Gatherer of Clouds (Initiate Brother)

ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.

Gatherer of Clouds is the sequel to Sean Russell???s The Initiate Brother, a story which is not so much about the Initiate Brother Shuyun, spiritual advisor to Lord Shonto, as it is about the entire Shonto household ??? a household that is seen as a threat by an insecure emperor. And with good reason, for Lord Shonto is an honorable, intelligent, and insightful man who has raised his children to be his equals and who has surrounded himself with a competent and loyal staff and several clever allies.

As the story opens, Shonto, governor of the northern province of She, is preparing for a massive barbarian invasion that the emperor refuses to believe in (since he only paid for a small invasion in order to get rid of Shonto). Should Shonto stay in the north, as ordered, and be wiped out by the barbarian horde? Or should he let his province fall and retreat toward the capital to raise an army that may have a chance to defeat the invaders? This latter option seems the only way to save the empire of Wa, but the emperor will certainly declare treason if Shonto starts recruiting soldiers. There are hard choices and harder sacrifices to make, not just for Shonto, but for everyone involved.

While reading Gatherer of Clouds, I was completely immersed in the lives of Lord Shonto, Brother Shuyun, Lady Nishima, Lord Komawara, and the Jaku brothers, as well as the beauty and elegance of their lifestyles. Each of Sean Russell???s diverse set of characters is vivid, unique, and realistic, and they all learn much about themselves and each other as the stress ramps up. Because we spend so much time with them, and because they feel so real, their inner struggles become our inner struggles. Would we be willing to sacrifice love for duty? When is it right to disobey (or murder!) a sovereign ruler? Are there times when it is better to kill than to heal? What is true religion and how do we recognize when it has become corrupt? When does loyalty become dishonorable? When principles conflict, how do we know which principle is highest? I found myself considering each of these questions as I read Gatherer of Clouds.

In addition to making us think about some tough ideas, Russell also shows us how legends are made. Every one of his characters has the potential to become either a hero or a villain, and Russell shows us that it???s our daily choices that add up to determine our destiny and how we???ll be perceived by history.

If you enjoy character-centered epic fantasy with lots of political intrigue, Sean Russell???s The Initiate Brother is a great choice. I listened to Blackstone Audio???s version and can recommend this format. This was my first experience with Sean Russell???s writing, but I???ll definitely be exploring more of his work in the future.

This book, while an interesting, well-thought out, deep tale suffers from a lack of knowledge of Japanese culture (on which it is 90% based) on the part of the writer.

Touted as set in a “magical fantasy Orient” (a word I personally despise), it tells the story of Brother Shuyun (from The Initiate brother), Lord Shonto (governor of the province of Seh) and a large cast of others as they discover and fight off a massive invasion by desert clans who live to the north. Claiming to the be the saviors of the Empire of Wa (via dethroning the Emperor), the desert warriors mount an attack in Seh first.

A tale of war, deception, trechery, bravery, battle, and mystic intrigue, it is a well written tale. Colorful and vivid, it will leave an impression on readers. Too bad it's marred by the lack of knowledge or disgarding of knowledge by the author. For this, it loses 2 stars.

reviews.metaphorosis.com

3.5 stars

Sent away from the capital in a nominal propmtion, Shonto Motoru finds the threat from barbarian tribes to be a very real danger to the Empire of Wa. The barbarians have support from unexpected places, and Shonto must decide how to respond, when any course looks like treachery to the suspicious Emperor. Shonto's Spiritual Advisor, the talented monk Shuyun, faces his own dilemmas as he questions aspects of his faith just as others look to him for guidance.

The prequel to this book, The Initiate Brother, was a vast, highly political book that succeeded through expert worldbuilding and a narrow focus on people. This book takes the relationships further, but with less success.

Russell has a lot to work with here - all those interesting characters he established in the first book, growing gradually more closely knit - and he does a lot with it. The individuals and their relationships remain a big draw, and Russell does an excellent job of showing larger events without ever losing his focus on the people affected by them. But the political side of the story simply went on too long for my taste. There's movement is more of troops than of spirits, and the logistical machinations take their toll. While Russell's choices are credible, after a while they cease to be interesting. This may be because he shifts his focus away from some of the action heroes of the first book, and more toward other, more social actors. Shuyun plays in both realms.

Disappointingly, Russell wraps things up fairly quickly (for a book this size), as if he recognized that he'd gone on too long. I'd have much preferred much less lead up, and a much longer winding down. That said, the books' central mystery is credibly explained, and Russell credits his readers with reasonable intelligence; there's a lot implied but unspoken, in line with the understated nature of the prose.

All in all, a good book and a good series. It's probably best read and purchased as a single volume. If you've read Russell's other (very good) books, you'll like this earlier work. If you haven't this is a good place to start. Recommended for anyone who enjoys subtlety in their fantasy.