Junya is a typical, albeit rich young man. His grandfather is a billionaire who he visits twice a week to learn the business. In all reality, he honestly goes so he can spend time with his beloved Grandfather. Everything changes on his 16th birthday. It's then that he learns he's officially the heir apparent. On his way to visit with his Grandfather that day he ran into an unknown Japanese school girl. From the moment they met eyes he felt different. Not in a hormonal teenaged boy way either. He felt this odd energy wave and was knocked off his feet. Thinking it an odd one off event as nobody else felt an earthquake, he shook it off. Maybe a bit too soon.... Things started becoming clear. His mother had trained him to fight in their dojo forever. She had an eery sixth sense about knowing where he was and what he thought... Suddenly he too could pick up on things ever since meeting this mystery girl. He felt prickles on his neck warning him of danger whenever it was near, felt energy and had intense intuition... Soon he'd learn that nothing in his life was as it seemed. Someone is trying to dismantle his Grandfather's business... His mother is not what she seemed, and there are forces at work here far beyond his knowing.... All stemming from that one meeting with his new friend. Take the journey with him and see what road he travels, and learn of all the amazing things he learns.... good vs evil has never been more important. Balance is the key... Now if only HE can remain pure of heart and survive what's to come. It's an amazing read with intrigue, suspense, ninjas, Gods, watchers, mystic powers and corporate espionage.... And well worth a read . I received a complimentary ARC in return for a voluntary review! I loved this book so much that I fully intend on buying the follow up book. ( )

I received this copy from the publisher through Netgalley.com and that in no way has influenced my opinion in regards to this review. This review is written with a GPL 3.0 license and the rights contained therein shall supersede all TOS by any and all websites in regards to copying and sharing without proper authorization and permissions. Crossposted at Bookstooge.booklikes.blogspot.wordpress.leafmarks.tumblr.com by express permission of this reviewer. Title: The Gatekeeper's Son Series: ----- Author: Chris Fladmark Rating: 3 of 5 Stars Genre: YA Fantasy Pages: 313 Synopsis: Junya [who I insist on calling Junior in my head] is the grandson of a billionaire, the son of a ninja and the Inheritor of a brand new power of the gods of light and darkness. Another world is involved, lots of fighting, a cute chick and lots of YA'ness. Junya must fight the minions of Light AND Dark, as he is the cross between them. He must save his grandfather, save his mother, destroy an evil monster and keep a legion of other worldly super ninjas from killing him, all at the same time. My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this for what it was, a boys' fantasy novel. I don't think I'll be reading any more by this author but that isn't a negative on his part. It just means that it is a bit too YA for me to handle. It takes consummate skill to write a novel for both men and boys and as this is Mr Fladmark's debut novel, he deserves credit for writing a very good boys novel. Lots of fighting, your prerequisite cute girl, secrets out the wazoo, ninjas and a badguy who helps Junya for his own ends, *insert evil laughter*. That was the good stuff. The 2 main issues for me were as follows: 1) Junya goes from being a shy, almost cowardly boy, to this strong young man who can manage a multi-billion dollar company with no real in between phase. It felt very awkward to me. 2) Junya's father. He is in the story, but is so token that the reality is that Junya might as well have been raised by a single mother. He is supposed to be with them and part of their family, but he plays such a small part, even emotionally, that he comes across as a prop more than a real character. Other than that, no real issues worth discussing. This is the beginning of a series, but it ends up just fine that I don't feel the need to read any sequels. And the Series title is missing because Fladmark hasn't given it one yet. " ( )

I received this book free for review. When I first read the book description I thought it sounded really interesting--a YA urban fantasy with a Japanese twist from the male's perspective. When I started reading, I found it hard to get into. The hero is the grandson of a very wealthy man. However, I didn't get that feel from him, and his voice seemed disconnected from the storyline. It was unrealistic when his grandfather throws him into a situation in a public setting without telling him first. And if his grandfather has been grooming him to be a business magnate, then why is he so unaware of what is happening with the company?

The supernatural events are interesting as they develop. And I liked the heroine and love interest. She is a strong personality and is smart. However, the hero seemed to be far less intelligent than he was supposed to be for much of the book. While strange things happen around him, it takes a while before things are spelled out for him (and the reader) so we really know what's going on. Of course, I had my suspicions, which were mostly correct. But, I found myself struggling to stay engaged until then. After that things begin to happen so quickly that I had a hard time keeping up, or understanding what was going on. When he travels to Japan, I was unable to picture where they stayed as the description was not clear for someone unfamiliar with the setting. And, the fact that he can do what no one else can, that he is able to just decide to use his abilities at the last moment to save things, was also unbelievable.

So, while the book picked up and had an intriguing concept behind it, I found the first third slow and the last third confusing. That being said, I think the hero behaved in ways consistent with his age, although I didn't understand his relationship with his parents. ( )

"Filled with magic, mayhem and intrigue, Fladmark's series is off to a solid start." - Kirkus Reviews ( )