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Cleareye
Out of place in his own home, Kaalev seizes a chance to journey south into the unknown with his sister Rina. Deaf yet possessing heightened senses, he faces a perilous forest during the expedition—his bid for belonging turning into a burden even to Rina. As challenges mount, Kaalev must not only struggle to prove himself, but also sate his desperate need to find his rightful place.
Cleareye is a standalone fantasy novella that takes place in the same world as the Awakening the Lightforged science-fantasy series, but hundreds of years before the cataclysm that nearly destroyed the world.
Cleareye is a standalone fantasy novella that takes place in the same world as the Awakening the Lightforged science-fantasy series, but hundreds of years before the cataclysm that nearly destroyed the world.
- GenresYoung AdultFantasy
90 pages, ebook
Published July 26, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 4, 2022
It's still rare to read a book where the central character has a disability and this book follows Kaalev as he searches both for acceptance and meaning in his life. The book also introduced a number of threads which are followed in Throne Of Darkness but can certainly be read as a standalone novella.
Interesting characters populate the book and the story really carried you along.
Short but very enjoyable
Interesting characters populate the book and the story really carried you along.
Short but very enjoyable
January 24, 2023
Finding a place to fit in
Welcome to the world of disabilities and disorders. Hang on a minute…who’s to say what is and what isn’t an disability or a disorder? People with only one way of communicating and people who have only one way of thinking? While I’m not deaf or hard of hearing, I do know that there are some aspects that hearing people do not enjoy. The cacophony of background noises can be distracting, yelling over distances in a crowd of people is considered rude, other senses increase in compensation, non-verbal communication can be more accurate, etc. I’d almost say that having to work around the limitations of hearing people forces the brain to work harder *and* smarter, therefore increasing creativity and other cognitive skills.
This book called to me (no pun intended) in relation to how my brain functions. The commonly-used misnomer is ADHD – Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, but I prefer to describe mine as Attention Inconsistency / Mental Hyperactivity. For education’s sake, hyperfocusing is NOT a deficit in attention and being able to think curvilinearly (from A to D to H then back to D) rather than merely linearly (A, B, C, D) [sometimes both!] is NOT a disorder. Low self-awareness plus Hyperfocusing plus interest-based attention plus “timeblindness” = not needing bio breaks for *hours* as we sort through and organize tons of really cool data for reports – stuff that the linear-thinkers don’t want to do (or cannot). Risk-taking = pioneers. Etc.
My point being (from the main character and from my life experiences) having a different way of functioning in the world does not mean that we are less. Each “group” such as non-hearing people or non-NeuroTypicals (adhd, autism, dyslexia, etc.) offer alternative methods based on alternative viewpoints. Hang on a minute…who’s to say what is alternative? I’ll bring up the urban legend of when Nixon was in China. In a conversation with one of its leaders, he called it the Far East – he was then asked, “East of what?”
So let’s start treating each other like we ALL have something to contribute.
A lesson for us all to not ‘let words get in the way’.
A much younger friend told me that she was going to teach her children sign language as use of our hands developed faster than language (vocabulary and syntax). An easier and more effective means of communication leads to fewer misunderstandings and temper tantrums!
I’m glad that the author incorporated his background in music. Perhaps, there’ll be a little more of that in ‘Throne of Darkness (Awakening the Lightforged #1)’?
Welcome to the world of disabilities and disorders. Hang on a minute…who’s to say what is and what isn’t an disability or a disorder? People with only one way of communicating and people who have only one way of thinking? While I’m not deaf or hard of hearing, I do know that there are some aspects that hearing people do not enjoy. The cacophony of background noises can be distracting, yelling over distances in a crowd of people is considered rude, other senses increase in compensation, non-verbal communication can be more accurate, etc. I’d almost say that having to work around the limitations of hearing people forces the brain to work harder *and* smarter, therefore increasing creativity and other cognitive skills.
This book called to me (no pun intended) in relation to how my brain functions. The commonly-used misnomer is ADHD – Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder, but I prefer to describe mine as Attention Inconsistency / Mental Hyperactivity. For education’s sake, hyperfocusing is NOT a deficit in attention and being able to think curvilinearly (from A to D to H then back to D) rather than merely linearly (A, B, C, D) [sometimes both!] is NOT a disorder. Low self-awareness plus Hyperfocusing plus interest-based attention plus “timeblindness” = not needing bio breaks for *hours* as we sort through and organize tons of really cool data for reports – stuff that the linear-thinkers don’t want to do (or cannot). Risk-taking = pioneers. Etc.
My point being (from the main character and from my life experiences) having a different way of functioning in the world does not mean that we are less. Each “group” such as non-hearing people or non-NeuroTypicals (adhd, autism, dyslexia, etc.) offer alternative methods based on alternative viewpoints. Hang on a minute…who’s to say what is alternative? I’ll bring up the urban legend of when Nixon was in China. In a conversation with one of its leaders, he called it the Far East – he was then asked, “East of what?”
So let’s start treating each other like we ALL have something to contribute.
A lesson for us all to not ‘let words get in the way’.
