The Oracle

The Gateway Chronicles #2

by K.B. Hoyle

A year ago Darcy Pennington had no real friends. A year ago she'd thought that magic only existed in fairy tales. A year ago she would have laughed at the idea of other worlds. Then everything changed when she'd visited Cedar Cove Family Camp and stumbled into a magical gateway to a world called Alitheia.

It is the summer before freshman year and Darcy and her five friends have come back to Cedar Cove Family Camp and Alitheia. This return is bittersweet because her elusive purpose in the magical realm continues to evade her. Egged on by Tellius, the boy prince she is prophesied to marry, Darcy rebels and impulsively "petitions" an entity called the Oracle and requests it give her information as to her purpose. In order to receive her answer she must travel to the Oracle, and so she embarks on a journey along with her friends and Yahto Veli, the nark.

Too late she realizes her selfish entreaty has thrown the entire outcome of the prophecy itself into question and endangered everyone. Uncertainties mount between Darcy and her companions as they fight their way through enemy territory to locate the Oracle, and an unwelcome visitor from Cedar Cove adds a layer of mystery that none of them are prepared for. But the perils of the quest are nothing when compared to what lies in wait for her in the lair of the Oracle. There is a cost associated with every question asked - a cost that may be far greater than Darcy is willing to pay. And someone may choose to make the ultimate sacrifice to free her from it.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Young Adult, Magic

Audible Audio

First published November 8, 2010

About the author

K. B. Hoyle’s love of good stories began when she stepped through a wardrobe at age six, and she never looked back. She is the multiple award-winning Young Adult author of THE GATEWAY CHRONICLES fantasy series, THE BREEDER CYCLE dystopian series, The Fairytale Collection, and more.

In addition to her many novels, K. B. Hoyle is the co-founder and CEO of Owl's Nest Publishers, an independent press specializing in books that capture the imagination of adolescents. She is also a sought-after voice in the areas of storytelling and culture, and she has contributed articles and essays to a variety of publications. ​Her speaking resume includes keynote addresses, leading writing workshops, and international experience as a featured panelist at the 2013 Sydney Writers' Festival.

K. B. Hoyle stays busy at her home in Wisconsin on a winding creek with her husband, their four sons, and the variety of wildlife that frequent their land.

For more information on K. B. Hoyle, visit her website at kbhoyle.com or find her around social media at @kbhoyle.author on Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. Email her at author@kbhoyle.com.

Reviews

[Literary Classics Book Awards & Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

One day while hiking a young girl discovers a portal to another world, the magical land of Alithia. She soon learns of a prophecy claiming that she and five others are destined to save this mystical place. At first the six are unsure of their part in this ancient prophecy. But eventually they learn to work together as a team, united in their efforts to fulfill their destiny and save this enchanted land.

Author K.B. Hoyle pens scenes that pop with vibrant details, making the world of Alitheia vivid and very much alive for the reader. There are new and exciting twists with the turn of each page as this dynamic series unfolds. Hoyle is a gifted author whose stories flow smoothly from one exciting chapter to the next, leaving the reader heartily anticipating the next adventure.

The Gateway Chronicles are a phenomenal and entirely compelling series. As the story progresses all the characters are fleshed out as each grows and develops in maturity. The six encounter struggles to which we can all relate and from which we can all learn. Each book in the series expertly builds upon the last. Hoyle guides her readers through a gauntlet of magic and fantasy adventure as the series builds to a resounding crescendo. The world of fantasy fiction is brought to an entirely new level with this outstanding series. The Gateway Chronicles are destined to become a timeless classic.

[Emma Byler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished rereading this book… I had forgotten how good it is. It has the perfect amount of adventure and heartbreak in the end. I remember the first time I read this, the absolute devastation I felt at the end. It’s amazing how much you feel for Darcy as if you’re in her place, as if your heart is the one that’s shattered in two.

Her second year going to Alitheia, an alternate but parallel world that she discovers and travels to at summer camp the previous year, Darcy is not thrilled by the duty of having to marry Prince Tellius and questions the meaning of the prophecy, desperate for a way to escape the (technically) arranged marriage. She petitions The Oracle, an amoral entity that always speaks truth. It isn’t until she begins her journey that she realizes just how much the truth costs her in the end.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first Gateway Chronicle. But this is where I really started gaining speed. I began loving the characters and becoming truly invested in Alithea.

[Adam Shields · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Review: Darcy and the others are excited to return to fantasy world of Alitheia. Evil was pushed back at the end of the first book, but evil remains Alitheia and their role in the prophecy is still not really understood. Darcy and Prince Tellius are both concerned about the lines of the prophecy that suggest that they are going to get married. After all they are still only 13 and 14 in this book and they do not like the fact that they seem to have no choice about a significant decision like marriage.

