The Initiate Brother & Gatherer of Clouds

The Initiate Brother (1991) Gatherer of Clouds (1992) Sean Russell

I love to re-read books. There is something about recapturing the joy they gave me the first time, that allows me to pick up some books again and again. But sometimes, time passes, and other books are read, until all that remains is the memory of enjoyment–when I go back to read a book, an occasional passage is familiar, but for the most part it is as if I am reading the book for the first time.

And that is an even bigger joy.

So it was with The Initiate Brother & Gatherer of Clouds. I read them for the first time in 1994, and although I loved them, for some reason I never got around to re-reading them.

I wonder whether if I wait another ten years to read them again, it will once more be like reading them for the first time?

These books are set in a fantasy Orient–a setting that I have to admit that I have a weakness for–and I love the details. But even more than the details I love the story. A young religious initiate making his way in the world, and despite his age, becoming advisor to a great Lord. It’s got religious intrigue, political intrigue and even a tiny bit of romance.

This book, like many others I love, seems to be fantasy only because it is set in a world that isn’t quite ours, although in many respects it may as well be. There are no magicians or elves or faerie and even the mystical creature that eventually appears appeals more to my love of science than my love of fantasy.

But even more than that it is his characters that are so wonderful, and their interactions remind me of what is real rather than what is ideal. There are countless stories where mortal enemies become allies and then friends as a result of a single event. More rare are the stories that strike me as far more true. Where feelings change in much the way a plant grows–slowly with little noticeable change from day to day. There is no sudden change of heart, only the slow changes that come with time, like falling out of love.

It is always difficult for me to write about books I love–for I want to describe the feeling the book gave me more than the story. Giving as few details as possible, so that someone else taking my recommendation would discover all the joy and details just as I did, with none of the secrets given away. This is why I tend to pick up books by author or my recommendation–I hate reading the blurbs on the backs of books. I want to enter the authors world knowing nothing, and learn facts as the author gives them, rather than getting the plot from a two paragraph synopsis.

So rather than burden you with details, I leave you instead with the recommendation to find this book and read it for the joy of discovery you’ll find when you do.
Rating: 9/10

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