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The Auralia Thread #1
Auralia's Colors
When thieves find an abandoned child lying in a monster’s footprint, they have no idea that their wilderness discovery will change the course of history.
Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling–and forbidden–talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar’s hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.
Auralia’s gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.
Auralia’s Colors weaves literary fantasy together with poetic prose, a suspenseful plot, adrenaline-rush action, and unpredictable characters sure to enthrall ambitious imaginations.
Cloaked in mystery, Auralia grows up among criminals outside the walls of House Abascar, where vicious beastmen lurk in shadow. There, she discovers an unsettling–and forbidden–talent for crafting colors that enchant all who behold them, including Abascar’s hard-hearted king, an exiled wizard, and a prince who keeps dangerous secrets.
Auralia’s gift opens doors from the palace to the dungeons, setting the stage for violent and miraculous change in the great houses of the Expanse.
Auralia’s Colors weaves literary fantasy together with poetic prose, a suspenseful plot, adrenaline-rush action, and unpredictable characters sure to enthrall ambitious imaginations.
334 pages, Paperback
First published September 4, 2007
65 people are currently reading
2651 people want to read
About the author
Jeffrey Overstreet
6 books240 followersMy name is Jeffrey Overstreet.
I am a teacher and a writer, and I travel all over the place speaking about creative writing, film criticism, fantasy, faith, and the power of play.
Sometimes I'm invited to teach creative writing courses and workshops. This brings me great joy.
Currently I am celebrating ten years working as communications specialist at Seattle Pacific University.
My dream? To someday have a full-time job teaching creative writing and film-related courses.
My other dreams? They've all come true.
These are my published novels, so far:
Auralia's Colors
Cyndere's Midnight
Raven's Ladder
The Ale Boy's Feast
This is my memoir of "dangerous moviegoing," published by Regal Books:
Through a Screen Darkly
This is my blog: Looking Closer with Jeffrey Overstreet
This is my Facebook page: http://facebook.com/jeffreyoverstreethq
This is my Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/jeff_overstreet
I grew up in Portland, Oregon. My father was a teacher there during that time, and my mother has worked as a teacher too... so I grew up in a world of educators.
My younger brother Jason is some kind of singer/songwriter/composer genius. He has a singing group called Rescue that continues to amaze and bless audiences everywhere. I'm proud of that guy.
My wife, Anne, comes from Roswell, New Mexico. (Insert alien-related joke here.) We just celebrated our 16th anniversary. She works as a gardener and a freelance editor, but her poetry is what really blows my mind. Read her book: Delicate Machinery Suspended. It's breathtaking. Really.
I've been writing books since before I started kindergarten. I think the first one was called "The Sea Monster," and it was full of scribbled drawings of a massive, fanged beast trying to swallow a little stick-figure man. I'm not sure what that represented, or if I identified with the man or the beast.
But, thanks to a whirlwind of events in 2005-06, and a few meetings that could only have happened through God's wild imagination, my first book was published: Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth, and Evil in the Movies (from Regal Books). It's a book about art, faith, and the way that a good movie can change the world. It's a memoir of sorts, but also a collection of meditations on great movies, and I include some excerpts from memorable interviews with filmmakers and movie stars.
I'm also a novelist. Auralia's Colors and its three sequels, Cyndere's Midnight, Raven's Ladder, and The Ale Boy's Feast, were published by WaterBook Press, a Random House imprint.
What is more:
I'm a contented resident of Shoreline (north end of Seattle, Washington).
I'm the contributing editor of Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine.
I've worked for decades as a film critic for a variety of publications including Paste, IMAGE, Christianity Today, Books and Culture, Risen and more.
I'm a trouble-prone follower of Christ.
I guess that'll do for starters. Any questions?
I am a teacher and a writer, and I travel all over the place speaking about creative writing, film criticism, fantasy, faith, and the power of play.
Sometimes I'm invited to teach creative writing courses and workshops. This brings me great joy.
Currently I am celebrating ten years working as communications specialist at Seattle Pacific University.
My dream? To someday have a full-time job teaching creative writing and film-related courses.
My other dreams? They've all come true.
These are my published novels, so far:
Auralia's Colors
Cyndere's Midnight
Raven's Ladder
The Ale Boy's Feast
This is my memoir of "dangerous moviegoing," published by Regal Books:
Through a Screen Darkly
This is my blog: Looking Closer with Jeffrey Overstreet
This is my Facebook page: http://facebook.com/jeffreyoverstreethq
This is my Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/jeff_overstreet
I grew up in Portland, Oregon. My father was a teacher there during that time, and my mother has worked as a teacher too... so I grew up in a world of educators.
My younger brother Jason is some kind of singer/songwriter/composer genius. He has a singing group called Rescue that continues to amaze and bless audiences everywhere. I'm proud of that guy.
My wife, Anne, comes from Roswell, New Mexico. (Insert alien-related joke here.) We just celebrated our 16th anniversary. She works as a gardener and a freelance editor, but her poetry is what really blows my mind. Read her book: Delicate Machinery Suspended. It's breathtaking. Really.
I've been writing books since before I started kindergarten. I think the first one was called "The Sea Monster," and it was full of scribbled drawings of a massive, fanged beast trying to swallow a little stick-figure man. I'm not sure what that represented, or if I identified with the man or the beast.
But, thanks to a whirlwind of events in 2005-06, and a few meetings that could only have happened through God's wild imagination, my first book was published: Through a Screen Darkly: Looking Closer at Beauty, Truth, and Evil in the Movies (from Regal Books). It's a book about art, faith, and the way that a good movie can change the world. It's a memoir of sorts, but also a collection of meditations on great movies, and I include some excerpts from memorable interviews with filmmakers and movie stars.
I'm also a novelist. Auralia's Colors and its three sequels, Cyndere's Midnight, Raven's Ladder, and The Ale Boy's Feast, were published by WaterBook Press, a Random House imprint.
What is more:
I'm a contented resident of Shoreline (north end of Seattle, Washington).
I'm the contributing editor of Seattle Pacific University's Response magazine.
I've worked for decades as a film critic for a variety of publications including Paste, IMAGE, Christianity Today, Books and Culture, Risen and more.
I'm a trouble-prone follower of Christ.
I guess that'll do for starters. Any questions?
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May 25, 2021
when i learned i would have to read christian fiction for this readers' advisory class, i thought, "booo" expecting it would be preachy and didactic and like my old CCD classes where we were talked down to and bored the whole time. but when i looked at the list of christy award winners/nominees, i realized i already owned this one (yayyy) because b/n just classifies it as general sci-fi/fantasy and i had no idea it was christian and i bought it because i liked the cover (here is where i am glad david is on sabbatical so i don't have to hear a litany of Why I Am Wrong. but this shade of blue... she soothes me.) so but i didn't know it was christian. and after reading it, i am still unsure. have i strayed too far from my flock to recognize christian values and themes?? i am genuinely puzzled. this just strikes me more as basic fantasy that a y/a audience would be perfectly comfortable reading, but i don't feel particularly christianized after reading it.
in fact, it seems to have a decidedly un-christian message. a quick breakdown:
so the people in this realm are asked to make sacrifices for the good and the glory of their king (but really more the materialistic queen, naturally). they are denied color, and must donate all they have that is colorful and beautiful to the castle. they are told that after a certain period of time, all will be restored to them... and more. why is this so?? doesn't matter, don't ask questions - the specifics don't matter. but so far so good, right??this seems fairly biblical. and after a period of toil and deprivation the reward will come in the form of color and joy and freedom and all will have been worth it.. but so one little girl (our heroine) manages to thwart this by finding all these colors in nature and making a cloak that is so beautiful and magical and wowing them all and making everyone doubt their subservience to rules that seem, and indeed are, arbitrary. so by being a wild flaunter she wins and gets to be the one everyone loves. is this what god is up to these days?? from what i remember, rules were not meant to be questioned, it is called "faith,"right?, and trust and obedience are kind of big deals in the gentile worldview.
someone set me straight on this. {jen fisher, light of my life, does a very good job of this in her comments on the thread}
this is exactly what happened when i read lewis' till we have faces, which i love like candy. i never understood why it was shelved in the christian inspiration section at b/n - this is a retelling of the psyche/cupid myth (or eros, depending on where you're calling from) but it at least offers up a recognizable christian theme: do not disobey. if your god/husband says "don't look at me, i'm hideous" and you do, and he catches you, there will be consequences. so, exactly the opposite of auralia.
there is one line that struck a religious chord: "If you allow Abascar freedom, some people will choose what they shouldn't...but take away that freedom and no one has the opportunity to choose what they should." so fine - yes - free will and all. but still - the impetus that led to this thought was still auralia's revolt. anyone read paradise lost? revolution is supposed to lead to banishment, not freedom and praise.
all "where's the christianity" aside, this book is probably fine, but it is most decidedly not for me. i don't read fantasy precisely for the things that are all over this book. too many "names" for creatures, people, lands... i just get lost in the unfamiliar. the prose seems overwrought and the story underwrought. for me, it's like the guy you try to avoid at work who means well, but if you get sucked into a conversation with them, you just let your mind wander a little until he has spent himself. kind, but dull.
come to my blog!
in fact, it seems to have a decidedly un-christian message. a quick breakdown:
so the people in this realm are asked to make sacrifices for the good and the glory of their king (but really more the materialistic queen, naturally). they are denied color, and must donate all they have that is colorful and beautiful to the castle. they are told that after a certain period of time, all will be restored to them... and more. why is this so?? doesn't matter, don't ask questions - the specifics don't matter. but so far so good, right??this seems fairly biblical. and after a period of toil and deprivation the reward will come in the form of color and joy and freedom and all will have been worth it.. but so one little girl (our heroine) manages to thwart this by finding all these colors in nature and making a cloak that is so beautiful and magical and wowing them all and making everyone doubt their subservience to rules that seem, and indeed are, arbitrary. so by being a wild flaunter she wins and gets to be the one everyone loves. is this what god is up to these days?? from what i remember, rules were not meant to be questioned, it is called "faith,"right?, and trust and obedience are kind of big deals in the gentile worldview.
