The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan

Here is a summary with spoilers for the Pomegranate Gate

Naftaly Cresques is a young boy and tailor who sometimes struggles to distinguish reality from illusion. He often sees strange things in the streets, and his dreams feel disturbingly real. This ability runs in his family, but his father refuses to talk about it—only warning him to never speak any name aloud while dreaming.

Toba Peres is a brilliant young woman raised by her once-wealthy grandparents. Though her parents are long gone, her father’s final wish—to see her become the best—drives her forward.

One day, their peaceful village descends into chaos. The queen declares that every Jew must convert or face banishment. Forced to leave everything behind, the Jewish community begins to flee. Amid the turmoil, Naftaly experiences a powerful vision that causes him to pass out. When he awakens, he returns home to find it empty. Remembering an old book his father had hidden, he retrieves it before fleeing.

Toba also brings a precious item: a blue amulet she must never remove. At the border, soldiers notice the amulet and try to seize it. Naftaly witnesses this, and it's then they realize the soldiers are hunting specific items—an amulet and an old book. As Toba tries to escape, she falls into the mirror realm of Mazik, a land rife with political tension and on the brink of war with her own realm.

Naftaly is captured by mysterious men who are trying to figure out what happened to Toba, though they remain uncertain. Meanwhile, Toba’s grandmother Elena is searching for her. Naftaly is able to explain what he saw, and Elena realizes Toba has entered the mirror realm. Knowing they must wait for the next full moon to retrieve her, she secures passage aboard a ship.

In Mazik, Toba is found by an astronomer named Asmel, who explains where she is and that she won’t be able to return home anytime soon. He brings her to his home and introduces her to his friend Barsilay. Impressed by her intellect, they assign her to translate books. One night, bored and restless, Toba sneaks out and meets Asmel’s betrothed, who becomes violent, thinking Toba is a mistress. Before anything happens, the amulet breaks—releasing a burst of magic that knocks the woman out. Asmel rushes in and reveals that the amulet had suppressed Toba’s powers, and that one of her parents was not mortal. He warns her to hide—no one must know she is there.

Back in the mortal world, Elena and Naftaly must hide from the guards still pursuing Jews. They manage to stay at an inn, pretending to care for an elderly grandmother. But as the situation worsens, Elena resorts to drastic measures: she poisons Naftaly to mimic death, places him in a coffin, and sneaks him out of the city. She later reveals that his strange dreams are a trait shared by those of Mazik descent, and that he can use them to communicate with others and locate a gate to the mirror realm. Naftaly succeeds in doing so.

In Mazik, Asmel and Barsilay begin training Toba in magic, though she struggles. Her powers only emerge accidentally—she conjures fish, creates a double of herself (Toba Bet), and even binds a shade to her. Progress is slow, but steady.

At a royal event, Asmel presents Toba as his cousin. It goes well—until a mysterious man approaches Toba, makes her uncomfortable, and eventually casts a spell on her so she cannot speak of their conversation. He reveals secrets about her lineage before disappearing.

Toba and her double, Toba Bet, continue to study with Asmel and Barsilay. Toba learns a new language, while Barsilay reveals that he and Asmel disagree about how she should be trained. Eventually, Barsilay unlocks magical potential in Toba Bet—not Toba. They uncover Toba’s paternal lineage, allowing her to meet her father in a dream, but the effort exhausts her. Asmel is furious with Barsilay, and it becomes clear that Toba Bet—not the original Toba—possesses true magic.

Asmel begins speaking privately to Toba Bet, warning her that she may cease to exist once the real Toba awakens her own magic. Toba Bet, feeling fully alive, begins to question her right to exist. To help her understand, Asmel shares memories of his past.

Years earlier, Asmel had discovered evidence connecting all mirror realms, a revelation that threatened the ruling class. Along with Barsilay and his wife, he devised a plan: while his wife distracted the authorities, Asmel would present his findings. The plan failed—guards interrupted him, holding Barsilay hostage. Asmel’s wife was accidentally trapped in another realm, and Asmel awaited punishment. During this time, a little girl visited him in a dream—Toba.

As the full moon finally arrives, Naftaly enters the gate—only to find soldiers waiting. He flees back to the human world. Elena and Naftaly then abandon their original plan, seeking passage by boat. But during the voyage, they’re betrayed. Naftaly continues to speak with the man from his dreams, who appears increasingly desperate. Eventually, Naftaly is captured with the book in his possession. In a dream, he confesses to the man that he’s lost hope. The man tells him about a magical book that enables travel between realms. Naftaly reveals he has it. The man instructs him how to use it. When Naftaly wakes, Elena has subdued the guards, and they escape.

In Mazik, the situation grows dire. A royal, Tisdon, demands to marry Toba. Barsilay is imprisoned. To rescue him, Asmel and Toba send Toba Bet in Toba’s place to the wedding, knowing she may not survive. As they finalize the prison break, Naftaly and Elena arrive in Mazik. They reunite and share their stories. Naftaly uses his dream ability to reach Barsilay, telling him to contact Toba. Barsilay does, and Toba manages to rescue him—but becomes trapped herself.

Meanwhile, Toba Bet marries Tisdon. On the marriage contract, she writes her full name, giving Tisdon what he truly wanted, her full name. He kills her and sets his sights on the real Toba. Asmel rushes to save Toba, but in doing so, both are trapped in the human world.