My Rating: ★★★★☆

Author: Sean Russell

Narrator: Elijah Alexander

Length: 16 hrs 21 min

Publisher: Blackstone Audio

 

My Review:

Story: The Initiate Brother is an ambitious novel packed with intrigue and seasoned with plots and the promise of war. Sean Russell’s poetic approach at world building results in an environment with depth and texture that envelopes the reader until the very end.

Plots on plots inside of plots. There are a great deal of interesting machinations going on in the Kingdom of Wa. All of which build upon each other until the tension is thick. It seems that at any time there could be an assassination attempt or an ambush waiting just around the corner.

Unfortunately there really isn’t a lot of sword fighting going on in The Initiate Brother. I am a sucker for a good sword fight and I was fully expecting this novel to be packed with them. Maybe throw in a few throwing stars and some nunchucks, etc. Those were my expectations. What the reader actually gets from The Initiate Brother is something much different. Sean Russell takes the reader on an eloquent and poetic journey through the landscapes of the Kingdom of Wa all the while building a story that enlightens and intrigues.

Audio Production: This was my first exposure to Elijah Alexander. When I began this audiobook I felt like the pacing was a little too fast. However when I went back to refresh my memory I really couldn’t detect anything unusual. It is very possible that this feeling was simply caused by sensory overload. As I mentioned before, the world of The Initiate Brother is elaborate and it may have taken a while to get my bearings.

After the initial adjustment to the environment I became used to Mr. Alexander’s narration. Most of the characters were performed very well however several characters were given the annoying habit of drawing out the first word of a sentence. As you listen you get the impression that the characters are “slow”. Since most of these characters were very intelligent men responsible for the well being of the empire I am sure this was not intended.

Overall the narration and audio production work very well and keep the listener wrapped up in the story.

Overall: A great journey that leaves you wanting more. The Initiate Brother was extremely interesting and unique. Russell leaves you on the edge with an excellent cliffhanger that makes you want to jump right into the sequel Gatherer of Clouds

Disclosure: I received a review copy of The Initiate Brother from the publisher.

 

Get your copy of The Initiate Brother from one of the following sources: Blackstone Audio or Audible