someone set me straight on this. {jen fisher, light of my life, does a very good job of this in her comments on the thread}
this is exactly what happened when i read lewis' till we have faces, which i love like candy. i never understood why it was shelved in the christian inspiration section at b/n - this is a retelling of the psyche/cupid myth (or eros, depending on where you're calling from) but it at least offers up a recognizable christian theme: do not disobey. if your god/husband says "don't look at me, i'm hideous" and you do, and he catches you, there will be consequences. so, exactly the opposite of auralia.
there is one line that struck a religious chord: "If you allow Abascar freedom, some people will choose what they shouldn't...but take away that freedom and no one has the opportunity to choose what they should." so fine - yes - free will and all. but still - the impetus that led to this thought was still auralia's revolt. anyone read paradise lost? revolution is supposed to lead to banishment, not freedom and praise.
all "where's the christianity" aside, this book is probably fine, but it is most decidedly not for me. i don't read fantasy precisely for the things that are all over this book. too many "names" for creatures, people, lands... i just get lost in the unfamiliar. the prose seems overwrought and the story underwrought. for me, it's like the guy you try to avoid at work who means well, but if you get sucked into a conversation with them, you just let your mind wander a little until he has spent himself. kind, but dull.
come to my blog!
April 24, 2008
I actually bought this book on accident. I ordered a signed copy of Through a Screen Darkly, Jeffrey's reflections on films and movie-going (very highly recommended!), and he accidentally sent me a signed copy of Auralia's Colors. He graciously allowed me to keep his original shipment, AND sent me my original order. I told him to consider it a review copy.
So here's my review. I really liked it. There's been a lot of comment on the poetry of his language, with some loving it and some finding it somewhat overwritten. Put me in the former category. As I started reading the book I wanted to read it out loud because I enjoyed so much the way the words felt in my mind that I wanted to feel them on my tongue as well. There's a very strong chance that I'll add this book to my repertoire of read-alouds for my 8th grade class. The story itself is, to me, quite poignant. It reminded is somewhat of Guy Gaverial Kay's Tigana in the sense of loss that seems to penetrate the kingdom of Abascar, though to me the characters, especially the title protagonist, were quite a bit less conventional in Auralia's Colors.
Jeff's experience as a film critic has served him well, I think, in writing this book. The story is very VERY preoccupied with ideas and sentiments of art and beauty, fed I think by Jeff's love of movies and the way he's grown to appreciate what they do (again, explored wonderfully in Through a Screen Darkly. He really taps into some wonderful truths of God's gifts of art and creativity and beauty, which I think heightens the loss pervading this realm where beauty is verboten.
The one complaint I would have about the book is one that I often make about books with "intense" action sequences, and that is that I often get caught up in the action and read it too fast and end up missing details of what is going on. I do, however, think that this is more a problem with my reading habits and technique than a problem with the writing, as this is not at all the first time for me to experience this.
As you can see, I recommend this book highly to fantasy fans, but with the caveat that it is not "action packed." The book is quite a bit more contemplative and moves forward at leisure. This might frustrate readers looking for rapid plot advancement, but if you can relax and just enjoy the beauty on display you won't be disappointed. Definitely looking forward to book 2.
So here's my review. I really liked it. There's been a lot of comment on the poetry of his language, with some loving it and some finding it somewhat overwritten. Put me in the former category. As I started reading the book I wanted to read it out loud because I enjoyed so much the way the words felt in my mind that I wanted to feel them on my tongue as well. There's a very strong chance that I'll add this book to my repertoire of read-alouds for my 8th grade class. The story itself is, to me, quite poignant. It reminded is somewhat of Guy Gaverial Kay's Tigana in the sense of loss that seems to penetrate the kingdom of Abascar, though to me the characters, especially the title protagonist, were quite a bit less conventional in Auralia's Colors.
Jeff's experience as a film critic has served him well, I think, in writing this book. The story is very VERY preoccupied with ideas and sentiments of art and beauty, fed I think by Jeff's love of movies and the way he's grown to appreciate what they do (again, explored wonderfully in Through a Screen Darkly. He really taps into some wonderful truths of God's gifts of art and creativity and beauty, which I think heightens the loss pervading this realm where beauty is verboten.
The one complaint I would have about the book is one that I often make about books with "intense" action sequences, and that is that I often get caught up in the action and read it too fast and end up missing details of what is going on. I do, however, think that this is more a problem with my reading habits and technique than a problem with the writing, as this is not at all the first time for me to experience this.
As you can see, I recommend this book highly to fantasy fans, but with the caveat that it is not "action packed." The book is quite a bit more contemplative and moves forward at leisure. This might frustrate readers looking for rapid plot advancement, but if you can relax and just enjoy the beauty on display you won't be disappointed. Definitely looking forward to book 2.
October 14, 2008
First, a haiku review!
Despite invention,
Telegraph in stereo.
Good meat cooked too long.
___________
I had only heard good things about Jeffrey Overstreet's fantasy novel, Auralia's Colors. Which is, I'll state up front, not the best way to approach a text unbiased. I picked the book up expecting greatness and found only good-ness. I delved in hoping for something that would transcend its genre and discovered a novel mired in its genre.
Not that it's all bad. And neither is it at all bad. Auralia's Colors does make generous use of what for lack of a better term can be called faults.
First the bad.
The novel, like most of its kind, labours heavily under the burden of its forefathers. The stereotyped tropes of the genre are a cruel taskmaster under whose fell thumb Auralia and her colours never threaten to emerge. The themes are tired and overworn and I felt like I was reading any number of the fantasy books I grew up with as a kid. Many of the characters are mere caricatures and you know from the first page of their introduction exactly who they will turn out to be (I had hoped while reading that he would be turning these stereotypes on the reader, playing with and then dashing expectations, but alas...). The prose is overheated, wrought over and again in the forge of Overstreet's imagination. (I read the first couple pages to The Monk while she prepared herself a lunch and her response: "Hm, I think he's trying to hard.")
Randall Munroe (of XKCD) recently posited a helpful rule of thumb regarding these types of novels.
Auralia and her colours do suffer on this point—though not as much as they might. While Overstreet is not quite as imaginative world-builder as Phillip Pullman and doesn't have the master's grasp on the language as does Tolkien, he does tell a well-paced story. This is something at which Pullman, for all his imagination, utterly fails. Overstreet's characters who are less like the cardboard standees that populated the Suncoast Videos of yesteryear are engaging enough and I really did want to find out what would happen in the end. The climax to this first book was satisfying enough that I went to the library to see if they had the first sequel Cyndere's Midnight, but they didn't. And I'm not quite sold enough to actually purchase it.
As far as Fantasy goes, I'd put Overstreet far below Tolkien (but who isn't when it comes to fantasy), a bit below Feist and Rowling, far above Pullman (though my butt is also far above Pullman), and probably on a par with McCaffrey and nearly on a level with Lewis (though in fair disclosure, I'm not the biggest fan of Lewis). Of course, this is his first novel and some authors have been known to hone their craft as they go.
Despite invention,
Telegraph in stereo.
Good meat cooked too long.
___________
I had only heard good things about Jeffrey Overstreet's fantasy novel, Auralia's Colors. Which is, I'll state up front, not the best way to approach a text unbiased. I picked the book up expecting greatness and found only good-ness. I delved in hoping for something that would transcend its genre and discovered a novel mired in its genre.
Not that it's all bad. And neither is it at all bad. Auralia's Colors does make generous use of what for lack of a better term can be called faults.
First the bad.
The novel, like most of its kind, labours heavily under the burden of its forefathers. The stereotyped tropes of the genre are a cruel taskmaster under whose fell thumb Auralia and her colours never threaten to emerge. The themes are tired and overworn and I felt like I was reading any number of the fantasy books I grew up with as a kid. Many of the characters are mere caricatures and you know from the first page of their introduction exactly who they will turn out to be (I had hoped while reading that he would be turning these stereotypes on the reader, playing with and then dashing expectations, but alas...). The prose is overheated, wrought over and again in the forge of Overstreet's imagination. (I read the first couple pages to The Monk while she prepared herself a lunch and her response: "Hm, I think he's trying to hard.")
Randall Munroe (of XKCD) recently posited a helpful rule of thumb regarding these types of novels.
Auralia and her colours do suffer on this point—though not as much as they might. While Overstreet is not quite as imaginative world-builder as Phillip Pullman and doesn't have the master's grasp on the language as does Tolkien, he does tell a well-paced story. This is something at which Pullman, for all his imagination, utterly fails. Overstreet's characters who are less like the cardboard standees that populated the Suncoast Videos of yesteryear are engaging enough and I really did want to find out what would happen in the end. The climax to this first book was satisfying enough that I went to the library to see if they had the first sequel Cyndere's Midnight, but they didn't. And I'm not quite sold enough to actually purchase it.
As far as Fantasy goes, I'd put Overstreet far below Tolkien (but who isn't when it comes to fantasy), a bit below Feist and Rowling, far above Pullman (though my butt is also far above Pullman), and probably on a par with McCaffrey and nearly on a level with Lewis (though in fair disclosure, I'm not the biggest fan of Lewis). Of course, this is his first novel and some authors have been known to hone their craft as they go.
February 5, 2015
I'm lost. I'm so lost.
