can find out what happens next. I'd recommend to all fans of fantasy adventure, including those who only have time to read the best there is to offer.

We started with a fantasy inspired by the Iberian Peninsula, mixing Spanish, Portuguese, and Arabic culture. I was a bit hesitant, but oh well, let's give it a try.

I start reading, and there's a glossary, which was helpful, but might be a bit overwhelming at first? I don't know, I didn't love it, especially the indiscriminate mix of cultures (La Caceria with The Caçador, yes, spelled with a cedilla).

I enter the book with little enthusiasm, I confess, and then I meet the most insipid characters ever. They had everything to succeed. Oh well, it's still early. I continued.

So I reach 15%, where finally something happens, and I thought it would get better, but it only worsens, with actions totally out of character and terrible forced humor.

I decided that was my limit, so I DNF'd it. I don't recommend it at all, just skip it

At 500 pages, I think this book just spent too much time with not enough happening for it to properly grab my attention. All the parts are there for an enjoyable book - the plot and the characters were interesting enough but overall I just didn't love it and at times it was a real struggle to get through unfortunately.

I was looking forward to reading The Pomegranate Gate. Its description suggested it contained many elements I would enjoy, with ancestral relatability and the cover is stunning. The characterisations of Toba and Naftaly are well crafted, and some of the moments of revelation genius. But unfortunately I found the beginning chaotic and unengaging. If I had been reading a sample on Kindle I would not have bought the book as a result. It could prove beneficial to make some changes here. Some very contemporary language crops up from time to time which is at odds with the narrative, and I found this jarring. Some of the imaginative elements were a little odd and unconvincing. And it was very lengthy, without real purpose, so I found myself wanting the story to move on and for it to be more engaging. Though my opinion is mine alone, if there are other reviews echoing this is could be worth doing some editing down, which I believe would make it far more successful.

This was a lovely mix between fantasy and Jewish folklore and history. I love anything historical (and fantasy novels) anyway, and so this mixture greatly appealed to me. I haven't read many books about Jewish folklore or history so this added an element of interest to me. I though that the portal beneath the Pomegranate trees (which leads into a mirror world) a great touch (although the portal trope has been used before in other books, The Pomegranate Gate lends a fresh twist to it.) I loved the characters but Naftaly was my favourite. He was warm and funny as well as very likeable! This is something to read again in the future and very much recommended. (I am also curious as to what this author will write in the future!)

4.75*

From the onset, I was already pulled in by the two main characters, Naftaly and Toba: a girl that can walk but not run, talk but not shout? AND a guy who dreams in a mirror world?
I was already hooked.

This book focuses strongly on the concept of identity, our roles and how we can be defined by other people and where their perceptions of us places us: jew, sefardi, converso, mazik, human etc.

None of these characters are who they seem to be - literally. I enjoyed how each of the characters developed and how they all added and fit into the story. None of them felt superfluous and I grew to love them all, Naftaly especially (they're so pure, it hurts) - this also made reading the different POVs very palatable because I was heavily invested in this little motley crew.

This is a beautifully written story and i loved the mix of history and Jewish folklore, it's definitely very different from what I usually read but I genuinely enjoyed it. I rated it a 4.75 because, i must admit, i was a little frustrated with just how many unanswered questions there are.

I look forward to reading the next book and hope to find out what happens next!

I pushed on for a while to see if I could get into this story, even skimming to get ahead but it just didn’t draw me in. It’s one of those books that I can tell isn’t for me and so there’s no use forcing it. If I was in a bookshop, I might have picked this book up based on the synopsis, sat down in an armchair to read it and then swiftly put it back on the shelf after a while with no desire to buy it.

It might be because neither of the characters appealed or intrigued me straight away. Both of them seemed a bit ordinary and lost and I didn’t feel like I wanted to find out more about their lives.

I also don’t think the marketing is upfront about it being another Fae book 🙄 My least favourite fictional realm, and I probably would have stayed clear if this was made apparent.

