Review – The Breath of the Sun by Issac R. Fellman (4/5 stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Length: 185 pages
Publisher: Aqueduct Press
Release Date: July 31, 2018
ASIN: B07G3HZ18K
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Bought eBook for Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Lamat Paed understands paradoxes. She’s a great mountain climber who’s never summited, the author of a tell-all that didn’t really tell anything. For years she guided pilgrims up the foothills of the Sublime Mount, leading them as high as God would let them go. And then she partnered the apostate Southern priest Mother Disaine on the most daring, most blasphemous expedition in history–an attempt to reach the summit of the sacred mountain, the top of God’s head. Disaine returned in triumph, claiming to be the first person since the prophet to have summited and lived. But Lamat went into hiding. Now, late in life and exiled from the mountain, Lamat finally tells her story to her partner, Otile. It’s the story of why she really wrote her first book all those years ago, how she came to be cast out from the mountain-dwelling Holoh people, and how she fled to the anonymity of the city to hide from her fame. Most of all, it’s the story of her bond with Mother Disaine–the blasphemer, charlatan, and visionary who stole Lamat’s life to serve her own purposes–and what really happened on their last, greatest expedition.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I bought a copy of this for Kindle.
Thoughts: This was an interesting book. I didn’t love it but I do respect the unique way it was written. This follows a character named Lamat as she tells her current partner, Otile, the true story of her last ascent up Sublime Mount.
The story jumps between present to far past to current past. Lamat is a climbing guide but the first time she went up the mountain with her husband and friends was a disaster for all (not to mention blasphemous to the Holoh beliefs). She was able to write a book about it which brought her some fame. Then a woman named Disaine shows up who admires Lamat’s book and wants Lamat to help her test out a new bodysuit that will comfortably allow them to climb to higher elevations up the mountain. Disaines weaves a series of complex lies and draws Lamat into her plot.
This story can be a bit confusing. Each chapter starts with a quote from the Holoh people’s religion; they believe that Sublime Mount is the body of God. Then we usually hear a bit from current day Lamat and then back to the past to the time where Lamat was climbing with Disaine. Interspersed through her days with Disaine are flash backs to the initial climb she did with her husband and friends. Then interspersed between all of that are footnotes from her current partner Otile, who comments on Lamat’s story.
This took me a very long time to read for its short length but I found it strangely enjoyable. I always enjoy stories about survival, especially mountain climbing stories; it just seems like an odd thing to want to do to me. The mystery of what really happened, both during Lamat’s first climb and her subsequent climb with Disaine, really pulls you through the story. The truth is unveiled slowly and honestly wasn’t that surprising, but the journey to get to the truth was intriguing.
This is not your typical fantasy story. The world-building is loose at best and the characters are all very flawed and hard to like. The writing style is very unique and the whole book is like a strange puzzle (both the mystery and the theology behind it). It is a very layered multi-faceted story that seems simple as you read it but gets more complex as you think about it.
Would I read it again? Absolutely not, this was not an easy read. I had to digest it in small chunks. Am I happy I read it? Definitely. This was an odd little book and a strangely engaging story that I will think back to a lot.
My Summary (4/5): Overall this was not an easy read but I am happy I read it. If you enjoy adventure and survival stories with an odd set of flawed characters you will probably enjoy this. This is written in a more literary style and also deals with a lot of theology, so I had to digest it in small sections. I would recommend it, but only if you are in the mood for something a bit more deliberate and thoughtful.