Fantasy is a hard genre to write. Not many authors can succeed in writing it. To write it you have to be crazy detailed--because what the author is creating is just that! Some they're creating. I'm not in your head! I can't picture what you think! Sadly, I don't think this author succeed in sharing.
I'd like to start off with that I saw/read no Christian content at all. There was the whole "Keeper" creature which at first could pass as God but by the end you know it as a odd creature with different elements that equal a monster. But then you don't even know if "the Keeper" or the "Northchildren" are real.
Who reading this was confused by that paragraph? Yeah, it didn't make sense in the book either.
Here's the overview on the writing style: Choppy; typos; told in the weirdest form of narration I've ever read (the author was trying to be whimsical, it sure didn't come across that way, following every character you meet. Or haven't. Doesn't matter.); storyline was confusing; thought a person was dead? Oh, jk, nah, he's alive and kicking; names NOBODY can pronounce (where is that guide! Lisa T. Bergren was nice enough to include a pronunciation guide in her fantasy/Dystopia! I swear, this author made up these names! For everything! I still don't know what a "vawn" is. (The author didn't share what was in his mind!)
The fighting, killing, torturing, fires and blood all went up to detailed. Lots of drinking (and it was looked upon as a great thing to do). For the Minor cussing there was: a 'bloody', two 'stupid's, two forms of 'shut up', three 'dumb's and six 'blasted's. Curses were also said but not written. Oh, and "ballyworms" was said four times (which I have absolutely no clue what is means, just that it was said like a curse.And that my spell-check has a red line under it.)
For the sexual content there was quite a lot of sexual hints. Like when a thieve stole another man's wife, touched, kissed and "cuddled" with her to have her wake up beside him wearing less clothes. There also was the Queen who basically tried to seduce two of her husband's (the King's) men into helping her remove the colors from the land. (I don't know, don't ask me, I'm ready to throw this book.)
Oh, don't even get me started on the magic and the colors and healing powers of said colors that only Auralia can weave. (Yes, spell-check, I know "Auralia" isn't a word. Just like all the other names this author has in his book.)
So. Moral of this review? I'm still so confused about what I just read and am currently feeling like this:
Fantasy is a hard genre to write. Not many authors can succeed in writing it. To write it you have to be crazy detailed--because what the author is creating is just that! Some they're creating. I'm not in your head! I can't picture what you think! Sadly, I don't think this author succeed in sharing.
I'd like to start off with that I saw/read no Christian content at all. There was the whole "Keeper" creature which at first could pass as God but by the end you know it as a odd creature with different elements that equal a monster. But then you don't even know if "the Keeper" or the "Northchildren" are real.
Who reading this was confused by that paragraph? Yeah, it didn't make sense in the book either.
Here's the overview on the writing style: Choppy; typos; told in the weirdest form of narration I've ever read (the author was trying to be whimsical, it sure didn't come across that way, following every character you meet. Or haven't. Doesn't matter.); storyline was confusing; thought a person was dead? Oh, jk, nah, he's alive and kicking; names NOBODY can pronounce (where is that guide! Lisa T. Bergren was nice enough to include a pronunciation guide in her fantasy/Dystopia! I swear, this author made up these names! For everything! I still don't know what a "vawn" is. (The author didn't share what was in his mind!)
The fighting, killing, torturing, fires and blood all went up to detailed. Lots of drinking (and it was looked upon as a great thing to do). For the Minor cussing there was: a 'bloody', two 'stupid's, two forms of 'shut up', three 'dumb's and six 'blasted's. Curses were also said but not written. Oh, and "ballyworms" was said four times (which I have absolutely no clue what is means, just that it was said like a curse.
For the sexual content there was quite a lot of sexual hints. Like when a thieve stole another man's wife, touched, kissed and "cuddled" with her to have her wake up beside him wearing less clothes. There also was the Queen who basically tried to seduce two of her husband's (the King's) men into helping her remove the colors from the land. (I don't know, don't ask me, I'm ready to throw this book.)
Oh, don't even get me started on the magic and the colors and healing powers of said colors that only Auralia can weave. (Yes, spell-check, I know "Auralia" isn't a word. Just like all the other names this author has in his book.)
So. Moral of this review? I'm still so confused about what I just read and am currently feeling like this:
March 10, 2010
I'm never quite sure what to expect from fiction by an author of Christian faith... for every wonderful reading experience (like Stephen Lawhead's Celtic Crusades or C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia), there are numerous slogs through preachy & cliched schlock. (Insert obligatory reference to the Left Behind books here.) It's a little like Tim Burton films - you never know when an "Edward Scissorhands" is going to bloom amongst a field of weeds like "Batman Returns" and "Planet of the Apes."
It helps, of course, when you trust the author as someone who appreciates story & subtlety, which is certainly true of Jeffery Overstreet. As a long-time reader of his articles & reviews at ChristianityTodayMovies.com and his blog, LookingCloser.org, I was excited to find his first book, Through A Screen Darkly, which is a series of essays on movie-going & faith.
So when Mr. Overstreet released the first book in The Auralia Thread series, Auralia's Colors, I... checked it out from the library & felt really guilty about not reading it. Yeah, I know, that wasn't the story I wanted to tell either, but it's the truth. I'm not sure what kept me from digging into the first novel - some of the reviews I'd read made it sound "artsy" and I never managed to pick it up and get into it before I had to return it.
Fast forward a couple of years to the early part of 2010 when I agreed to blog/review Raven's Ladder, the third book in the series. I quickly realized that I didn't want to read book 3 before I read the first two books. So, for the past couple of weeks, I've carted around The Auralia Thread books and read them whenever I could... waiting for my boys at the park, taking a break at work, even squinting at them by the light of a bedside lamp.
Yes, the books are that good.
It's my assignment to review Raven's Ladder... a task which I'm finding daunting. I want to try & paint a picture of the book (and the series that leads up to it) without spoiling the joy of discovery that comes from reading a fantasy series set in a new world. I hope to get you to pick up Auralia's Colors and find yourself swept up by Jeffery Overstreet's beautifully crafted descriptions & plotting... leading inexorably to you buying all three books.
As I've thought about how to do this, I realized that The Auralia Thread reminds me of the TV series, "Lost." No, there's not an airline crash or a smoke monster or even a four-toed statue... but Mr. Overstreet uses the same kind of cinematic style of storytelling to move his plot forward. We get to see important moments from the viewpoints of different characters. Hints are dropped & questions are raised at odd moments that pay off chapters (or sometimes even books) later. The author, much like the writers on "Lost," isn't afraid to kill off characters or radically alter their lives rather than simply pander to our desires for things to be tied up in a simplistic package.
And while the story has definite philosophical & spiritual themes (esp. the relationship of art & faith), those themes don't seem to drive the plot. Instead, they flow out of the natural development of the characters and their lives.
Importantly for me, this is NOT a Christian allegory. Playing the "who's the Christ figure?" game with Christian-penned fantasy novels quickly grows tiresome and takes me out of the book and into "theology debate" mode. Jeffery Overstreet deftly avoids this while still dealing with questions about blind faith, the relationship of art & theology, legalism & freedom, desire as the arbiter of truth, and a plethora of other important themes.
I realize that writing about "serious themes" is likely to turn off some readers. I wonder if my initial hesitation to read Auralia's Colors has to do with other reviewers writing similar things. Pleased, give the story a chance... let the wonder & mystery of this fascinating fantasy world pull you in.
Some specific notes about Auralia's Colors:
•The book doesn't explain everything to start with... it allows you to discover the world in flashes & scenes rather than through long pages of exposition. I like that.
•Don't try & fit standard "Christian fiction" templates over this - it won't work & it will just frustrate you in the process.
•I actually like this book better in retrospect (after reading the next two novels in the series). I love that Jeffery Overstreet allowed themes & storylines to play out over time and didn't feel compelled to tie up all the loose ends in the first book.
It's probably no surprise that I recommend this book (well, the whole series) heartily!
NOTE: this is a slightly edited copy of my review for Raven's Ladder.
It helps, of course, when you trust the author as someone who appreciates story & subtlety, which is certainly true of Jeffery Overstreet. As a long-time reader of his articles & reviews at ChristianityTodayMovies.com and his blog, LookingCloser.org, I was excited to find his first book, Through A Screen Darkly, which is a series of essays on movie-going & faith.
So when Mr. Overstreet released the first book in The Auralia Thread series, Auralia's Colors, I... checked it out from the library & felt really guilty about not reading it. Yeah, I know, that wasn't the story I wanted to tell either, but it's the truth. I'm not sure what kept me from digging into the first novel - some of the reviews I'd read made it sound "artsy" and I never managed to pick it up and get into it before I had to return it.
Fast forward a couple of years to the early part of 2010 when I agreed to blog/review Raven's Ladder, the third book in the series. I quickly realized that I didn't want to read book 3 before I read the first two books. So, for the past couple of weeks, I've carted around The Auralia Thread books and read them whenever I could... waiting for my boys at the park, taking a break at work, even squinting at them by the light of a bedside lamp.
Yes, the books are that good.
It's my assignment to review Raven's Ladder... a task which I'm finding daunting. I want to try & paint a picture of the book (and the series that leads up to it) without spoiling the joy of discovery that comes from reading a fantasy series set in a new world. I hope to get you to pick up Auralia's Colors and find yourself swept up by Jeffery Overstreet's beautifully crafted descriptions & plotting... leading inexorably to you buying all three books.
As I've thought about how to do this, I realized that The Auralia Thread reminds me of the TV series, "Lost." No, there's not an airline crash or a smoke monster or even a four-toed statue... but Mr. Overstreet uses the same kind of cinematic style of storytelling to move his plot forward. We get to see important moments from the viewpoints of different characters. Hints are dropped & questions are raised at odd moments that pay off chapters (or sometimes even books) later. The author, much like the writers on "Lost," isn't afraid to kill off characters or radically alter their lives rather than simply pander to our desires for things to be tied up in a simplistic package.
