Title: Auralia’s Colors
Author: Jeffrey Overstreet
Genre: Fantasy
Sometimes the Fantasy genre (or any genre, I suppose) gets so caught up in trends that one can almost lose hope. Right now a certain sparse writing style seems to have preempted the delectable prose of writers like McKillip, Kushner and similar, let alone Tolkien. A lot of series are never-ending serials, often involving a magical detective, with writing that’s the equivalent of a one-two punch. Written in first person perspective with sarcastic voices, these books don’t usually have a lot of substance and just generally get on my nerves.
When I opened Auralia’s Colors and saw that author Jeffrey Overstreet thanked J.R.R. Tolkien and Patricia A. McKillip (among other great writers) in his acknowledgements, I felt a tentative hopefulness.
Auralia is an orphan discovered by one of the Gatherers, a criminal class exiled from the fortress of House Abascar because of their misdeeds. Krawg finds the infant on the riverbank, sleeping in the footprint of a mysterious creature, and sneaks her into the Gatherer camp where she will be raised alongside the other Gatherer orphans until she is old enough to attend the Rites of Privilege. There, she will be tried to see if she is worthy to enter House Abascar. As she grows, however, Auralia has no desire to leave her forest, where she seeks out all its colors, crafting gifts from them for her friends—certainly not to live in House Abascar, where colors are surrendered to the palace and the people live a drab existence under a proclaimation called the Wintering of Abascar. When Auralia finally accepts her calling to show Abascar the colors she’s discovered, a chain reaction begins that will change the lives of the people of Abascar—and their prince, Cal-raven—forever.
This book has just about everything a really good fantasy should have: Beautiful writing that evokes a sensory and emotional experience; a deceptively simple yet riveting story; a well-rounded cast of characters who are at once human and archetypal; and layers of meaning so one can go back to the story again and still find new questions to ask. Truly excellent fantasy asks the deeper questions about the things that matter, without obviously asking any questions at all, and touches the unseen. Not mere stories, the best fantasy is threaded through with the numinous. At the same time, there’s a warmth about this book, a lack of pretension, that makes it approachable.
I can’t think of another book I’ve read with heroic characters who are truly good, yet without any unmitigated villain. Every character has something redeemable at their core, but you’re never confused about right and wrong. Auralia is the archetypal “free spirit”, handled much better here than in other books I’ve read. Auralia isn’t just a feather-headed dreamer; something about her is purposeful and even valiant. The ale boy seems to be pushed into events by happenstance, and yet it becomes apparent that something unseen moves him into place time and time again. Prince Cal-raven is admirable and yet has a certain humility which makes me admire him all the more. And then there is The Keeper, a shadowy presence that makes itself known in dreams . . .
Ultimately, Auralia’s Colors is a book about the relationship between faith and creativity. What are we here for, and how do we use our gifts? How does our artistic vision connect to and reflect the bigger picture? What do artists owe others, if anything? How do we respond when others reject the light that we’re revealing?
I don’t give stars or hearts or anything here at Badgerish.Net, but with this book I’m going to start awarding “Desert Island Keeper” status to books that I think are exceptional (and would want to have with me if I was stranded on a desert island). That way, people can find my top picks by clicking the tag. (Read more about Desert Island Keepers.)
Purchase Auralia’s Colors at Amazon.
It’s great to see another book using a more poetic and lyrical style in its writing. I’ve just started “Lamentation” by Ken Scholes and while I have not read very much, I’m finding the style to be much more evocative than some that I have read (or attempted to read) recently. I hope that fantasy novels will return to this, and leave behind a the current fad of gritty “realism”. Auralia’s Colors sounds really interesting. I’ll have to check it out sometime!
extrarice: I really think you’d like this one!
Jeff Overstreet read your review and posted it on Facebook. I came from there. Like you I loved Auralia’s Colors and his prosy writing style. It’s simply beautiful writing.
I encourage you to read the sequel. I tore into it last year and loved it more than Auralia’s Colors. He goes into depth about the beastmen and one in particular.
I’m glad to hear of another fan.
Cyndere’s Midnight. Sorry about that.
Be careful when you start reading or you’ll stay up way too late and be tired the next morning. Go ahead and order all three books at the same time. And again, don’t start reading if there is something else you should be doing because it won’t get done.
chrisd: I’ve got both Cyndere’s Midnight and Raven’s Ladder on my shelf. I’ve got a few reading challenges I have to read books for first, but as soon as I’m through those you better believe I’ll be reading more of the Auralia Thread. :)
Gwen: So I guess I’d better just clear my schedule, huh? ;)
Thanks for the comments!