The Thirteenth Gate
Kat Ross
Historical Fiction, Fantasy

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It’s the Winter of 1988 and a doctor suspected of being Jack the Ripper, murders a man before disappearing from the asylum that held him. It’s up to Lady Vivienne Cumberland and her companion, Alec, to hunt down the most dangerous man they know. There’s more to the world than we’re allowed to see and in Victorian London, they’ve started to take precautions against the supernatural elements that threaten their world.

But Lady Vivienne is walking a dangerous line and one wrong step could upset the balance between worlds, throwing the Thirteenth Gate wide open to create hell on earth.

I started reading the Thirteenth Gate right after I finished the Daemoniac (which was fantastic). If I could make one suggestion about the reading of this book, I would keep in mind that the world of the Daemoniac is undermined in The Thirteenth Gate. The supernatural elements at play pull aside the veil to show us the world beneath. But it’s nothing like the elements of the world that I loved from the Daemoniac.

The writing is just as solid as before, the characters are interesting, and this time there’s a fascinating lore behind the world that I want to pick apart. We’re introduced to monsters and the people who have created secret societies to save us.

What disappointed me about the Thirteenth Gate was the sudden supernatural element whereas the Daemoniac, for all its spookiness, always felt more rooted in reality. From what I’ve read, I gather that it’s Kat Ross merging two series into one, but I almost wish that it could have remained separate.

I would have have happily read more exploits of Harry and John without the supernatural being confirmed as true and thus, moving further away from the mystery element I’d enjoyed. After all, when you throw in demons, suddenly everything is possible. It’s like the possibility that the way someone committed a murder while having an alibi was by having a twin.

It’s never supposed to be twins, but when you open it up to the supernatural it could easily be twins. Hell, it could be octuplets and no one would blink an eye.

But that supernatural side of things is also fascinating, so I couldn’t mark it down too much. In the end, I wish that the two worlds had been kept separate, but it’s still incredibly satisfying.

If I’ve piqued your interest, check out the blog tour that’s currently going on or enter to win a free copy of the book!

8/10
A solid paranormal mystery with engaging characters that has some fascinating lore behind it.