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A review by cleheny
Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell
4.0
The conclusion to Russell's duology is faster-paced than the first volume, The Initiate Brother, but does take a bit of time to get going. The barbarian invasion of Wa, which Shonto and his household realize is fast approaching, finally starts--but not before the majority of the lords of Seh mock Komawara for his insistence that the Great Khan has amassed an army of 100,000 warriors. Ultimately, Shonto and his allies--some newly awakened to the danger--retreat down the canal, back toward the Imperial Capital, where Emperor Akantsu II waits, convinced that Shonto is lying about--or at least grossly exaggerating--the barbarian threat in order to lead a rebellion against him.
Russell continues to pursue two major plots: (1) the barbarian invasion, Shonto's defense of Wa, and the Emperor's plan to destroy Shonto and (2) Brother Shuyun's spiritual journey, as he comes to full understanding of the corruption of his Order and the presence of the Teacher--someone who has achieved enlightenment and is prophesied to be a second Botahara (possibly his reincarnation). The two major developments--the war and the coming of the Teacher--are independent of each other; either could happen without the other, and neither is dependent on the existence of the other. But Shuyun is the bridge between them. It is his experience as Lord Shonto's Spiritual Advisor that brings him into contact with two teachers who prepare him for the Teacher--Shonto and his adopted daughter, Nishima. Shuyun's journey leads him to demonstrate even greater compassion than he shows in the first novel (though he's a good guy there, too), and it provides the means to resolve the invasion plotline.
For those who crave strategy and action, there is far more of it in this novel. For a time, Shonto pursues a strategy designed to delay the Khan's army and deprive it of food. But there are some battles, starting with the doomed defense of Rhojo-Ma, Seh's capital, and then a daring raid led by Komawara that is part of a larger strategic maneuver. But it all leads to the final confrontations between Akantsu and Shonto, and the barbarians and armies of Wa.
Russell has a lot of strengths. Most notably, his world-building is superb--detailed, rich with possibility, and internally consistent. His characters are, for the most part, well-drawn, with complex motives. Each has an interesting arc. There are a handful (Nishima, in particular) for whom some developments are relatively easy to predict, but others, such as Komawara and Sister Tesseko/Shimeko, are surprising. For Komowara, he achieves feats and recognition beyond that which he ever expected, but the cost is bitter. It is Sister Tesseko/Shimeko's decisions and fate that resonate with me. It is only late in the novel that we understand what she did, and, although it's never spelled out, it's clear that her decision came at great personal cost. It is also strongly implied that she imperiled her soul. And, yet, she could be considered the true savior of Wa.
In some ways, the two chief antagonists--Shonto and Akantsu--are the least complex characters. Both are engaging--I was never bored when they were on the page--and they are not single-dimensional. But both are, in essentials, the same men at the end of the novel that they were at the beginning. Akantsu, in particular, becomes a bit of a caricature of himself. Although the reader knows Akantsu is wrong about the relative threats posed by Shonto and the Khan, there are in-text reasons that provide some justification for him to persist in his error. But he never grows beyond it. It's not so much that I wanted to see him transform in character--he is fundamentally selfish and destructive in that selfishness. But he's not stupid, yet he never seems to intellectually grasp his error.
Nonetheless, Gatherer of Clouds brings the stories to powerful and frequently moving conclusions. This was only Russell's second published novel (The Initiate Brother was first), but it is so detailed, complex, and accomplished in execution that it feels as if it is the work of a more experienced author.
Russell continues to pursue two major plots: (1) the barbarian invasion, Shonto's defense of Wa, and the Emperor's plan to destroy Shonto and (2) Brother Shuyun's spiritual journey, as he comes to full understanding of the corruption of his Order and the presence of the Teacher--someone who has achieved enlightenment and is prophesied to be a second Botahara (possibly his reincarnation). The two major developments--the war and the coming of the Teacher--are independent of each other; either could happen without the other, and neither is dependent on the existence of the other. But Shuyun is the bridge between them. It is his experience as Lord Shonto's Spiritual Advisor that brings him into contact with two teachers who prepare him for the Teacher--Shonto and his adopted daughter, Nishima. Shuyun's journey leads him to demonstrate even greater compassion than he shows in the first novel (though he's a good guy there, too), and it provides the means to resolve the invasion plotline.
For those who crave strategy and action, there is far more of it in this novel. For a time, Shonto pursues a strategy designed to delay the Khan's army and deprive it of food. But there are some battles, starting with the doomed defense of Rhojo-Ma, Seh's capital, and then a daring raid led by Komawara that is part of a larger strategic maneuver. But it all leads to the final confrontations between Akantsu and Shonto, and the barbarians and armies of Wa.
Russell has a lot of strengths. Most notably, his world-building is superb--detailed, rich with possibility, and internally consistent. His characters are, for the most part, well-drawn, with complex motives. Each has an interesting arc. There are a handful (Nishima, in particular) for whom some developments are relatively easy to predict, but others, such as Komawara and Sister Tesseko/Shimeko, are surprising. For Komowara, he achieves feats and recognition beyond that which he ever expected, but the cost is bitter. It is Sister Tesseko/Shimeko's decisions and fate that resonate with me. It is only late in the novel that we understand what she did, and, although it's never spelled out, it's clear that her decision came at great personal cost. It is also strongly implied that she imperiled her soul. And, yet, she could be considered the true savior of Wa.
In some ways, the two chief antagonists--Shonto and Akantsu--are the least complex characters. Both are engaging--I was never bored when they were on the page--and they are not single-dimensional. But both are, in essentials, the same men at the end of the novel that they were at the beginning. Akantsu, in particular, becomes a bit of a caricature of himself. Although the reader knows Akantsu is wrong about the relative threats posed by Shonto and the Khan, there are in-text reasons that provide some justification for him to persist in his error. But he never grows beyond it. It's not so much that I wanted to see him transform in character--he is fundamentally selfish and destructive in that selfishness. But he's not stupid, yet he never seems to intellectually grasp his error.
Nonetheless, Gatherer of Clouds brings the stories to powerful and frequently moving conclusions. This was only Russell's second published novel (The Initiate Brother was first), but it is so detailed, complex, and accomplished in execution that it feels as if it is the work of a more experienced author.