That leads to Darcy calling on the Oracle to help her understand the prophecy. Like many fantasy worlds, magic has a price.

This is a very enjoyable second book in the series. I not only finished it quickly but I also read the third even faster. I am now just waiting on the fourth to be released so I can keep reading.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/the-oracle/

[Beth Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book had so many plot twists that I just did not see coming. I loved getting to go deeper with the main teen characters and how the supporting cast was fleshed out. I really love the Narks (such a fascinating twist on elves!) and there were a few other characters I don't want to talk about in depth so I don't spoil anything! The final 1/3 of this book was completely unputdownable.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world of Alitheia builds in depth and intrigue with this second book in the Gateway Chronicles. I really liked seeing Darcy and her friends develop more as people as the world around them expanded. The plot twists were exciting and suspenseful, and the stakes of the story amped up satisfyingly. I'm excited to see where it'll go next, mainly because I can't imagine or predict anything at this point!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5! This used to be my least favorite of the series, but this reread made me love it more! A lot of journeying, but you literally never have a dull moment where you’d get bored/just trying to fight through it. I probably read this for summer reading if I had to guess which made me not like it as much as I do now!

[Elisabeth Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me: Hey, Susannah, can I read your paper copy of the Oracle?
Susannah: Fine. But you better not mess it up. Don't bend or tear any pages, and don't mess up the spine. Or you are going to buy me a new one.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I like this series too much...!!
Thank you K.B. Hoyle for bringing such fabulous characters as Yahto Veli, Tellius, Colin Mackaby, and Perry Marks into being!

[MGGMMGGM · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Oracle follows the next chapter of the six chosen to fulfill the prophecy. Darcy, Amelia, Sam, Lewis, Perry & Dean travels back to Alithea to continue their adventure in the hope of accomplishing the prophesied future for both the group and Alithea.

What’s new in The Oracle? The second book in the Gateway Chronicles was as exciting as The Six and I thoroughly enjoyed every single page. It was engaging, captivating and beautifully written. I also applause Hoyle for writing both The Six and The Oracle with such details. I didn’t know what I was expecting from The Oracle when I started reading it, I didn’t even read the blurb to make the whole experience mysterious and I made the right choice.

Okay so events. At first it seemed like the group was just in Alithea to enjoy, train and educate themselves but Darcy and Tellus struck again. It seemed like both Tellus and Darcy felt the same thing – they don’t want to be wed which led to Tellus telling Darcy about a book that suggested the wrong interpretation of the prophecy. Darcy seeing it as an opening to not marrying, studied the book and activated the invocation with the oracle. Not a good idea! So a group was assembled by Rubidius for the journey.

Lady Darcy, Lady Darcy – you did it again. Great job! a friend lost for a fools errand. I really sympathize with Darcy on some point but most of the time she just came off as a self centered child. I know why she wanted to go on with the mission in spite the evidence of trouble but I can’t fully applause her for that. And at the end of the journey, Darcy loses one of my favorite character and for me, it wasn’t worth it. The Oracle makes me sad actually, the whole event for me was heart breaking and I can’t seem to get rid my irritation for Darcy. I do hope that in the third book, The White Thread, Darcy’s attitude would mature a little. She is really getting in my nerves.

Nothing much happened to the other guys in this installment and in spite the cliffhanger ending, I am looking forward to reading The White Thread. Take note that this installment does not lack the adventure and thrill that you seek in a fantasy novel. I definitely recommend The Gateway Chronicles series to everyone!

[Glass · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review is posted on my blog Ja čitam, a ti? as a part of blog tour for TWCS.

I've read first book in The Gateway Chronicles two moths ago - The Six took me by suprise. I felt like a child again. And then TWCS asked me if I wanted to review second book in the series. My answer - "YES!" Cindy, you rock!:)

The Oracle is set a year after everything that happened in the the first novel. It did started a bit slow, although that first scene with Darcy's dream was really good start. I don't want to spoil this book too much for you, so I will not tell anything about the plot - and what amazing plot it is. If you love books about magic, summer trips and everything Narnia alike - this is right choice for you.
But I have to put one character on the first place - Yahto Veli. Actually, from all of the supernatural creatures in K.B. Hoyle's books, narks are the most intriguing. Being one person by the day and completely other by the night... Oh, my wickedness! And Darcy... She might be fourteen but she is kick-ass heroine, my favorite kind.

I'm well known by my girl crushes issues, but I can't help myself - some girls are that good. K. B. Hoyle is that good! Why I like her? (Other than because of her books, of course.) She is mother of three little boys, she's a teacher and that's the job that follows you home even when you sleep - trust me, I know! But this woman still menages to finish her writing and I've read somewhere that there will be six books in The Gateway Chronicles.