And while the story has definite philosophical & spiritual themes (esp. the relationship of art & faith), those themes don't seem to drive the plot. Instead, they flow out of the natural development of the characters and their lives.
Importantly for me, this is NOT a Christian allegory. Playing the "who's the Christ figure?" game with Christian-penned fantasy novels quickly grows tiresome and takes me out of the book and into "theology debate" mode. Jeffery Overstreet deftly avoids this while still dealing with questions about blind faith, the relationship of art & theology, legalism & freedom, desire as the arbiter of truth, and a plethora of other important themes.
I realize that writing about "serious themes" is likely to turn off some readers. I wonder if my initial hesitation to read Auralia's Colors has to do with other reviewers writing similar things. Pleased, give the story a chance... let the wonder & mystery of this fascinating fantasy world pull you in.
Some specific notes about Auralia's Colors:
•The book doesn't explain everything to start with... it allows you to discover the world in flashes & scenes rather than through long pages of exposition. I like that.
•Don't try & fit standard "Christian fiction" templates over this - it won't work & it will just frustrate you in the process.
•I actually like this book better in retrospect (after reading the next two novels in the series). I love that Jeffery Overstreet allowed themes & storylines to play out over time and didn't feel compelled to tie up all the loose ends in the first book.
It's probably no surprise that I recommend this book (well, the whole series) heartily!
NOTE: this is a slightly edited copy of my review for Raven's Ladder.
September 17, 2011
Yet again,a book I desperately wanted to like but didn't (sorry, Jeff!). The premise sounded intriguing: the king of Abascar, a kind of city-state, decrees that all things of color and beauty be "donated" to the castle and everyone will from then on wear only shades of grey and brown ("Abascar's Winter"). At some indeterminate point in the future, he promises that all will be returned to the people and Abascar will be brighter and more beautiful than ever ("Abascar's Spring"). But one young woman, a mysterious foundling raised by the Gatherers (men and women exiled for petty crimes; they live outside Abascar's walls and hope to be readmitted at the annual Testing), knows how to draw colors from nature and create beautiful things for her friends. Auralia's colors eventually spark (literally) changes in the city.
OK, so far so good. But the author leaves massive holes EVERYWHERE. Explanations, if given at all, are so thin as to be transparent. Why would the people agree to this nonsense? What's his motivation in the decree (come to that, what are ANY of the characters' motivations)? Why isn't there a thriving black market in colorful stuff from the other cities? Who are these Beastmen and why haven't they been stamped out long ago by the other cities? Why was Jaralaine so unhappy and why on earth is she being held prisoner by them??? What the hell is wrong with the King all these years? Why is the annual event called the Testing when nobody is tested? Why was Scharr ben Fray exiled? Why does Stricia completely lose it when she finds out she doesn't get to be Princess? What are these Northchildren and are they real or imaginary? WTF is this Keeper that everyone dreams about and why does he, or it, even matter? Then there is the very bizarre denouement of the story which a) is way too melodramatic, b) makes no sense whatsoever, and c) has nothing to do with Auralia or her colors! (It's all down to jealousy and the fact that alcohol is flammable.)
Worst of all, the central pivot of the story -- the fact that Auralia's colors have some kind of magical power -- is only ever mentioned in passing!! She has no idea that they do (in fact she says they don't). The first time it's mentioned is third hand, when one of the Gatherers says that so-and-so's breathing was better when he wore a yellow scarf that Auralia made for him. Why didn't so-and-so himself mention it? Or better yet, why didn't we see this happen?
Everything that happens in the story has this same third-hand feel to it, as if the most fascinating bits are happening off screen and we only get glimpses of them or hear about them later. The author invents weirdly-named animals and plants for no apparent reason (vawns? why not just have them ride horses like normal people??). The characters are paper cut-outs, one-dimensional and cliche: the mad king, the noble prince, the stalwart and loyal soldier, the mysterious foundling, the exiled wise counselor. The fact that the most interesting and complex character in the whole book is the guy who tortures people in the dungeon, who appears for a total of about 5 pages, should tell you how limp and pale the rest of them are.
I ended up just skimming the last hundred pages. I won't be reading the others.
OK, so far so good. But the author leaves massive holes EVERYWHERE. Explanations, if given at all, are so thin as to be transparent. Why would the people agree to this nonsense? What's his motivation in the decree (come to that, what are ANY of the characters' motivations)? Why isn't there a thriving black market in colorful stuff from the other cities? Who are these Beastmen and why haven't they been stamped out long ago by the other cities? Why was Jaralaine so unhappy and why on earth is she being held prisoner by them??? What the hell is wrong with the King all these years? Why is the annual event called the Testing when nobody is tested? Why was Scharr ben Fray exiled? Why does Stricia completely lose it when she finds out she doesn't get to be Princess? What are these Northchildren and are they real or imaginary? WTF is this Keeper that everyone dreams about and why does he, or it, even matter? Then there is the very bizarre denouement of the story which a) is way too melodramatic, b) makes no sense whatsoever, and c) has nothing to do with Auralia or her colors! (It's all down to jealousy and the fact that alcohol is flammable.)
Worst of all, the central pivot of the story -- the fact that Auralia's colors have some kind of magical power -- is only ever mentioned in passing!! She has no idea that they do (in fact she says they don't). The first time it's mentioned is third hand, when one of the Gatherers says that so-and-so's breathing was better when he wore a yellow scarf that Auralia made for him. Why didn't so-and-so himself mention it? Or better yet, why didn't we see this happen?
Everything that happens in the story has this same third-hand feel to it, as if the most fascinating bits are happening off screen and we only get glimpses of them or hear about them later. The author invents weirdly-named animals and plants for no apparent reason (vawns? why not just have them ride horses like normal people??). The characters are paper cut-outs, one-dimensional and cliche: the mad king, the noble prince, the stalwart and loyal soldier, the mysterious foundling, the exiled wise counselor. The fact that the most interesting and complex character in the whole book is the guy who tortures people in the dungeon, who appears for a total of about 5 pages, should tell you how limp and pale the rest of them are.
I ended up just skimming the last hundred pages. I won't be reading the others.
June 1, 2008
She was discovered covered in mud on the banks of the Thronscalle River, a mere child not more than "two seasons", according to Krawg, a Gatherer. He and his partner, one-eyed Warney, discovered the mysterious child while investigating the ruckus produced by a flock of crows. Their unexpected find puts them in a bind. They are Gatherers, outcasts from House Abascar, forced to live outside the protective walls of kingdom until their criminal sentences have been repaid and grace is granted to them by King Cal-marcus.
If the two known as the "One-Eyed Bandit" and the "Midnight Swindler" turn her over to a duty officer, they'll be accused of kidnapping, with punishment in the dungeons to follow. But if they leave her where she is, which they have ascertained is within a large footprint, one of the toes to be exact, then a duty officer will ride over top of her and "stomp her into the ground". So the two old thieves do the only thing that is left. They take the baby back to the Gatherers' village and hide her. That one small act is like a pebble thrown into a pond. As the ripples emanate outward, they will grow in strength, changing the Gatherers, House Abascar and reaching into the Expanse.
"River Girl" is the first moniker bestowed upon the orphan by the Gatherers. But a typical Gatherer child she is not. As she grows, she spends more and more of her time away from the village, exploring the Expanse and learning its secrets. She balks at her guardians' expectations she'll follow the traditions of House Abascar, especially the Rites of Passage. A free spirit, she can't fathom life within the kingdom's grim walls. But there is more to the river child, now called Auralia. She has a talent unknown to the Gatherers, or to any in Abascar. Her nimble fingers weave vibrant colors into whatever she touches, bringing joy and hope into the drab lives of her fellow villagers. An act that defies the laws of House Abascar.
Only the king is allowed to possess color. Years ago, Queen Jarlamine issued a proclamation declaring all colors the property of the palace. Citizens sacrificing the most during Abascar's "Winter" would be greatly rewarded at the time of its "Spring." But before the "spring", the Queen had vanished, leaving House Abascar and its lands trapped in perpetual "winter." Now word of the mysterious girl and her talent has spread. Will the king be able to maintain his rule over the people as Auralia's colors begin to awaken the memories of promises made, but never fulfilled?
Auralia's Colors is the strong, well-crafted debut novel by Jeffrey Overstreet. This is a story about loss and of hope, of the conflict that ensues when self-preservation and self-interest collide with self-sacrifice. Mr. Overstreet's talent shines on these pages. His poetic way with words brings his characters alive on the pages, within a world vivid enough the reader forgets its fiction. This book has earned a place on my keeper shelf, with enough space reserved for the rest of the series.
first posted at infuzemag.com
If the two known as the "One-Eyed Bandit" and the "Midnight Swindler" turn her over to a duty officer, they'll be accused of kidnapping, with punishment in the dungeons to follow. But if they leave her where she is, which they have ascertained is within a large footprint, one of the toes to be exact, then a duty officer will ride over top of her and "stomp her into the ground". So the two old thieves do the only thing that is left. They take the baby back to the Gatherers' village and hide her. That one small act is like a pebble thrown into a pond. As the ripples emanate outward, they will grow in strength, changing the Gatherers, House Abascar and reaching into the Expanse.
"River Girl" is the first moniker bestowed upon the orphan by the Gatherers. But a typical Gatherer child she is not. As she grows, she spends more and more of her time away from the village, exploring the Expanse and learning its secrets. She balks at her guardians' expectations she'll follow the traditions of House Abascar, especially the Rites of Passage. A free spirit, she can't fathom life within the kingdom's grim walls. But there is more to the river child, now called Auralia. She has a talent unknown to the Gatherers, or to any in Abascar. Her nimble fingers weave vibrant colors into whatever she touches, bringing joy and hope into the drab lives of her fellow villagers. An act that defies the laws of House Abascar.
