Customer Reviews

The Gates of Heaven (Seven Brothers: Volume Three)

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The Gates of Heaven is the concluding book in Curt Benjamin's thrilling Seven Brothers trilogy. It may sound like typical fantasy fare, with a young slave who is really a prince leading a struggle to reclaim the kingdom of his father, but the setting makes this book and this series something special. The action takes place in a world steeped with the mythology and legendry of the East; gods walk the world in human form, magic is real, and war is a constant and bloody part of life. Prince Llesho, enslaved at the age of seven when Harn raiders conquered his peaceful mountain kingdom of Thebin, learned eight years later that the seven brothers he thought dead were very much alive; charged by the ghost of his loyal former administrator, he sets out to find his brothers, raise an army, and reclaim Thebin - after he finds a way to gain his own freedom.

As The Gates of Heaven opens, Llesho has found several of his older brothers, but authority has devolved fully onto his own shoulders. He has put together a band of loyal followers, including childhood friends, the trickster god in the form of a washerman/teacher, the impish god of mercy, the powerful emperor of Shan, a powerful mage and his equally powerful daughter, and a young Harnish prince named Tayyichiut - not to mention a jinn named Pig who basically started the whole mess to begin with, a few wyrms (dragons), and several goddesses including the Great Goddess herself, Llesho's rightful lady wife. Like any noble hero, he also has his mortal enemies, principal among whom is the dark magician Markko. The story has gotten much bigger than the fate of Llesho, Markko, and Thebin by this point, though; if Llesho fails, darkness will claim the very gates of Heaven, where a demon is poised to destroy the very gardens of the Great Goddess.

Only a journey across the waters separates Llesho from his destination, but getting there is easier said than done. The first half of the novel bogs down to some degree as Llesho executes a rather ill-conceived plan to rescue Prince Tayyichiut from pirates. One of the hallmarks of this series is Llesho's independence - and the many mistakes this leads to; he does not always trust his companion gods, especially the trickster god, but luckily they are always there to help get him out of the messes he falls into. Llesho is truly on his own at this point in the story, though, and it looks like his quest may end prematurely and rather ignominiously. Once he and his followers make it to Thebin, however, the story reclaims all of the potential it showed earlier in the series. Llesho's reentry into Thebin is unconventional at best, setting up an ending that takes the story to a more spiritual level.

Some of the surprises that emerge in the latter half of the novel are more surprising to the characters, especially Llesho, than to the reader, but that takes little away from the reader's enjoyment. Just as Llesho was not the simple slave he once appeared to be, so is he also more than just a prince and ordained ruler of the kingdom guarding the Gates of Heaven. Many fantasy series drag on book after book, but Seven Brothers is a series you will not want to see end after a mere three volumes. Benjamin has created such a rich and exotic world that the reader hates to bid it goodbye - fortunately, though, the author is returning to this magical world and the future of Prince Tayyichiut in his next novel, Lords of Grass and Thunder.

This is the third book of the Seven Brothers Trilogy. The series should be read as a trilogy as each book builds on the former. Read the books in order. While it is a little daunting to 'take on' a trilogy by a pretty much unknown author I very strongly recommend this trilogy to those who like Bujold, Lackey, McCaffery and their books, as I do. While comparisons are invidious - i.e.I do not mean that Benjamin has borrowed from Bujold in any way - I think I can virtually guarantee that if you like Bujold's The Curse of Chalion' and 'Paladin of Souls' you will like these; the 'feel' of the books is similar. The fantastic world is interwoven with a world that seems superficially familiar in a similar way so gods and dragons 'pop up' and interact with normal mortals as if their presence is commonplace and mortals, while always respectful, nevertheless are not overawed - or particularly surprised by - their heavenly visitors.
The books are very well written stories - I couldn't put them down - and tell of the journey/ quest of a young prince, the seventh son of the royal family of a conquered country who was captured and sold as a child into slavery. He was seven when his country was invaded by a Mongol-like people. His parents were killed and his siblings split up. He survived a Long March to become a child slave diving for pearls a long way from home. At about fifteen he is given the task of finding his brothers - whom he had believed killed - and liberating his homeland. The books chronicle his journey, both literal and figurative to achieve these all but impossible tasks. It becomes increasingly apparent to the Reader - and to the modest hero - that he is unusual and destined for great things - if he survives!
The trilogy is set in a fantasy world which has the flavor of the far East, specifically Early Imperial China (the hero's homeland is reminiscent of Tibet), but the author has wisely only suggested parallels with these real cultures and so'any resemblence to any... country...is purely coincidental'. This gives the author great latitude for the setting of his story - but also gives the reader a bit of an anchor.
The hero's world is populated with gods, dragons, witches (male and female) and sorcerers - many of whom seem to be using the hero as a pawn in some great game.
I am not very familiar with Chinese mythology, but the fantastic characters seem to have their genesis in that tradition. The hero is a very likeable young man who inspires loyalty in his friends - and in the reader - as he struggles - mostly without complaint - to achieve his destiny.
Strongly recommended!