The pomegranate gate by Ariel Kaplan is such a beautiful and magical story that intertwines fantasy, history and mythology.
The world building was fascinating and vivid.
Even before the main plot of the pomegranate gate and the world that awaited Toba, the story was incredibly captivating and I was hooked from the first chapter.
The characters are all interesting in themselves but also in the unlikely friendships they formed.
This is the first book I have read with Jewish history at the forefront, and once again I was captivated by the story Kaplan created from this important time in history.
As a history undergraduate I especially liked this aspect.
All in all, I loved the book and was bewitched by the story.

i'm sorry i can't articulate my emotions, this was SUCH A GOOD READ, IM SO OCCUPIED i can't stop obsessing.. i will come back and write a detailed review when im totally over it and can actually write about how good this fantasy book is. it might take a while to actually understand whats going on but its a fantasy book what more dow we all expect for real. this is also my first book by this author and i am very invested in her and would love to read her future works for sure.

just like y'all to take a moment to appreciate the cover like OMFG IM GOING INSANE ITS SO FREAKING BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Thank you, NetGalley & the publisher, for approving me to read this arc and write this review.

Me he visto gratamente sorprendida por The Pomegranate Gate, la primera entrega de The Mirror Realm Cycle de Ariel Kaplan. Me llamaba mucho la atención el momento histórico simulado en la historia, con la expulsión de los judíos sefardíes de España, un poco como cuando supe que The Bird King de G. Willow Wilson transcurría en la Alhambra. Pero me he encontrado mucho más de lo que esperaba.


Kaplan ha logrado crear un mundo fantástico repleto de lirismo y magia, con raíces en el judaísmo pero con toques de trascendencia política. La acción se desarrolla simultáneamente en dos mundos, el humano y el mágico de los Maziks, unido solamente durante las noches de luna llena gracias al portal del título. La narración recae principalmente sobre dos personajes (aunque hay más puntos de vista), Toba Peres y Naftaly Cresques, dos seres aparentemente humanos pero tocados por algún don que les hace diferentes a los demás y que en muchas ocasiones les ha condenado al ostracismo. Me gusta la voz que la autora le da a cada uno, dos personas buenas que se ven arrolladas por las circunstancias pero que siguen intentando tomar siempre la decisión adecuada aunque quizá no sea la que más se avenga a sus intereses. La decisión de expulsar a los judíos que no se conviertan al cristianismo de su hogar, impulsará a miles de personas a un viaje sin un destino claro y nuestros dos protagonistas se verán arrastrados por la marea, pero con un fin mucho más inquietante.

Me encanta la representación del mundo mágico de los Maziks, en una imagen especular pero deformada de la geografía y política del mundo humano. Mientras que en uno de los mundos tenemos la Inquisición, en el otro sufren la presencia de La Cacería. Pero en todas partes cuecen habas y las intrigas políticas están a la orden del día y arrastrarán a los dos a una huida en la que irán descubriendo sus especiales capacidades y se aclararán sus orígenes, supuestamente mundanos.


Me gustaría sobre todo hacer hincapié en un personaje secundario que primero parece no tener apenas relevancia, Elena, la abuela de Toba, pero que luego adquiere un rol fundamental. ¡Por fin un personaje femenino de más o menos avanzada edad con importancia en un mundo fantástico! Me apasiona como se referencia la sabiduría popular que muchas veces se desprecia pero que contiene perlas de conocimiento. Mención aparte merece también la señora mayor que ni siquiera recibe nombre en todo el libro pero sin cuya presencia Naftaly estaría totalmente perdido.

La novela va creciendo conforme va avanzando, con unas ramificaciones inesperadas que hacen que sea prácticamente imprescindible leer la segunda entrega no solo para comprender toda la historia si no para continuar disfrutando de las apasionantes aventuras de los personajes. Y es que el último cuarto del libro los componen bofetadas constantes de revelaciones inesperadas que te hacen mirar a los capítulos anteriores con otros ojos. La intriga está muy pero que muy bien utilizada a lo largo de toda la novela, pero como digo esa última parte es de las que te pega a las páginas y te deja sin dormir hasta que acabas de leer. Os recomiendo mucho esta lectura, no os arrepentiréis.

A rich fantasy that, once it settles down, is a wonderful take on gate fantasy that taught me a lot about Jewish mythology and fairy tales, as well as a period of history I didn't know much about. I really enjoyed how complicated both he human and Mazik characters were- Elena especially- and the romance felt well done and not rushed.

It does suffer a bit at the beginning from being quite confusing- I think it's because Toba and Naftaly are in the same city and experiencing things on a slight delay?- and towards the end as we're gearing up for the next book. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend it!

I think this was pretty good. Wouldn't say it's my favourite book but I did enjoy aspects and I'm curious to see what this author does next.