The Gate of Bones is the fourth book in Emily Drake's The Magickers series. The Magickers are a group of teens who have --wait for it -- magical abilities. Originally from this world, they have fled to another to find a safe home. They are guided by older magicians as they each learn their individual abilities.

A non-industrial world, Haven, is their current home. Here, with the help of the outcast Wanderers, they are building an academy to train Magickers. At present, there are seven young people and four adults living in the academy.

With so many characters to keep track of (and that's not counting the Bad Guys or the natives of Haven), the narrative tends to jump around a bit, and there are some sections that don't seem to fit this particular story thread but are probably setups for later in the series.

My esteemed colleagues who reviewed the previous books don't seem to have cared for them, but I believe that the target audience (young adults) most likely would enjoy this book. The Gate of Bones was my first exposure to The Magickers and I don't recommend starting the series here. While the story isn't difficult to pick up, there are clearly carry-overs from the other books that would make reading them in order a much richer experience.

- Rambles
written by Laurie Thayer
published 14 May 2005