A much younger friend told me that she was going to teach her children sign language as use of our hands developed faster than language (vocabulary and syntax). An easier and more effective means of communication leads to fewer misunderstandings and temper tantrums!
I’m glad that the author incorporated his background in music. Perhaps, there’ll be a little more of that in ‘Throne of Darkness (Awakening the Lightforged #1)’?
December 3, 2024
I really liked this novella set in the world of Efruumani. The story itself takes place a long time before the events of the main books, showing a world that's not yet dying nor as divided as it seemed to be in the prequel story. I do believe it helps to have read something of the main series though to make it easier to understand the races and their powers as the novella simply can't dive into that as deeply as the full-length novels can. So I wouldn't recommend starting your journey in this world with the novella or the short stories.
This is the story of Kaalev, a deaf Samjati boy who feels lost in his own hometown as he feels like he is considered a burden and useless by others. He joins a group that includes his sister Rina who are all going on an expedition to the southern lands. And the challenges they encounter along the way push Kaalev towards figuring out who he could be.
It's a beautiful story about how perceived deficits or weaknesses can instead be something wonderful and helpful if put into a different perspective. It's also a story about communication and how it can make or break a situation.
Being from Estonia, I also loved the clear inspiration taken from Finnish and Estonian in the naming of these characters (well, the author may have mentioned this as well, so I feel certain in making this claim). Just a lovely little detail.
This is the story of Kaalev, a deaf Samjati boy who feels lost in his own hometown as he feels like he is considered a burden and useless by others. He joins a group that includes his sister Rina who are all going on an expedition to the southern lands. And the challenges they encounter along the way push Kaalev towards figuring out who he could be.
It's a beautiful story about how perceived deficits or weaknesses can instead be something wonderful and helpful if put into a different perspective. It's also a story about communication and how it can make or break a situation.
Being from Estonia, I also loved the clear inspiration taken from Finnish and Estonian in the naming of these characters (well, the author may have mentioned this as well, so I feel certain in making this claim). Just a lovely little detail.
May 25, 2023
The basics:
Kaalev exists in a world in which the sun is so prominent, everyone must be masked fully. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue… except Kaalev is deaf. He relies on lip reading and emotional expression to function throughout his day-to-day life. Kaalev’s inability to hear leaves him feeling lost and out of place in his hometown. To get a break from his hometown and to his purpose, Kaalev joins his sister’s expedition as a scout. After locating natives from another city, Kaalev’s inability to hear becomes his biggest strength as he uses sign to negotiate a deal between the two cities. By the end of the 80 page novella, Kaalev has accepted himself as he is and found strength in what he initially perceived to be a weakness.
My thoughts:
My younger sibling is deaf, so I absolutely loved and appreciated the representation of a deaf main character. The relationship between Rina & Kaalev reminded me so much of my relationship with my sibling. I’ve never encountered a deaf protagonist before, so this novella brought me so much joy. Additionally, this novella features incredible and immersive world building. There’s a lot of action packed into 80 pages, but the author also makes time to touch on themes of self discovery and acceptance as well. All in all, it was a great and quick read.
I highly recommend Spencer Russell Smith’s novella & I plan to read many more of his works!
Kaalev exists in a world in which the sun is so prominent, everyone must be masked fully. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue… except Kaalev is deaf. He relies on lip reading and emotional expression to function throughout his day-to-day life. Kaalev’s inability to hear leaves him feeling lost and out of place in his hometown. To get a break from his hometown and to his purpose, Kaalev joins his sister’s expedition as a scout. After locating natives from another city, Kaalev’s inability to hear becomes his biggest strength as he uses sign to negotiate a deal between the two cities. By the end of the 80 page novella, Kaalev has accepted himself as he is and found strength in what he initially perceived to be a weakness.
My thoughts:
My younger sibling is deaf, so I absolutely loved and appreciated the representation of a deaf main character. The relationship between Rina & Kaalev reminded me so much of my relationship with my sibling. I’ve never encountered a deaf protagonist before, so this novella brought me so much joy. Additionally, this novella features incredible and immersive world building. There’s a lot of action packed into 80 pages, but the author also makes time to touch on themes of self discovery and acceptance as well. All in all, it was a great and quick read.
I highly recommend Spencer Russell Smith’s novella & I plan to read many more of his works!
August 30, 2022
Loved this novella! Tremendous world building that I've seen so far in this story and his short story "Music of the Lights. " I am sooo looking forward to reading Awakening the Lightforged trilogy!
September 11, 2022
Great characters and nicely written. Well worth reading.
August 17, 2023
Really enjoyed this Novella!
October 3, 2022
An interesting science-fantasy short story that reads somewhere towards the younger end of YA with a definite but sweetly innocent boyish tone. Best read after starting the series it relates to (this is a stand alone story set in the same world as Throne of Darkness).
The story follows Kaalev, a blue-skinned, antlered scout with special "Auroramancer" powers that enhance all his senses... Except his hearing. He was born deaf, yet in his native lands of near-constant nighttime and frigid tundra he made a place for himself. Well, sort of. Feeling left out of society by all but his sister Rina, he follows her on an expedition south into the lands where the sun shines so harshly they must remain covered at all times. There in the humid jungles he comes to realize that what some of his people consider his weaknesses could actually be just the strengths they need.
