Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell -- book review

Gatherer of Clouds takes up the story of the Shonto clan, the Botahists, and the empire of Wa where The Initiate Brother left off. In this book Shonto and his allies depart from Seh, followed by the Barbarian hoard. It is Shonto's plan to lead his forces to the place where the emperor's forces are gathering, then turn to face the Barbarian army.

Meanwhile, Brother Shuyun is growing closer to the Lady Nishima at the same time he is questioning the teachings of his Botahist brothers. Shonto's son is making a dangerous trip through treacherous mountain passes in winter, when he meets the mountain people (from whose language Shuyun's name was drawn.) In fact, many threads are drawn together in this second book, such that each of the characters we have come to know has changed or grown or met his or her destiny by the final page.

The conclusion to The Initiate Brother is compelling, beautifully written, and satisfying. For me, it was not quite as enjoyable as the first book, probably because so much of it is focused on the war between the Barbarians and the empire of Wa. The surprising conclusion (to the war and to the book) is both clever and seemingly inevitable.

For more information on the series and for links to similar books, see the previous post on The Initiate Brother.

http://booked4life.blogspot.com/2006/01/initiate-brother-by-sean-russell.html