Only the king is allowed to possess color. Years ago, Queen Jarlamine issued a proclamation declaring all colors the property of the palace. Citizens sacrificing the most during Abascar's "Winter" would be greatly rewarded at the time of its "Spring." But before the "spring", the Queen had vanished, leaving House Abascar and its lands trapped in perpetual "winter." Now word of the mysterious girl and her talent has spread. Will the king be able to maintain his rule over the people as Auralia's colors begin to awaken the memories of promises made, but never fulfilled?
Auralia's Colors is the strong, well-crafted debut novel by Jeffrey Overstreet. This is a story about loss and of hope, of the conflict that ensues when self-preservation and self-interest collide with self-sacrifice. Mr. Overstreet's talent shines on these pages. His poetic way with words brings his characters alive on the pages, within a world vivid enough the reader forgets its fiction. This book has earned a place on my keeper shelf, with enough space reserved for the rest of the series.
first posted at infuzemag.com
December 19, 2008
Two Gatherer thieves find an abandoned child lying in a massive footprint near the river. They take the girl back to the village where she grows up wild and mysterious amongst the Gatherers, those unworthy of living inside the walls of House Abascar. The girl, Auralia, has a unique gift, the ability to weave breathtaking colors from the world around her. When Queen Jaralaine issues a proclamation that sends all of House Abascar into a colorless season of winter, Auralia’s gift becomes illegal.
As Abascar’s Winter stretches year after year Auralia grows up, nearing the age of sixteen when all enter House Abascar for the Rites of Privilege to show what gifts they might offer the kingdom. As the Rites draw near, Auralia must decide if she will go and reveal her gift to the king or if she will remain safely hidden in the forest all her days. Either way, her choice could mean the end of life as she knows it.
Auralia’s Colors was a unique book. The writing was beautiful. I couldn’t read it as fast as I like to read. It had many point of views, but the author brought them all together in the end in a wonderful way that fulfilled most of the plot lines, but left several dangling so that I have to read the next book to find out what happens. It was entertaining, creative, and unique. Recommended.
As Abascar’s Winter stretches year after year Auralia grows up, nearing the age of sixteen when all enter House Abascar for the Rites of Privilege to show what gifts they might offer the kingdom. As the Rites draw near, Auralia must decide if she will go and reveal her gift to the king or if she will remain safely hidden in the forest all her days. Either way, her choice could mean the end of life as she knows it.
Auralia’s Colors was a unique book. The writing was beautiful. I couldn’t read it as fast as I like to read. It had many point of views, but the author brought them all together in the end in a wonderful way that fulfilled most of the plot lines, but left several dangling so that I have to read the next book to find out what happens. It was entertaining, creative, and unique. Recommended.
July 18, 2013
I saw a review for this book on a blog, and thought it looked interesting, so I ILL'd it (my library didn't have it). The glowing review it had been given was well deserved.
This is not a fast paced or exciting book, its more like a carving being slowly chiseled before your eyes, or a tapestry being woven of a thousand strands. You find yourself empathizing with every character, even the dungeon master, because the author takes the time to show everyone's story. At first, it felt a bit disorienting, but soon I grew to appreciate it.
The writing is simple, yet complex, and not to be taking in overdose. I'm usually the one who reads a book I love in a day or two, but it took several weeks before I finally saw the completed statue. I didn't put the book down because I got bored, I merely needed to step back for a while and let the story lie.
The Christian themes in this book were subtly woven in, and if you didn't know they were there, you might not have noticed them. I'm told that they become clearer as the series progresses, so I think that, once I've let the ending gel in my mind for a month or so, I'll ILL the next book.
This is not a fast paced or exciting book, its more like a carving being slowly chiseled before your eyes, or a tapestry being woven of a thousand strands. You find yourself empathizing with every character, even the dungeon master, because the author takes the time to show everyone's story. At first, it felt a bit disorienting, but soon I grew to appreciate it.
The writing is simple, yet complex, and not to be taking in overdose. I'm usually the one who reads a book I love in a day or two, but it took several weeks before I finally saw the completed statue. I didn't put the book down because I got bored, I merely needed to step back for a while and let the story lie.
The Christian themes in this book were subtly woven in, and if you didn't know they were there, you might not have noticed them. I'm told that they become clearer as the series progresses, so I think that, once I've let the ending gel in my mind for a month or so, I'll ILL the next book.
July 4, 2008
Rich in poetic language and character development, this work of modern day fantasy is a treasure. I find it difficult to put into words just how this book made me feel... for one, I wanted to turn right back to page 1 and read it again, because I know that I did not grasp all that the book has to offer. More than a classic story of good versus evil, Auralia's Colors is about pursuing your dreams (regardless of the consequences); it's about profound loyalty in relationships; it's about faith - in the deepest sense. I don't read a lot of fantasy - I guess I'm more of a realist - but I decided to give Auralia a chance, and I can now say, this new work will draw you in, and change you - if you'll allow it.
November 3, 2007
Slightly overwritten, but erring on the side of poetry can be refreshing in this genre. I'm chalking it up to editor error and looking forward to the next installment. Another thing I'm seeing more of in (post)modern fiction is the breakdown of hero and villain - characters take sides, but the author takes great pains to let everyone know the antagonist's weaknesses and/or well-motivated reasons for their hurtful behavior. On some levels that's great - very humanizing, true to life - but fantasy needs heroes and monsters or an as-yet-undeveloped substitute: nuance is great, but we need someone to identify with and a soulless evil to vanquish.
March 26, 2011
Jeffery Overstreet has charted a different course for his fantasy tale. Perhaps in the shadow of J.R.R. Tolkien, to some extent but truly his own. Auralia is a very different leading character, who wraps herself in mystery, love, passion and wonder. Greed, envy, control, fear the list of dark human behavior is long in this tale. But portrayed in a way to bring pity and compassion.
Adventure, drama, conflict, war and tragedy are wrapped up neatly together. A page turner and best of all a series. Good raises to the top but not without cost, a truly great read.
Adventure, drama, conflict, war and tragedy are wrapped up neatly together. A page turner and best of all a series. Good raises to the top but not without cost, a truly great read.
October 22, 2007
I really don't do fantasy - Narnia is about it, and mostly because Lewis's snark amuses me - but this is good stuff. The writing is good, the story is significant without being overtly allegorical, and it ends really well. If you love fantasy, this is a must-read (and it's being followed by three more). And even if you don't, it's worth a shot.
April 25, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/auralias...
Auralia’s Colors is Jeffrey Overstreet’s first installment in The Auralia Thread, a Christian-inspired fantasy series. Found by two worn-out criminals in the woods when she was just a baby, Auralia soon grows into a beautiful, otherworldly young woman who has the magical power to weave gorgeous cloths out of only the forest’s bounty. She charms her poor community with gifts and good nature, and she enjoys a special connection to the wilderness. Unfortunately, however, colors were outlawed in the kingdom’s poor communities twenty years ago, and Auralia finds herself in a world of danger when the king and his counselors learn of Auralia’s talent.
Magical writing
Though this is Overstreet’s first work of fiction, he is an experienced non-fiction writer and film critic, and his experience is obvious in Auralia’s Colors. Although he avoids complex vocabulary, the prose is still lush and it has a subtle, mesmerizing rhythm. Overstreet’s wife is a poet and it’s easy to tell that she influenced him in crafting the novel. Overstreet also sprinkles whimsically new yet recognizable words throughout the novel (cloudgrasper trees and spiderbats, for example), hinting at greater world-building behind the scenes.
The narrative arc occasionally feels unstructured; Overstreet hops from character to character seemingly without rhyme or reason. Is this the ale boy’s story? The prince’s? The failing king’s? At first glance you might think that Overstreet has constructed complex characters, none of whom are acting heroically; perhaps there is no single protagonist, like in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Yet this isn’t actually the case in Auralia’s Colors: good and evil are very obviously delineated and the heroes (and villains) are clear. It’s just difficult to tell who is the focus of the story. Instead of the confusion feeling as if it is carefully and intentionally crafted by the author (as in the case of Martin), in Auralia’s Colors the confusion just seems the unintentional result of an uncertain narrative structure. Auralia’s Colors could have been a stronger novel had it been more precisely executed.
A distant main character
Despite the confusion, Auralia is obviously the book’s heroine. She has little in common with her impoverished adoptive family, the Gatherers, and even less in common with the magnificently spoiled royalty within the protective city walls. She doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. Instead, Auralia flits around like a beautiful and perfect changeling. She doesn’t even feel human. And although all that might still have been spun into an engaging character, unfortunately Auralia remained distant to me.
This isn’t so much a matter of believability; instead, it’s a matter of connection. There are as many scenes from other, more vulnerable characters as there are from Auralia, and those other scenes are far more emotive. Despite Auralia’s own youth and vulnerability, her deeply and overwhelmingly good personality prevents the reader—who is, of course, an imperfect human—from empathizing too closely. It’s hard to tell what Auralia really thinks or wants; her goodness, without even a smudge of darkness, is almost robotic in its intensity. I found it much easier to relate to the other characters: the sweet ale boy, the desperate old king, the conflicted prince, the rascally thief.
Fairytales and Christian fantasy
I mentioned earlier that Auralia’s Colors is a Christian fantasy. I only found this out halfway through the novel, and learning it surprised me because the Christian symbolism is actually quite subtle—subtler than C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by far, although the two books do share similarities. A person could easily read the book and ignore the Christian implications altogether.
