Review: Gordath Wood by Patrice Sarath

Title: Gordath Wood

Author: Patrice Sarath

Copyright: 2008

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Ace

Setting: Horse farm on the edge of Gordath Wood in New York State with a portal in Gordath Wood to a parallel medieval type world.

Part of a series? Possibly…the book ended with possibilities for a sequel and I would like to see what happens to various characters. The author’s website doesn’t tell what she is currently working on.

Grade: B

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I found this book in the science fiction/fantasy section of my local bookstore and thought it sounded good. It was enjoyable read and I’m glad I found it.

Gordath Wood is an ancient forest with a reputation for strange occurrences. Lynn Romano works at a horse farm and is at a horse show when the book begins. A rare earthquake occurs and spooks Dungiven, the farm’s star horse. He doesn’t want to load into the horse trailer so Lynn offers to ride him through Gordath Wood back to the farm. They never arrive at the farm which sparks an extensive search for them. The next day another girl from the farm—Kate Mossland—and her horse go into the woods to search and they also disappear. No sign of either the women or horses are found by the police, but they have several theories—either Lynn stole Dungiven and kidnapped Kate or Joe, a handyman at the farm, who was dating Lynn killed them both. Meanwhile, the two women are in the parallel world which is presently at war. Each is captured by different sides in the war. In the weeks and months which follow they are caught in the middle of the war and learn that someone from their world is selling guns to one side in the war. The earthquakes continue, grow worse and spread on both worlds.

This is Patrice Sarath’s first book and she has written an interesting, absorbing fantasy. She does a good job of portraying the horror of war—especially when one side faces automatic weapons with only their crossbows and swords.

Lynn is held prisoner for several weeks until she manages to escape. The captain of the guard who originally captured her has become disillusioned with his lord’s war and alarmed at the earthquakes which are tearing apart their stronghold. He helps her escape and tries to get her back to her own world, but they are unable to open the portal. They decide on another course of action and travel through the winter countryside where they are attacked several times, wounded and finally captured.

Kate is captured by the army which does not have the modern weaponry. This army is in the field and Kate who is 15 years old must adjust to a world where 15 is considered adult and women—especially in an army on the move usually have only one use. The army general puts her under his protection—but not for altruistic reasons. He recognizes she may have valuable information about these new weapons, but he also sees her as a way to the aristocracy in his world. With her knowledge of horses she helps the ostlers with the horses and begins to help the army’s doctor with the wounded. She begins to make a life for herself on this world. By the end of the book she has seen much brutality—some of it aimed at her—but she has a hard time remembering her life in New York.

The focus of the book is in the world Lynn and Kate find themselves. However, we do see what is happening in New York from Joe’s point of view. He continues to search for clues to what happened to Lynn and Kate. He becomes a person of interest to the police and is arrested at one point. He is bailed out of jail by the owner of the horse farm who recruits him to help put the worlds back together. Other characters whose point of view we see—Lynn, Kate, General Marthen (the general in the army where Kate is held), Captain Crae (the guard captain who helps Lynn escape) and Colar (a 15 year old scout who is one of the soldiers who captured Kate) help us understand the parallel world from differing viewpoints.

Patrice Sarath does a good job of creating her world. She doesn’t go into a lot of detail—I don’t think she mentions the name of the parallel world or what it is like beyond a short distance from Gordath Wood. That is the constant between both worlds. Someone mentions that “Gordath” may have originally been “God’s Earth” which is an interesting idea.

The book worked for me. It takes a realistic look at war—bloody, dirty and often started for little reason. The people in her world aren’t perfect and they don’t always act heroically or honorably. Things don’t always end well. Their actions have consequences and things that happen to them scar them and aren’t easily forgotten. This is not a comfortable or lighthearted book. It didn’t end quite the way I hoped. There is no “happily ever after” for many of the characters, but there is resolution and it was in character with the rest of the book. Patrice Sarath is an author to watch. I recommend the book to people who enjoy fantasy. Grade—B.