If you are interested, you can read my review of The Six here. Make sure that you follow blog tour on its next stops - for all of the details check out The Writer's Coffee Shop on Twitter - @twcs_pubhouse.

Until next time,
Glass

***NOTE! Copy of the book is kindly provided by the publisher, TWCS. I'm not paid for writing review - I do this for free as lover of written word. All opinions in this review are personal.

[Juliett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out more reviews at http://msbookqueen.com

Received via netgalley
I'm really enjoying the progress that this series is making so far. Darcy is really growing as a character and becoming a more likable one. Even though Darcy is still relatively young, you can see her mindset becoming more mature. I think that the interaction between Darcy and Tellius is interesting to watch progress and grow. While Tellius and Darcy are still set firm on not marrying each other, you can see their dislike growing into a friendship. The rest of the characters have all grown in some way and I like that you can clearly get a sense of their changes. Even though this novel wasn't extremely full of action, the adventure was pretty exciting and fun. This novel explores more of the world of Alitheia and gives you a better view of life in other parts of that world. One thing I do have to say about this series is that the action tends to move quickly but not in a way to make the book less enjoyable. The ending definitely threw me for a little loop and I'm excited to read the next book in the series to see what happens next. I think that this series is definitely getting better and will turn out to be one of my more favorite fantasy series by far. I definitely recommend this if you've read The Six and just generally like a good fantasy series.

[Sherry Gomes]

The Oracle is the second book in the Gateway Chronicles, following The Six. It's the next year, and Darcy and the other five kids, now fourteen, meet again at family summer camp and head back to the gateway to return to the land they found the year before. We meet new friends and get reacquainted with old. Darcy Perry and Dean must take a journey that has much of the second half of the book with a group separated from the other three.

I loved this book, almost as much as I loved the first one. I learned to feel compassion for a minor character--so far--whom I didn't like before and cried buckets at the end. I feel like I'm reverting to my childhood instead of being the middle-aged woman I am, and I want to find a gateway and go.

[Erin Straza · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading The Oracle, Book 2 of The Gateway Chronicles, I found a yearning awaken in me that has been rather dormant. Darcy is the heroine I didn't even know I needed to read about. She's curious, tenacious, and courageous, yet she is still beautifully imperfect. In her, Hoyle has created a relatable lead yet with character traits we all aspire to. Darcy is not perfect, but she is real. In The Oracle, Darcy is on a dangerous, unavoidable quest with friends and characters I truly care for. The plot twists in unexpected ways, which meant that I once again lost sleep because I could not leave a page un-turned. I highly recommend the series to all readers.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really good. I would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy, and if you don't then this series is a pretty good place to start reading it.

This author writes, to me, really vividly. Which is amazing.
And the ending...… AGGH! Okay, I won't spoil it but I'll say it made me sad.... because I could picture it so vividly. It didn't make me sad in a bad way (as in bad ending) just sad because of the THING that happened in the last 25 pages of the book. I mean, I kind of knew it was coming... but still.

Anyway, this book is pretty good. And definintly will make my favourites shelf soon.

[Kathie (katmom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fabulous!

This is the second book in the GATEWAY Chronicles and it is available NOW. And what a ride!

Quite the roller coaster...little moments of calm, separated with WILD adventures.

Darcy thinks there's a way to find out if she HAS to marry Tellius, and she jumps at the chance for information. Just what IS the Oracle? It's a long journey to get there and what is the cost?

Loved this adventure...

Yahto Veli continues to be my favorite character!

Read and decide who your favorite Nark is...

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely loving this series! It is refreshing to read a YA fantasy novel that is completely clean! Definitely purchasing this series for my middle school classroom. I do wish YA publishers would take note that there is no need to push their profanity filled novels at the public. A good book doesn't need it!

[Donna Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was as good as the first book. It also was very sad. See my full review at http://www.girl-who-reads.com/2011/02...

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing reviews of a series without giving spoilers is difficult. In The Oracle, the plot thickens with the return of the 6 to Alitheia. Darcy (The Intended) chafes against the Prophecy's description of her role and its provision for her to marry the king. Tellius, the heir to the throne, shares her misgivings, and trouble ensues. Without fully understanding the implications, Darcy reads a spell and invokes the Oracle. She must then undertake a dangerous journey (with a Fellowship of 12), with few answers and much regret along the way.

When I first read the series, this was the tipping point where I had to read the rest. The Oracle is a fascinating character as well as a key plot device. The Oracle's answers in this book tie into the ultimate conclusion, which is evidence of a well crafted master plot.