An interesting consequence of its Christian inspiration, however, is that Auralia’s Colors has the glassy texture of a fairytale. Overstreet’s poetic writing, Auralia’s distant personality, and the absence of today’s popular gritty violence and sex make Auralia’s Colors read more like an abstract, philosophical myth rather than a modern-day fantasy novel. It’s a refreshing change.
Why should you read this book?
Although it’s certainly not for everyone, Auralia’s Colors is a gentle fairytale for those who need a break from the doom and gloom of much of today’s fantasy. Read it for the beautiful writing, the uplifting story, and—if you’re into it—the Christian symbolism. It’s no page-turner, but it has a charm of its own.
Auralia’s Colors is Jeffrey Overstreet’s first installment in The Auralia Thread, a Christian-inspired fantasy series. Found by two worn-out criminals in the woods when she was just a baby, Auralia soon grows into a beautiful, otherworldly young woman who has the magical power to weave gorgeous cloths out of only the forest’s bounty. She charms her poor community with gifts and good nature, and she enjoys a special connection to the wilderness. Unfortunately, however, colors were outlawed in the kingdom’s poor communities twenty years ago, and Auralia finds herself in a world of danger when the king and his counselors learn of Auralia’s talent.
Magical writing
Though this is Overstreet’s first work of fiction, he is an experienced non-fiction writer and film critic, and his experience is obvious in Auralia’s Colors. Although he avoids complex vocabulary, the prose is still lush and it has a subtle, mesmerizing rhythm. Overstreet’s wife is a poet and it’s easy to tell that she influenced him in crafting the novel. Overstreet also sprinkles whimsically new yet recognizable words throughout the novel (cloudgrasper trees and spiderbats, for example), hinting at greater world-building behind the scenes.
The narrative arc occasionally feels unstructured; Overstreet hops from character to character seemingly without rhyme or reason. Is this the ale boy’s story? The prince’s? The failing king’s? At first glance you might think that Overstreet has constructed complex characters, none of whom are acting heroically; perhaps there is no single protagonist, like in George R. R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire. Yet this isn’t actually the case in Auralia’s Colors: good and evil are very obviously delineated and the heroes (and villains) are clear. It’s just difficult to tell who is the focus of the story. Instead of the confusion feeling as if it is carefully and intentionally crafted by the author (as in the case of Martin), in Auralia’s Colors the confusion just seems the unintentional result of an uncertain narrative structure. Auralia’s Colors could have been a stronger novel had it been more precisely executed.
A distant main character
Despite the confusion, Auralia is obviously the book’s heroine. She has little in common with her impoverished adoptive family, the Gatherers, and even less in common with the magnificently spoiled royalty within the protective city walls. She doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere. Instead, Auralia flits around like a beautiful and perfect changeling. She doesn’t even feel human. And although all that might still have been spun into an engaging character, unfortunately Auralia remained distant to me.
This isn’t so much a matter of believability; instead, it’s a matter of connection. There are as many scenes from other, more vulnerable characters as there are from Auralia, and those other scenes are far more emotive. Despite Auralia’s own youth and vulnerability, her deeply and overwhelmingly good personality prevents the reader—who is, of course, an imperfect human—from empathizing too closely. It’s hard to tell what Auralia really thinks or wants; her goodness, without even a smudge of darkness, is almost robotic in its intensity. I found it much easier to relate to the other characters: the sweet ale boy, the desperate old king, the conflicted prince, the rascally thief.
Fairytales and Christian fantasy
I mentioned earlier that Auralia’s Colors is a Christian fantasy. I only found this out halfway through the novel, and learning it surprised me because the Christian symbolism is actually quite subtle—subtler than C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by far, although the two books do share similarities. A person could easily read the book and ignore the Christian implications altogether.
An interesting consequence of its Christian inspiration, however, is that Auralia’s Colors has the glassy texture of a fairytale. Overstreet’s poetic writing, Auralia’s distant personality, and the absence of today’s popular gritty violence and sex make Auralia’s Colors read more like an abstract, philosophical myth rather than a modern-day fantasy novel. It’s a refreshing change.
Why should you read this book?
Although it’s certainly not for everyone, Auralia’s Colors is a gentle fairytale for those who need a break from the doom and gloom of much of today’s fantasy. Read it for the beautiful writing, the uplifting story, and—if you’re into it—the Christian symbolism. It’s no page-turner, but it has a charm of its own.
November 12, 2008
Auralia's Colors, published by Waterbrook Press, is the first fantasy released by a specifically Christian publisher that I have read in quite some time. However, I kept hearing good things about it, so when I came across it accidentally while browsing through Chapters a couple of months ago, I decided to pick it up.
When I started reading the book I could tell right off the bat, even if I hadn't heard rumors of this already, that author Jeffrey Overstreet shares some of my own favorite books and influences -- specifically Patricia A. McKillip and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books. The rich, lyrical tone of the language Overstreet uses is definitely McKillipesque, and the world he creates blends the transcendent, the mysterious, the humble and the grotesque in a way that's reminiscent of Peake. Still, even if the influences are evident I was pleased to note that the setup of Overstreet's fantasy world didn't strike me as overly derivative of other classic fantasy works -- Overstreet does have his own fertile imagination and his book reflects that.
The problem is, even though I finished the book a couple of days ago, I'm still undecided as to how I feel about it. If you've ever tried to get a book published, you know how agents and editors sometimes give you that deadly phrase, "I liked it, but I didn't love it"? I think that's how I feel about Auralia's Colors. I really wanted to love it wholeheartedly, but it didn't quite happen for me. The omniscient narration and the constantly shifting focus of the story kept me from being able to latch onto any of the characters and really come to know or love them the way I'd hoped. The beautiful language sometimes served to obscure what was going on rather than to illuminate it (which is also a problem I've sometimes had with McKillip), and the emphasis on external narration rather than action, dialogue or internal monologue made it difficult for me to connect emotionally to the characters. There's one scene where Auralia experiences a shattering realization about her destiny, a pivotal point in the book, where I truly did feel connected to her and involved in her inner life for the first time... but soon that feeling was gone again as the narrative went elsewhere.
On the other hand, though the story was anything but predictable or straightforward, the various seemingly unconnected threads of the narrative did weave themselves together neatly (but not too neatly) at the end. There were a couple of characters (specifically Cal-raven and the ale boy) that I did want to know more about, and find what would happen to them. There were some moments of breathtaking beauty, and a longing for goodness (true, potent goodness, not some saccharine substitute) that reminded me of the writings of George MacDonald. And I am curious to know how the next two "strands" of the trilogy will tie the whole narrative together. So I am not sure that if I come across Cyndere's Midnight, I won't pick it up after all, and give Jeffrey Overstreet a second chance to fully win me over. Especially as it promises to be a bit of a "Beauty and the Beast" tale, and I'm a big sucker for those...
Oh, and one last thing in the books' favor: the covers are utterly gorgeous. And they're trade paperbacks, so not that expensive if you feel like giving them a try.
When I started reading the book I could tell right off the bat, even if I hadn't heard rumors of this already, that author Jeffrey Overstreet shares some of my own favorite books and influences -- specifically Patricia A. McKillip and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast books. The rich, lyrical tone of the language Overstreet uses is definitely McKillipesque, and the world he creates blends the transcendent, the mysterious, the humble and the grotesque in a way that's reminiscent of Peake. Still, even if the influences are evident I was pleased to note that the setup of Overstreet's fantasy world didn't strike me as overly derivative of other classic fantasy works -- Overstreet does have his own fertile imagination and his book reflects that.
The problem is, even though I finished the book a couple of days ago, I'm still undecided as to how I feel about it. If you've ever tried to get a book published, you know how agents and editors sometimes give you that deadly phrase, "I liked it, but I didn't love it"? I think that's how I feel about Auralia's Colors. I really wanted to love it wholeheartedly, but it didn't quite happen for me. The omniscient narration and the constantly shifting focus of the story kept me from being able to latch onto any of the characters and really come to know or love them the way I'd hoped. The beautiful language sometimes served to obscure what was going on rather than to illuminate it (which is also a problem I've sometimes had with McKillip), and the emphasis on external narration rather than action, dialogue or internal monologue made it difficult for me to connect emotionally to the characters. There's one scene where Auralia experiences a shattering realization about her destiny, a pivotal point in the book, where I truly did feel connected to her and involved in her inner life for the first time... but soon that feeling was gone again as the narrative went elsewhere.
On the other hand, though the story was anything but predictable or straightforward, the various seemingly unconnected threads of the narrative did weave themselves together neatly (but not too neatly) at the end. There were a couple of characters (specifically Cal-raven and the ale boy) that I did want to know more about, and find what would happen to them. There were some moments of breathtaking beauty, and a longing for goodness (true, potent goodness, not some saccharine substitute) that reminded me of the writings of George MacDonald. And I am curious to know how the next two "strands" of the trilogy will tie the whole narrative together. So I am not sure that if I come across Cyndere's Midnight, I won't pick it up after all, and give Jeffrey Overstreet a second chance to fully win me over. Especially as it promises to be a bit of a "Beauty and the Beast" tale, and I'm a big sucker for those...
Oh, and one last thing in the books' favor: the covers are utterly gorgeous. And they're trade paperbacks, so not that expensive if you feel like giving them a try.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2010
I was excited to read this book based on the reviews I had read. It is written in a lush and poetic style; which I usually love. However somehow this book managed to make the characters and setting somehow seem stiff and unreal despite the delicate prose of the book.
Aurelia was found as a toddler by a river. She is raised by the Gatherers, people who have been thrown out of the walls of the city for various crimes. Many years ago the Queen forbade colors; all color belongs only to the upper class. Unfortunately for Aurelia she excels in finding color in everything and the palace wants her for the their own. Will Aurelia succeed in giving the commonfolk back their colors?
