Sergei Lukyanenko’s works.

Tralosk, doesn't the plot involving the "Gates" from Star Shadow remind you of anything? It even repeats the overall concept!

Well, there are some parallels, certainly. Again, it's his ever-recycled hero. And the idea of "karma realized during one's lifetime" actually belongs not to him, but to the ancient Indian religion of Jainism... but I think these are all minor details. The depth of the questions raised by the author and the exploration of such an unconventional theme compensate for all the borrowings :) After all, no science fiction writer had explored this so thoroughly before him. And the word "Gates," including "Star Gates," is, of course, quite overused. But we're not talking about a transportation system here! It's practically an entire Universe... and one that is free of flaws. The author himself seems to have thought that it lacked the final touch of perfection – the freedom of choice – and he added a guild of merchants to the plot... but in my opinion, the idea is already quite perfect. All of a person's secret dreams, all of their obvious fears, all the impressions they have gained as a result of their actions – they all leave their mark on the subconscious. And the subconscious always knows which world is best suited for you. Star Gates simply help to make the natural process happen.