While I did come to enjoy some of the story, it is however one full of strange names and terminology that make me feel like if I'd already read a book set in this world I would have appreciated it more as I spent most of the time trying to work out what things meant. There were several references to various races and places that had me scratching my head. Auroramancers, gemcrests, racial names, spirit-things called oruu, even the concept of half a world in darkness with the other half in light; I didn't feel like these ideas were introduced in a way a newbie birdbrain like myself could easily grasp.
It felt like a bit of a young tone to me, hence assuming it to be a MG to younger YA read. That's not to say it's bad, it just wasn't quite what I'd expected from the cover and that of the main series promo.
It's a story akin to a coming of age one, and I liked how we saw Kaalev's perspective on things considering how he was treated by his peers for being deaf. Some things came about rather easily but it's one of those uncomplicated reads that mixes up tense action sequences with slower scenes of the joys of finding friendship.
While the writing flows well, it had the "a bit" habit where the phrase is repeated so often I almost started keeping a count!
It's a good old fashioned adventure story with a dash of innocent romance and a certain hopeful naive charm that's sure to resonate with the right reader.
-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-
The story follows Kaalev, a blue-skinned, antlered scout with special "Auroramancer" powers that enhance all his senses... Except his hearing. He was born deaf, yet in his native lands of near-constant nighttime and frigid tundra he made a place for himself. Well, sort of. Feeling left out of society by all but his sister Rina, he follows her on an expedition south into the lands where the sun shines so harshly they must remain covered at all times. There in the humid jungles he comes to realize that what some of his people consider his weaknesses could actually be just the strengths they need.
While I did come to enjoy some of the story, it is however one full of strange names and terminology that make me feel like if I'd already read a book set in this world I would have appreciated it more as I spent most of the time trying to work out what things meant. There were several references to various races and places that had me scratching my head. Auroramancers, gemcrests, racial names, spirit-things called oruu, even the concept of half a world in darkness with the other half in light; I didn't feel like these ideas were introduced in a way a newbie birdbrain like myself could easily grasp.
It felt like a bit of a young tone to me, hence assuming it to be a MG to younger YA read. That's not to say it's bad, it just wasn't quite what I'd expected from the cover and that of the main series promo.
It's a story akin to a coming of age one, and I liked how we saw Kaalev's perspective on things considering how he was treated by his peers for being deaf. Some things came about rather easily but it's one of those uncomplicated reads that mixes up tense action sequences with slower scenes of the joys of finding friendship.
While the writing flows well, it had the "a bit" habit where the phrase is repeated so often I almost started keeping a count!
It's a good old fashioned adventure story with a dash of innocent romance and a certain hopeful naive charm that's sure to resonate with the right reader.
-I received a free copy of this e-book in a giveaway. This does not influence my review-
September 14, 2022
A highly entertaining, free to read 80-odd page novella reminiscent of The Witcher stories, which attempt to put a (slightly) new spin on old fantasy tropes, and delivers some great character building and interactions, while not being afraid to go in a slightly different direction with its storytelling.
However, while the world these characters move in eventually unfolds and becomes more clear, the early stages of the tale could have used some of the kind of world-building exposition which, sadly, authors (present company admittedly included) often regard as tell-don't-show; in this case, however, it would have helped the reader become fully immersed into the world right from the start, rather than pondering about certain important details (such as why some people in this world have antlers and appear to be half-deer, or what oorus are exactly, how many kinds there are and if only Cleareyes can see them, or why the world appears to have no seasons, and be permanently under a scorching sun.) These could easily have been subbed in for the entirely extraneous pronounciation guide, which has very little bearing on the story as a whole.
Still, a compulsively readable entry point into Smith's oeuvre, which does leave the reader hankering for more from this author - preferably with more information about the fantasy world he has created...
3.5/5, rounded up to 4/5
However, while the world these characters move in eventually unfolds and becomes more clear, the early stages of the tale could have used some of the kind of world-building exposition which, sadly, authors (present company admittedly included) often regard as tell-don't-show; in this case, however, it would have helped the reader become fully immersed into the world right from the start, rather than pondering about certain important details (such as why some people in this world have antlers and appear to be half-deer, or what oorus are exactly, how many kinds there are and if only Cleareyes can see them, or why the world appears to have no seasons, and be permanently under a scorching sun.) These could easily have been subbed in for the entirely extraneous pronounciation guide, which has very little bearing on the story as a whole.
Still, a compulsively readable entry point into Smith's oeuvre, which does leave the reader hankering for more from this author - preferably with more information about the fantasy world he has created...
3.5/5, rounded up to 4/5
March 3, 2023
Cleareye is a about a man with a disability struggling in the village but don’t want to abandon his sister by Spencer Russel Smith. The synopsis did a great job at telling you majority of the book as well as what to expect for an ending. Cleareye is a great read for anyone that loves a dystopian YA fiction about acceptance and family with disabilities.
May 30, 2023
Amazingly written, I couldn't put my phone down!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews