Review of Gatherer of Clouds by Sean Russell

Before getting to the review of Gatherer of Clouds, it's worth briefly—briefly—summarizing Initiate Brother. Initiate Brother introduced the land of Wah and its paranoid Emperor who sought to play dangerous games in keeping the power of the Wah's largest house, House Shonto, in check. A handful of key actors on this stage were introduced and positioned on one side or the other, but the final chapters introduced still a third major player: barbarian tribes from the North, threatening to invade. Is the Emperor behind the barbarians in a ploy to eliminate House Shonto, and if yes, has he bitten off more than he can chew? Will Lord Shonto be attacked by barbarians from the North and the Emperor from the South? Will the land of Wah survive? Gatherer of Clouds (1992) answers these questions.

For readers curious if Gatherer of Clouds delivers on Initiate Brother, absolutely. It starts exactly where Initiate Brother left off, then only picks up momentum. No peaks and valleys. No hot and cold. Gatherer of Clouds just keeps moving steadily upwards and onwards til the stakes are fully in conflict. The barbarian threat fulfills itself, as does the struggle between the Emperor and Shonto. And there are several main character deaths. In short, any reader worried that Gatherer of Clouds does not deliver need not worry. Some writers spend two books getting the same quality substance from their stories.

I will digress for a brief moment and comment on the structure of Gatherer of Clouds. It's the second half of a duology. It isn't a trilogy with obvious amounts of filler to ensure there is three-books' worth of material. It's not yet another multi-volume series that some how keeps getting longer and longer with each sales success. It isn't a prequel series to another series which sits in a pocket universe which... Instead, it's clear, concise, not longer, not shorter than it needs to be. And in today's market, that's refreshing.

A comment on the climax (no spoilers) as there are a couple issues. One, it happens too abruptly. The reader has just read ~500 pages of foreshadowing escalation, build up, and here on the threshold... things change in a page. Two, it's not deus ex machina, but it is deus ex machina. It's not out of left field because Russell does lay the groundwork for what occurs. But it still feels like a cheap exit, like a boxer who gets a W for an opponent who DQ'ed. I can't go into detail without giving too much away, but overall the tip-top peak of the climax pulls its punch. It doesn't offer the replete catharsis a more Go-inspired climax would have.

Everything leading up to the climax and the extended denouement which follows do not pull their punches, however. Russell ensures all the key players have a final bow, for better and worse, and ensures the duology's titles finally have meaning. Good, as I had been worrying. Why has Russell titled the books after Shuyun when his presence is often off stage. There are reasons, which I will not spoil, but can say the reasons go a long way toward underpinning the Buddhist themes of the series, making it something substantial rather than tacked on. The reader will have certain feelings turning the last page, feelings which are only indirectly related to all the honor, loyalty, etc. that came before.

Which is a good time to comment on theme. Gatherer of Clouds confirms the duology's place on the epic fantasy shelf. Archetypal characters in fantasy kingdoms warring among themselves featuring honor, loyalty, duty, etc. It's Tolkien in the Orient in several ways. But where the series diverges, and diverges significantly, is that those themes are the top layer, the layer most visible throughout the story. The denouement reveals Russell's bottom layer, the layer that synergizes everything that has come before. Not a spoiler, it's Buddhism/zen philosophy. War and battle may sometimes be necessary, but compassion, understanding, wisdom, and other perennial values will always be necessary. Whether or not Russell's manner of coming to this point is cheesy will be up to the reader. I found it both classic and endearing, and not so simplistic as to make the eyes roll.

In the end, Gatherer of Clouds delivers on Initiate Brother, and then some. . Russell has a few additional surprises up his sleeve, subtle as they may be. Style remains unchanged, but it becomes clear why the novels' titles are tied to Shuyun the monk. Readers are rewarded in more ways than one.