As I said the writing is beautifully done. The story unfortunately did not grab me. The writer constantly switches viewpoint between tons of different characters and I found that very distracting. It was hard to get involved or really care about any of the characters. The writing style, despite its beauty, did little to bring the scenes in the book alive for me. I also found the story in general to be a very dull read, it moved forward at a very deliberate pace. I had a lot of trouble getting through this book.
The imagine my shock (not knowing Overstreet is a Christian writer) when the whole story drops any pretense of creativity and becomes just another retelling of the story of Christ. The parallels between the story of Christ and Aurelia were painfully transparent and the ending of the book had my eyeballs rolling as the characters and story were pushed aside to pull everything together into a perfect retelling of the classic religious story.
In summary, the story starts out beautifully written but the writing and characters are dry, the plot creeps along and is a bit schizophrenic because of the multitude of viewpoints it is told from. I had a lot of trouble getting through this book. Then when the whole pretense of a creative story was dropped to re-deliver a story of Christ that has been delivered a million times before it just added to my ire. I won't be reading anymore of Overstreet's books; they are just too boring and preachy for me.
Aurelia was found as a toddler by a river. She is raised by the Gatherers, people who have been thrown out of the walls of the city for various crimes. Many years ago the Queen forbade colors; all color belongs only to the upper class. Unfortunately for Aurelia she excels in finding color in everything and the palace wants her for the their own. Will Aurelia succeed in giving the commonfolk back their colors?
As I said the writing is beautifully done. The story unfortunately did not grab me. The writer constantly switches viewpoint between tons of different characters and I found that very distracting. It was hard to get involved or really care about any of the characters. The writing style, despite its beauty, did little to bring the scenes in the book alive for me. I also found the story in general to be a very dull read, it moved forward at a very deliberate pace. I had a lot of trouble getting through this book.
The imagine my shock (not knowing Overstreet is a Christian writer) when the whole story drops any pretense of creativity and becomes just another retelling of the story of Christ. The parallels between the story of Christ and Aurelia were painfully transparent and the ending of the book had my eyeballs rolling as the characters and story were pushed aside to pull everything together into a perfect retelling of the classic religious story.
In summary, the story starts out beautifully written but the writing and characters are dry, the plot creeps along and is a bit schizophrenic because of the multitude of viewpoints it is told from. I had a lot of trouble getting through this book. Then when the whole pretense of a creative story was dropped to re-deliver a story of Christ that has been delivered a million times before it just added to my ire. I won't be reading anymore of Overstreet's books; they are just too boring and preachy for me.
November 22, 2008
I wanted to like it. My main problem with the book is the first 77 pages. First, we jump all over in time with numerous flashbacks. Second, the point-of-view is constantly sliding from one person to the next in a very distracting way, but also rarely going very deeply into any one person's head. There is very little dialogue and what little action occurs is often repetitious: we're told in a distant viewpoint what happens, then we jump back and replay the scene with dialogue and various point-of-view characters. I couldn't bond with any character because there were so many of them being introduced (with few of them reappearing during the first 50 pages), and Auralia wasn't even one of the point-of-view characters.
However, after page 77, the time- and head-jumping halts, Auralia becomes the main point-of-view character, and the reader is allowed more fully into the point-of-view characters' heads. The pacing became more balanced at this point, and book was pretty enjoyable.
Another problem I had, though, was that Auralia was at least 15 years old and was probably 16. However, she's repeatedly described like a young child (e.g. she has tiny arms and hands). People keep saying, "But she's just a child!" and reacting to her like she was about 8 years old. In fact, she often acts like a 8 to 12-year-old (depending on the scene).
The world-building in the book was good, but the author frequently invented names for things with little to no concrete description attached. It was often difficult for me to visualize what a new thing or creature was like. The characters were interesting and varied, but only one character really changed much during the book.
However, after page 77, the time- and head-jumping halts, Auralia becomes the main point-of-view character, and the reader is allowed more fully into the point-of-view characters' heads. The pacing became more balanced at this point, and book was pretty enjoyable.
Another problem I had, though, was that Auralia was at least 15 years old and was probably 16. However, she's repeatedly described like a young child (e.g. she has tiny arms and hands). People keep saying, "But she's just a child!" and reacting to her like she was about 8 years old. In fact, she often acts like a 8 to 12-year-old (depending on the scene).
The world-building in the book was good, but the author frequently invented names for things with little to no concrete description attached. It was often difficult for me to visualize what a new thing or creature was like. The characters were interesting and varied, but only one character really changed much during the book.
April 24, 2010
I really tried to like this book, the plot seemed hopeful, but the moment I opened it up and actually read the first paragraph I knew I was in trouble. I've seen some people draw comparisons to Tolkien, and to be fair, I really didn't like reading Tolkien either. The lyrical quality of the writing, while beautiful at parts was mostly frustrating. It was hard to understand what was going on past all of the tangled sentences. It was discouraging to read and not get any sense of action, the character names also threw me for a loop, and that the flashbacks (the one that I actually read through) were announced repeatedly and painstakingly setup for, really annoyed me too. And this is devolving into nitpicks, but I don't like having to read through written accents that are described as hard to understand, it just makes it even more meaningless having struggled to understand a sentence only to find out its coming from someone that "doesn't speak well." So I ended up skimming...through the rest of the book. And, potential spoiler or not, it end's happily! I'm assuming Auralia, the titular character does manage to restore color through her kleptomaniac ways, catches the eye of the prince, and restores equality among the people! And then I realized it's a series.
My tastes didn't fit this book. If I take the time to read a book, I don't want to have to work at, I want to be able to enjoy it and not want to put it down. Auralia was not that book for me, probably is for someone else though.
My tastes didn't fit this book. If I take the time to read a book, I don't want to have to work at, I want to be able to enjoy it and not want to put it down. Auralia was not that book for me, probably is for someone else though.
November 19, 2007
I always like learning that there will be "more" of a good story. This one will be one I find myself waiting for.
January 18, 2008
It's a painting, much like Perfume and Stardust combined together.
May 21, 2023
For an odd reason, I was drawn to this book. The moment I opened the pages... I found myself immersed! The author's poetic writing certainly left me enchanted to a unique word where kingdoms seem to compete against each other... and even the peoples themselves. A lost word in desperate need of light and truth. Enter Auralia, a mysterious young girl, whose mysterious gift with colors draws all sorts of people around her. Some pure-hearted... others with selfish desires... and some wicked.
This entire book is full of mystery and hidden truths in the midst of a great battle between good and evil and light and dark. But its conclusion's only just beginning!
I'm quite intrigued to see what comes next in Cyndere's Midnight.
This entire book is full of mystery and hidden truths in the midst of a great battle between good and evil and light and dark. But its conclusion's only just beginning!
I'm quite intrigued to see what comes next in Cyndere's Midnight.
May 22, 2019
This was a very... lyrical book.
I feel like clarity in writing was sacrificed for poetic language; I didn’t always understand what was going on nor the significance of what just happened because the writing too allegorical/cryptic.
I feel that 2 stars isn’t really enough (because the writing was beautiful) but 3 is too much (the bogged down writing left me disinterested). So, overall it’s a 2.4 for me. I won’t be reading the sequels.
I feel like clarity in writing was sacrificed for poetic language; I didn’t always understand what was going on nor the significance of what just happened because the writing too allegorical/cryptic.
I feel that 2 stars isn’t really enough (because the writing was beautiful) but 3 is too much (the bogged down writing left me disinterested). So, overall it’s a 2.4 for me. I won’t be reading the sequels.
February 18, 2021
An exciting and intriguing story with interesting and strong characters, though I would have liked to see stronger writing for Auralia herself. Nevertheless, Overstreet creates an engaging world that is easy to believe and fun to get lost in.
January 17, 2016
I have to confess to some ambivalence as I write on Auralia's Colors. I do love the poetic prose, but as a writer who has wrestled to submit to the modern conventions of "show, don't tell" and "keep Point-Of-View consistent," I was somewhat surprised to see that this story is almost all omniscient point-of-view telling. The characters come off as a little cool and distant in the epic sweep of Overstreet's narrative, and almost secondary to his story. I am thrilled to see that more Christian authors of speculative fiction are being published, but am surprised that they are not held to the same standards recommended by "professional" authors all over the world. Not to say that there is anything unprofessional or even unpleasant about the book (though the fairy-tale nature of it makes the first sign of real violence and cruelty somewhat of a shock), but it does almost seem more suited for another day and age. I have to put myself in the mindframe of reading a George MacDonald book (not at all a bad thing), but for readers of modern fantasy, this might be somewhat of a jolt.
On a purely positive note: The scene with the Keeper is breathtaking in its beauty and symbolism, and more than makes up for a number of ostensible flaws in the novel. And the quiet Christian symbolism of Auralia's reformation/transformation is appropriately understated and exquisite.
All in all, this book breaks a number of rules, but the beauty of the prose and the vivid imagery make up for lack of conformity to modern standards, and what the story lacks in depth it more than makes up for in substance. With the caviats to the writing style notwithstanding, I won't hesitate to buy the sequel when it comes out. [This review was written for Amazon.com shortly after the first book was released, and while I have the sequels, I have not had a chance to review them yet, so I have left this original review unaltered for the time being.]
On a purely positive note: The scene with the Keeper is breathtaking in its beauty and symbolism, and more than makes up for a number of ostensible flaws in the novel. And the quiet Christian symbolism of Auralia's reformation/transformation is appropriately understated and exquisite.
All in all, this book breaks a number of rules, but the beauty of the prose and the vivid imagery make up for lack of conformity to modern standards, and what the story lacks in depth it more than makes up for in substance. With the caviats to the writing style notwithstanding, I won't hesitate to buy the sequel when it comes out. [This review was written for Amazon.com shortly after the first book was released, and while I have the sequels, I have not had a chance to review them yet, so I have left this original review unaltered for the time being.]