At every stage, Darcy has a choice. When she chooses poorly, the consequences are often incredibly painful. Not to be overly didactic, but as a teenager, it was drilled into me that we don't get to choose the consequences of our actions. In fiction, with magic involved, the consequences are magnified because of the power involved and for the sake of the story. Part of Darcy's character arc is how she takes responsibility for her choices. Courage, sacrifice, patience, and forgiveness are other positive elements. Goodness shines brightest with sufficient darkness for contrast, and each book has enough shadow and violence for the distinction to be clear.

This was one of the books that I felt could have been longer because I was enjoying it so much. My only complaint was that I wanted a little more towards the end.

[Emma C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Oracle by K.B. Hoyle, Darcy Pennington and her five friends return to the alternate world of Alitheia with excitement, ready to continue their training in magic and warfare. Their plans change, however, when Darcy invokes a mysterious Oracle, and is forced to embark on a dangerous quest to receive the Oracle’s answer.

The broadening of Darcy’s inner landscape as she continues to mature is echoed in her physical journey across the kingdom. The Oracle is a questing story, with echoes of Tolkein’s Hobbit and Fellowship of the Ring. Like all good quests, there are some deliciously hair-raising adventures. My particular favorite is Darcy’s encounter with two dragons. Although these beasts often find their way into fantasy, you’ll rarely find them described so vividly. Read my full review here

[Karen Voitik · Rating 5 out of 5]

>Book Review – The Oracle
>I am an independent reviewer. This book is the 2nd in the Gateway Chronicles series and ends one adventure, but not plot. This story mainly stars 3 of the prophesized 6 – Darcy, Perry and Dean, as they journey to meet the Oracle for help understanding the prophesy. Actually, Darcy really just wants to know if “Intended” really means “must marry”. Every action has an unpleasant reaction, though, and there is great loss after the visit.
>The story takes up 1 year after the kids’ first visit. They meet up again at summer camp and prepare to go back to the parallel universe to continue to train. The characters in the fantasy land age a year, but the 6 just re-live their year. This is an interesting plot twist, as the boy king is only a child and much younger than Darcy. He will eventually surpass her in age. I love how the kids go through puberty, with their awkwardness and acne. It should be interesting when hormones kick in!
>This book is appropriate for an adult audience. I am giving this book 5 stars. The story is unique, the characters are all interesting and I can’t wait to see how everything ends up. There is so much going on with each of the 6.

[Orangetails · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO. STINKING. GOOD. But be warned, this author is not afraid to harm your favorite characters. Good thing I knew the plot twist already, since Pinterest is full of spoilers (that I may not may not have looked out up out of curiosity), but DANG. I love it though, how Darcy makes mistakes. I mean, it still makes me cringe, but to see her make mistakes, have to live with the consequences, and learn from them, is a wonderful sight to see in a protagonist. Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this book plot and character-wise, where everything developed nicely and there is definitely more tension brewing.

[Katt Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a PLOT!!!
What CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!
What a P L O T ! ! !
And the ChARacTErS!!!

I love a good journey story

You know how when you watch a tv show, the first season is always kinda just OK, but you watch it because it’s necessary to know the characters and background? The first book was kinda like that. But boy oh boy does she step it up a notch. She’s got me. Hook line and sinker.

Oh man, I have so many questions and concerns... if you need me I’ll be holed up for the next week binge reading the rest of the series.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

All right, I’ve ordered the rest of the series because I want to see how it all works out, so some things are working. However the main POV character continues to suffer from TSTL syndrome, repeatedly making the same kinds of mistakes that then endanger her and everyone else. Also, why should she be the only one with issues? But there’s still a lot to admire here. Book 3...

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this second installment of The Gateway Chronicles! This story was so very compelling. I really felt the emotions of the characters as they were going through their journey. I felt satisfied with the ending of the book, while at the same time looking forward to what’s to come in the next book.

[Jordan Agee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I left a pretty lengthy review on the first book, the gist is I love these books and I love that the characters are flawed in a way where I actually disliked Darcy (and a few others) at first but their growth causes you to just fall in love with them as the series goes on! Each book is better than the last.

[Ranaildo H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Better than the first

I loved this book! You fall in love with the characters in the first book and they become your family you look forward to seeing again. I was upset about the twist but I won't spoil it. I'm ready to start the next one!

[Rolanda Smith-Lyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! It was better than the first one. I have definately become a fan of K.B. Hoyle! I will continue on reading her series and I definately recommend her books for anyone who is a fan of fantasy stories.

[Corrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all the allegories in this. Tackling/teaching free will vs sovereignty for middle school students in an engaging way? That’s a huge bonus. Another great read from Hoyle! Excited for the next one.

[Madalyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is definitely a step-up from book one! I think the atmosphere and characters really make this story. The plot is definitely shaky, and I think it could be paced a lot differently. Overall though, it's cute.

I'm excited to see where the rest of the story goes!