I'm not finished with it quiet yet, but its one of those books that keeps you turning the pages a lot, it is a very enjoyable book to read :)

Being a Chinese and familiar with Chinese folk lore and medieval fantasy, I am impressed with the setting, novelty and plot in the Seven Brothers. Chinese myth gods, goddesses, dragons, kings, princes, wizards, heroes, demons, shape-shifters....You name it, this series has it. I am also pleasantly surprised with Benjamin's imagination, which is better than most contemporary fantasy writers. However his writing style is sadly lacking; a lot of repetitions and somewhat mechanical. As a result, his characters came across cardboard-like. A real pity because the myriad characters he created have the potential to be really alive in the readers' imagination if only he could write with more feelings. A reviewer has compared him with Bujold. Maybe his imagination but definitely not character building. Benjamin should take some lessons from Bujold in characters development. Still I am pleased with the ending. The hero was revealed as the Justice God. A good idea as in Chinese myth the Justice God was a most revered man when he was a mortal.

As Llesho approaches the end of his quest to free his home and the gates of heaven, he comes to learn more about his powerful allies, old and new, as well as his enemies. The book comes to an exciting conclusion in which Llesho finally comes to terms with his place in the grand scheme.

There is a lot of great action and character development. These are handled better and with more maturity than in the the first two books. For me, though, what has always set the Seven Brothers series apart from others is the richness of culture and politics, and Gates of Heaven carries that through perfectly. There a number of distinct cultures represented, each handled with great depth and with fully developed beliefs, aesthetics, and political motivations. There are no delicate court politics here. This is war, and the wrong choices can be catastrophic. As Llesho begins to question the true motivations of his allies, it is more important than ever that he stands up and takes his place as leader.

Although this is the final book in the trilogy, Benjamin does a good job getting the reader up to speed seamlessly, without it feeling like a tacked-on recap. You can start right in on this one and you won't be left wondering what's going on, though it's definitely more staisfying when you've read the other two first.

This third volume joins the Seven brothers series and prior familiarity with the preceding stories will enhance and make more immediate an appreciation of the continuing saga. Prince Llesho was only seven when barbarians invaded his kingdom and sold him into slavery: as a teen he quests to regain his own freedom and that of surviving brothers, and he's gained most of his goals, forming new alliances in the process. Now he battles dark magic to keep their freedom and continue the struggle for the kingdom in this fast-paced fantasy.

The kingdom of Thebin was a prosperous place under the rule of a benevolent king until the hordes of Horn invaded. They killed the king and queen and sold the seven princes into slavery. An army of occupation now rules Thebin.

Several years later through the help of an earth god, Llesho is freed and determined to find his brothers and liberate his homeland. He discovers two of his brothers almost right away and finds allies to help him throw out the invaders. When he finds his next sibling he is joyous but he realizes the next prince found is mad and not to be counted on to fulfill the quest. By this time, Prince Llesho knows that his goal is bigger than his family regaining their kingdom. Heaven is being besieged by an evil being let loose by Master Marrko, a powerful mage and Llesho's sworn enemy. Only when all the princes are united and the kingdom is free will Llesho find the entrance that will take him to Heaven so he can defeat the evil creature. If he fails, all of Earth and Heaven will be destroyed.

Prince Llesho is a determined, head strong and vulnerable young man who attracts allies to his quest because they believe in him. The prince learns early on that being favored by the gods is no easy thing because he is at their whims and mercy. What sets out as a boy's dream to find his remaining family turns into a man's quest to free his homeland and destroy the indestructible if he wants to see this world and heaven safe in a world filled with many kingdoms and empires gods walking alongside man.

Harriet Klausner