The Gates of Neptune by Gilbert L. Morris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Picking up right where book one, Flight of the Eagles left off, Gilbert Morris continues the fantasy adventure of The Seven Sleepers in book two, The Gates of Neptune. Sarah and the other six sleepers must travel underwater to save the lost kingdom of Atlantis as darkness threatens to overtake not only the land, but also the seas. If they can’t stop the Dark Lord in time, then all of the ocean will belong to the powers of evil instead of the mysterious Goel.
While book one focused in on Josh as a main character, this second volume continues the story from Sarah’s point of view. While the storyline here is fairly pedestrian and obvious, what is so incredible is the amazing setting Morris has given us. From the sunken city of Atlantis to the Sea of Rays to riding dolphins and sharks and killer whales through the water, I was continually enthralled with the locations the characters traveled through.
We do find out some new information about the villains of the series, which offer some intriguing counterbalance to the Sanhedrin, which so far has taken prominence as the main antagonists against Goel.
Again, this series continues to come across as slightly edgy for a Christian fantasy series for younger readers. Romance is at play here, and while it is hopelessly tame compared to other books, The Gates of Neptune is surprisingly filled with relationships between characters. It was a little bit shocking, especially since the main characters are all supposed to be young teens, and in most Christian fantasy fiction geared for this age range, romance is barely a thought.
All said, this continues to be an intriguing fantasy series. I remain somewhat shocked that I have never picked them up until now, but here we are, on to book three!