Necropolis #4 by Anthony Horowitz

Genre: Thriller

Paperback: 388 Pages

Published: November 2008

Series: The Gatekeepers

            1. Raven's Gate

            2. Evil Star

            3. Nightrise

            4. Necropolis

            5. Oblivian

Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Hong Kong has been taken over by the Old Ones and has become Necropolis, City of the Dead. Once in, there is no way out… Evil has been unleashed on the world and only five children – with special powers – can save it. Matt and the other three desperately need to find Scar, the final Gatekeeper, who has been trapped in Hong Kong, where puddles of water turn into puddles of blood, where ghosts, demons and hideous creatures stalk the streets. Matt has no choice but to follow her. Now, both imprisoned, their only hope of survival is to reach a secret door in the Man Ho temple. But even if Scar can find her psychic power, it may already be too late.

My Review:

            I gotta admit that Necropolis was the darkest of the books so far. A lot of secrets were uncovered, the five chosen ones are finally revealed, there are many fights and battles with the Old Ones, friends have turned into enemies and enemies have turned into friends, and a lot has happened since the last book.

            The fifth member of The Gatekeepers is about to be discovered: Scarlett Adams, the adopted Asian daughter of divorced British Parents. Her father works for Nightrise and when it is accidently revealed that she is the fifth Gatekeeper, he sends his goons for her. Matt, Scott, and Richard travel from Nazca in Peru to try to stop her from going to her father, while they are hunted by the Old Ones at every step. Their powers are increasing and they are learning how to fight, but Matt fears that their powers will never match up to the Old Ones and they won't be able to defeat them. The Old Ones have set up their base of operations in Hong Kong, where their minions are posioning the city and killing inoocent people. Thus, turning it into a Necropolis: a city of the dead. Can Matt and Scott save Scarlett or will they be too late?

Nightrise #3 by Anthony Horowitz

Genre: Thriller

Hardcover: 368 Pages

Published: May 1, 2007

Series: The Gatekeepers

            1. Raven's Gate

            2. Evil Star

            3. Nightrise

            4. Necropolis

            5. Oblivion

Rating:★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The third heart-pounding book in #1 NYT bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's spellbinding The Gatekeepers series 

A gate has been opened. The Old Ones have been released. And now the third and fourth of The Five -- twins with a mysterious psychic bond -- are joining the fight.

My Review:

            Nightrise takes us on another interesting ride. This time we meet Scott and Jamie, two 14 year old twins who are part of a show in Rena Nevada. After performing their act, Scott is kidnapped by Nightrise, a company trying to kidnap all of the Gatekeepers and stop them from closing the gates. Jamie is then saved by Alicia McGuire, a middle -aged woman who is trying to save her son Daniel, who was also kidnapped by Nightrise.

           

      So a lot is happening in this book and some of the things got really confusing. While the story with Jamie and Scott progressed, Pedro and Matt are trying to stay alive. They are communicating with the twins, but they haven't met yet. This was really annoying for me since the book kept going back and forth between the two stories and all the information just got jumbled along the way. Another thing that annoyed me was when Jamie is shot trying to save Scott he is sent back in time about 10, 000 years to when the Old Ones came to the world. The author didn't explain how that was even able to happen and then didn't explain how Jamie got back to the present after defeating the Old Ones. Another issue I had was why did people want to save the Old Ones when the Old Ones were planning on killing all the people? It was frustrating, because I had so many questions and not enough answers. Overall, I say this book was okay. Although, not as amazing as the first book in this series. 

Evil Star #2 by Anthony Horowitz

Genre:Thriller

Hardcover: 320 Pages

Published: June 1, 2006

Series: The Gatekeepers

            1. Raven's Gate

            2. Evil Star

            3. Nightrise

            4. Necropolis

            5. Oblivion

Rating:★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

The second thrilling, chilling installment in Anthony Horowitz's bestselling Gatekeepers series.

Matt thought his troubles were over when he closed Raven's Gate . . . but in fact they were just beginning. His fate -- and the fate of the world -- is tied to four other kids across the globe. The second is a street kid in Peru. He and Matt have never met; they don't even speak the same language. But destiny is going to throw them together as the evil threat of the Old Ones grows . . . and another Gate suddenly comes into play.

Another masterful thriller from supernaturally suspenseful Anthony Horowitz.

My Review:

            Raven's Gate was an excellent first book. It introduced Matt and his story in a very simple manner that flowed from page to page. However, this sequel didn't live up to the expectations from the first book. I really liked the idea of Matt being one of the five chosen ones to save the world from The Old Ones. However, the names for the bad guys kind of suck.

            Evil Star begins with Matt in Peru under attack by The Old Ones. The Nexus failed to protect Matt and he finds himself in the slums with a boy named Pedro. Pedro helps save Matt's life and they start to get to know each other. As the story continues, we find out that Pedro is the second chosen one. Matt and Pedro set out to close the second gate in South America. With the help from Incan descendants, the second gate is closed, but not quite in time.

            While fighting The Old Ones, Matt and Pedro learn new things about their powers. Even though they don't speak the same language in their awakened state, they are able to communicate through their dreams. I found this concept to be the highlight of this book and I wish the author had elaborated more on this topic. Overall, I would say it was an okay book. Not the best second book because it lacked explanation in many situations and I felt like we didn't get the whole story. Hopefully, the third book is better at explaining everything and we get more details on the dream situation. 

Ravens Gate by Anthony Horowitz

Genre: Thriller, Magic 
Hardcover: 270 Pages
Published: October 2006
Series: The Gatekeepers
            1. Raven's Gate
            2. Evil Star
            3. Nightrise
            4. Necropolis
            5. Oblivion
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

He always knew he was different.
First there were the dreams.
Then the deaths began.

When Matt Freeman gets into trouble with the police, he's sent to be fostered in Yorkshire. It's not long before he senses there's something wrong with his guardian: with the whole village.

Then Matt learns about the Old Ones and begins to understand just how he is different. But no one will believe him; no one can help.

There is no proof. There is no logic. There is just the Gate.

My Review:

             So what do you get when you mix elements of I'm Number Four, The Maze Runner and Harry Potter? You get Raven's Gate. This was a quick read, enjoyable, and had me on the edge the entire time. It follows a young boy named Matt who is enrolled into the LEAF program after being a unwilling accomplice in a simple snatch and grab theft gone wrong. He is then sent to the home of Ms. Deverill, a sinister old lady with whom Matt instantly distrusts. Ms. Deverill plans to open a Raven's Gate by sacrificing Matt though he doesn't know it yet. He discovers pretty quickly that there is something sinister going on and that if he's not careful he will end up dead in the town of Lesser Malling. But the dangerous secrets that are buried deep in this town aren't what cause Matt to be targeted. It's the fact that Matt plays a far greater role in this Raven's Gate then he realizes. He will soon discover there is more to him than meets the eye and there are far more dangerous people than Ms Deverill.

            This was a very quick read and definitely a page turner. I learned to love Matt and his friends even though there were many twists and turns throughout, making it difficult to decide who was a friend and who was the enemy.