October 3, 2017
I found Aurelia hidden on a shelf of thousands at the library sale, felt particularly intrigued by a story driven by COLOR (fine artist triggers) and took her home for 25 cents.
What really pricked up my ears was the list of books that inspired him~ which included SEVERAL of my all-time favorites~ even one which I had also found at the library sale and had just finished! "Well, Mr. Overstreet, we certainly have the same taste," came my excited thoughts as fingers hungrily peeled apart pages from their slumber.
Keeping his list of favorites in mind, it was hard not to compare quality and style and there are many similarities. Learning of his Christian-centered career, I admit I bristled a little~ I'm always afraid of encountering guilt-inflicting morals and the usual feeling of living "wrongly", despite my worldly travels and embracing spirituality as a personal journey, unique for everyone. I raised myself as a devout Christian, I read the Bible twice and lived religiously all the way to college years. After traveling and opening my heart to compassion, I've learned that seeing the good in others, sharing love and living your best life, essentially choosing love, is a personal journey which takes as many forms as there are humans. As we are all uniquely talented, so our spirituality is a unique path to awareness.
"Now Dayni, you loved Narnia and somehow made it through as a child without feeling burdened with judgment and canon, let's give this a chance...."
Voila! Overstreet successfully combines elements of parable with magic and fantasy, using very colorful (pun intended), often amusingly active characters in an ironically vibrant world. Joseph and his coat of many colors meets the trials of Jesus in this novel laden with symbolism recalling the most popular theme of enlightenment versus corruption. There is much to take from his story~ no matter which angle you see it from.
What really pricked up my ears was the list of books that inspired him~ which included SEVERAL of my all-time favorites~ even one which I had also found at the library sale and had just finished! "Well, Mr. Overstreet, we certainly have the same taste," came my excited thoughts as fingers hungrily peeled apart pages from their slumber.
Keeping his list of favorites in mind, it was hard not to compare quality and style and there are many similarities. Learning of his Christian-centered career, I admit I bristled a little~ I'm always afraid of encountering guilt-inflicting morals and the usual feeling of living "wrongly", despite my worldly travels and embracing spirituality as a personal journey, unique for everyone. I raised myself as a devout Christian, I read the Bible twice and lived religiously all the way to college years. After traveling and opening my heart to compassion, I've learned that seeing the good in others, sharing love and living your best life, essentially choosing love, is a personal journey which takes as many forms as there are humans. As we are all uniquely talented, so our spirituality is a unique path to awareness.
"Now Dayni, you loved Narnia and somehow made it through as a child without feeling burdened with judgment and canon, let's give this a chance...."
Voila! Overstreet successfully combines elements of parable with magic and fantasy, using very colorful (pun intended), often amusingly active characters in an ironically vibrant world. Joseph and his coat of many colors meets the trials of Jesus in this novel laden with symbolism recalling the most popular theme of enlightenment versus corruption. There is much to take from his story~ no matter which angle you see it from.
July 15, 2010
What an interesting story Jeff has woven together through the novel of "Auralia's Colors". This is a story to set sometime aside to read and let it soak in. I will bet that this is one that would even fascinate my husband to read.
Sections in this book lost my interest, and I wanted to walk away, but I am glad that I did not because all in all it was quite an enjoyable journey and I plan to read the rest of the Threads as they present themselves.
I found the atmosphere for me was very reminiscent of Stephen Lawhead, especially his lately series including Hood, Scarlet and in 2009 book Tuck.
As a Fantasy novel, this is one of those that you fall into and forget about what is real and what is not. That is one of the hardest parts for me, but once I click into the world, I do not want to leave. I'm so glad that I have Cyndere's Midnight that I can jump into right away.
If you enjoy Lawhead, or Toilken, or Madeleine L'Engle, I do believe that you will find enjoyment through the creative prose that is practically poetry in the writings of Jeffrey Overstreet.
Sections in this book lost my interest, and I wanted to walk away, but I am glad that I did not because all in all it was quite an enjoyable journey and I plan to read the rest of the Threads as they present themselves.
I found the atmosphere for me was very reminiscent of Stephen Lawhead, especially his lately series including Hood, Scarlet and in 2009 book Tuck.
As a Fantasy novel, this is one of those that you fall into and forget about what is real and what is not. That is one of the hardest parts for me, but once I click into the world, I do not want to leave. I'm so glad that I have Cyndere's Midnight that I can jump into right away.
If you enjoy Lawhead, or Toilken, or Madeleine L'Engle, I do believe that you will find enjoyment through the creative prose that is practically poetry in the writings of Jeffrey Overstreet.
December 14, 2007
Jeffrey Overstreet, author of the non-fiction book Through a Screen Darkly makes an incredible fiction debut with Auralia’s Colors.
Perhaps it is his knowledge as a movie critic that allows Overstreet to create such a magical and imaginative world. In the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien, readers will be swept up in a vast landscape filled with people and magical creatures that surprise and entertain.
Auralia’s Colors is filled with convincing heroes and is one of those stories that inspires greatness. It is truly a tale that one can get lost in where the fight for good reigns supreme, but Overstreet also surprises the reader with thieves capable of great integrity and queens and kings capable of massive thievery.
While it’s easy to get caught up in the imagination of Auralia’s Colors, it is essentially Overstreet’s writing skill that ties the epic story together. Not many writers today are as gifted at the tricky omniscient point of view that abounds in the novel as Overstreet is.
More discerning readers will note the compelling religious symbolism and imagery in this book where God is never mentioned, but His presence prevails. This wildly creative and intelligent tale will thrill lovers of fantasy, as well as readers who crave excellent storytelling and exceptional writing.
Perhaps it is his knowledge as a movie critic that allows Overstreet to create such a magical and imaginative world. In the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien, readers will be swept up in a vast landscape filled with people and magical creatures that surprise and entertain.
Auralia’s Colors is filled with convincing heroes and is one of those stories that inspires greatness. It is truly a tale that one can get lost in where the fight for good reigns supreme, but Overstreet also surprises the reader with thieves capable of great integrity and queens and kings capable of massive thievery.
While it’s easy to get caught up in the imagination of Auralia’s Colors, it is essentially Overstreet’s writing skill that ties the epic story together. Not many writers today are as gifted at the tricky omniscient point of view that abounds in the novel as Overstreet is.
More discerning readers will note the compelling religious symbolism and imagery in this book where God is never mentioned, but His presence prevails. This wildly creative and intelligent tale will thrill lovers of fantasy, as well as readers who crave excellent storytelling and exceptional writing.
March 21, 2014
A superb read. Extremely original, from the concept and story lines, right down to people / place names and nomenclature. The world Overstreet paints is beautiful and vivid. The characters, every one of them, are dynamic and compelling - he gives us interesting, flawed, beautiful and hideous people and creatures to really care about. I love that the construction and storyline are perfect in the sense of no loose ends, which is a big deal for me. He weaves allusions which are stunning. (e.g. How our souls are "unstitched" from our bodies at the moment of death - wow.) He somehow was able to work the word "flabulous" into the story seamlessly. Only one example of how he cracks up the reader throughout. It will take me some time of mulling and reliving the book, and likely at least one re-read, to satisfy my wonderings about the many levels of creative expression and meaning in this story. I can give J.O. my highest compliment: it is obvious he loves his readers. Thank you Mr. Overstreet, for this beautiful work of art.
~ From an S.P.U. Alum. ~
Mr. Overstreet, if you read this review, can you answer the question of whether you consider any part(s) of this series to be allegorical? (I would guess that along with C.S.L., the answer will be 'no'?) THANK YOU..
~ From an S.P.U. Alum. ~
Mr. Overstreet, if you read this review, can you answer the question of whether you consider any part(s) of this series to be allegorical? (I would guess that along with C.S.L., the answer will be 'no'?) THANK YOU..
January 1, 2016
I enjoyed this book. The story is enigmatic, thoughtful and a bit cheerless. (Not that I like dreary books, I like it in spite of its cheerlessness.) The realm created by Jeffery Overstreet, is quite original. The creatures are different, the legends are dissimilar, the names, for fauna, flora and folk are unusual, not everyday stuff. I appreciated that. The descriptions are refreshing as well. I cannot recall any cliches, and the writing overall was quite good.
The character development was consistent, but everybody seems distant; hard to connect to. The book does not have a main character; it switches points of view too often for my liking. I would have preferred the story to have been told from the perspective of just two or three characters. And the whole tone of the work was a bit glum. I understand that it needed to be that way for the story, but still, only one or two parts elicited a smile. Nevertheless, it was a decent read, and I would like to read the rest of the series.
The character development was consistent, but everybody seems distant; hard to connect to. The book does not have a main character; it switches points of view too often for my liking. I would have preferred the story to have been told from the perspective of just two or three characters. And the whole tone of the work was a bit glum. I understand that it needed to be that way for the story, but still, only one or two parts elicited a smile. Nevertheless, it was a decent read, and I would like to read the rest of the series.
August 1, 2016
I specifically sought out this work because of the author's media engagement and wanted to see how Christian themes could play out in a different fantasy world from Middle Earth or Narnia. While the imagery was beautiful in this work I found the type of descriptive writing distracting and hard to follow. The main characters were not developed as much as I would have liked, especially the title character Auralia. She remained closed off and less than real for most (if not all) of the story. I believe this to be a missed opportunity. The story mainly focuses on the Prince, a palace servant and a few lesser characters (all male). I found it difficult to get lost in the story. The history of the fantasy world and the basic structure of the land was appealing and I will likely read the next one to see if further developments are more engaging than this first work of fiction by Overstreet.
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