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A review by soovailyn
Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell
4.0
Mini-Review:
Review covers both books in the Initiate Brother Duology
3.5 Stars for Narration by Elijah Alexander
4 Stars for Clever Prose (Fits within Asian Culture)
4 Stars for Brother Shuyun
3.5 Stars for Plot & Other Characters
The duology is a quiet story. There's political entanglements, fighting, betrayals, romance and spirituality but they are all posed in a composed manner with multiple layers.
I loved the elegant and visceral turns of phrases that gave several meaning and yet posed a singular visual. The story is like poetry in some ways and a historical recording in others. There's a lot of details provided to give you an idea of the world setting, the characters involved and the mental & emotional state of each.
Alexander has a great narration voice but the "character accents" detracted from the story. I laughed at one of them in this book because it was basically the normal speaking voice of Yoda. While his character voices threw me off a bit, I enjoyed the cadence of his regular narration and how it fit the story well there.
I think it missed the mark a bit on one of the main points but it was close enough to work for me. Religion and the paths of enlightenment are not simple ideas. It was more well done than not.
I enjoyed the handful of fighting & sex scenes that were in the books. They had great atmosphere and a clear emotion or image. Good examples of how you don't have to have pages to describe a moment or event.
The books are a thoughtful journey with great characters. I'm glad I took a chance and read these books.
Review covers both books in the Initiate Brother Duology
3.5 Stars for Narration by Elijah Alexander
4 Stars for Clever Prose (Fits within Asian Culture)
4 Stars for Brother Shuyun
3.5 Stars for Plot & Other Characters
The duology is a quiet story. There's political entanglements, fighting, betrayals, romance and spirituality but they are all posed in a composed manner with multiple layers.
I loved the elegant and visceral turns of phrases that gave several meaning and yet posed a singular visual. The story is like poetry in some ways and a historical recording in others. There's a lot of details provided to give you an idea of the world setting, the characters involved and the mental & emotional state of each.
Alexander has a great narration voice but the "character accents" detracted from the story. I laughed at one of them in this book because it was basically the normal speaking voice of Yoda. While his character voices threw me off a bit, I enjoyed the cadence of his regular narration and how it fit the story well there.
I think it missed the mark a bit on one of the main points but it was close enough to work for me. Religion and the paths of enlightenment are not simple ideas. It was more well done than not.
I enjoyed the handful of fighting & sex scenes that were in the books. They had great atmosphere and a clear emotion or image. Good examples of how you don't have to have pages to describe a moment or event.
The books are a thoughtful journey with great characters. I'm glad I took a chance and read these books.