Review of Sandcastles and Rainbows I: 2nd Edition
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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sandcastles and Rainbows I: 2nd Edition" by Christopher D Myers.]
With humor, I would describe my reading experience—finally being done with this book—as an unarguable adventure: really fun, interesting actually, and so interesting that I must also admit it has its share of stress. Sandcastles and Rainbows I: 2nd Edition: Love Exists in the Universe by Christopher D. Myers starts with Falin, an Ethereal Being drifting at the edge of existence, a consciousness without flesh or breath, suspended between realities like a thought that had never needed to begin. The Ethereal Universe was perfection itself; nothing was born, and nothing was lost, everything untouched by time. Yet he was drawn to the physical universe, where everything had a beginning and an end, where chaos and inevitability walked hand in hand, and where love was not eternal but precious because it could be lost.
Meaning drew Falin into the physical universe and toward his destination on a planet called "Zenla." At that time, another Ethereal Being, Xin, was drawn toward the same narrowing point, and Falin sensed it. When he enters a physical body, he is shocked by the pain, the heaviness, and the sudden need to breathe air. He also finds Xin, who has taken a body as well, and they experience the new reality of being physical creatures. Falin and Xin learn that their new bodies have strict rules, like needing food. After Xin finds small fruits, she plucks one and eats it, and Falin eats too. They eventually split up to search for food, and Falin met another Ethereal Being who had been on Zenla longer and had adapted; Jalen was her name.
Falin and Xin meet again as Falin watches her shaping the sand close to the waters, making a sandcastle, which she says is for them to live in, and behind her, a rainbow crowns her luminous features. This becomes even more beautiful when you think back on it at the end of the book. Soon, other Mental Beings gather to create “The Game.” The rules of "The Game" eventually become that they must become mortals and completely forget who they are, testing if they can rediscover their true selves from scratch. A Mental Being named Charon stays behind to remember their names so they have a home if they ever return. Falin travels through space as pure thought, guided by an ancient, gentle call to a blue-green planet near a yellow sun, and he enters “The Game,” taking on a mortal body and completely forgetting his past, his power, his knowledge, his immortality, and most painfully, Xin.
Xin stays behind with Charon for a short time, but she eventually tells him she will enter “The Game” to find Falin, even though she knows it will make her forget him. She travels across the universe, guided by her strong love for Falin, until she finally reaches his planet, takes a humanoid body, and all her memories go dark. I have said quite a lot, and to find out what happens and whether they are able to win "The Game," you would need to read the book yourself. I also want to avoid mentioning spoilers.
Not to say much more, since I’ve already said a lot about the plot, but I felt it was necessary, and I’m sure readers would want to know what happens, as it’s actually a really interesting concept. This storyline is the most lovable part of the book, and the way everything is described is just beautiful. One thing this author surely does not joke with is description; everything is described so well and effectively, although sometimes too much. Some parts, especially at the start, are amazing; it felt like I could actually experience what it was like to be an Ethereal Being, and I could also imagine the burst of life when Falin takes mortal form on Zenla.
I also like how they talk. For example, Xin, when describing her feeling of hunger, says, “This is not a request. It announces before it insists,” and the funny part to me is when she goes on to say, “It will not accept thought as negotiation.” The story is long but likable, and the love between Falin and Xin is heartwarming, even after losing memories of their ethereal selves. The ending of this book deserves an award and shows wonderful writing.
I would say a little more work is needed to bring the professional editing to an exceptional level, as I found a few errors across the book, although the editing is still good overall. My main dislike, which makes me take off a star alongside the few errors I found, is that sometimes the descriptions are too much. I will give just one example because of the length of my review:
“They wandered deeper into the city’s labyrinthine streets, where the omnipresence of its churches rose as silent witnesses to Gornon’s religious devotion. The modest dwellings that once marked the outskirts had long since been swallowed by vast sanctuaries, their grand façades carved with scenes of divine triumphs and celestial wars.”
Passages like this made the book difficult to read at times and a bit annoying, because they delayed the more interesting parts I was waiting for.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars based on everything I have said. I think this book is amazing, and I can’t wait to read book two. I recommend it to everyone, especially those who love a good fictional storyline that makes you sit and think. Like me, I started to reflect on how special mortality really is and the love between Falin and Xin, which is inevitable not to think about, especially after that well-written ending.
******
Sandcastles and Rainbows I: 2nd Edition
View: on Bookshelves |
With humor, I would describe my reading experience—finally being done with this book—as an unarguable adventure: really fun, interesting actually, and so interesting that I must also admit it has its share of stress. Sandcastles and Rainbows I: 2nd Edition: Love Exists in the Universe by Christopher D. Myers starts with Falin, an Ethereal Being drifting at the edge of existence, a consciousness without flesh or breath, suspended between realities like a thought that had never needed to begin. The Ethereal Universe was perfection itself; nothing was born, and nothing was lost, everything untouched by time. Yet he was drawn to the physical universe, where everything had a beginning and an end, where chaos and inevitability walked hand in hand, and where love was not eternal but precious because it could be lost.
Meaning drew Falin into the physical universe and toward his destination on a planet called "Zenla." At that time, another Ethereal Being, Xin, was drawn toward the same narrowing point, and Falin sensed it. When he enters a physical body, he is shocked by the pain, the heaviness, and the sudden need to breathe air. He also finds Xin, who has taken a body as well, and they experience the new reality of being physical creatures. Falin and Xin learn that their new bodies have strict rules, like needing food. After Xin finds small fruits, she plucks one and eats it, and Falin eats too. They eventually split up to search for food, and Falin met another Ethereal Being who had been on Zenla longer and had adapted; Jalen was her name.
Falin and Xin meet again as Falin watches her shaping the sand close to the waters, making a sandcastle, which she says is for them to live in, and behind her, a rainbow crowns her luminous features. This becomes even more beautiful when you think back on it at the end of the book. Soon, other Mental Beings gather to create “The Game.” The rules of "The Game" eventually become that they must become mortals and completely forget who they are, testing if they can rediscover their true selves from scratch. A Mental Being named Charon stays behind to remember their names so they have a home if they ever return. Falin travels through space as pure thought, guided by an ancient, gentle call to a blue-green planet near a yellow sun, and he enters “The Game,” taking on a mortal body and completely forgetting his past, his power, his knowledge, his immortality, and most painfully, Xin.
Xin stays behind with Charon for a short time, but she eventually tells him she will enter “The Game” to find Falin, even though she knows it will make her forget him. She travels across the universe, guided by her strong love for Falin, until she finally reaches his planet, takes a humanoid body, and all her memories go dark. I have said quite a lot, and to find out what happens and whether they are able to win "The Game," you would need to read the book yourself. I also want to avoid mentioning spoilers.
Not to say much more, since I’ve already said a lot about the plot, but I felt it was necessary, and I’m sure readers would want to know what happens, as it’s actually a really interesting concept. This storyline is the most lovable part of the book, and the way everything is described is just beautiful. One thing this author surely does not joke with is description; everything is described so well and effectively, although sometimes too much. Some parts, especially at the start, are amazing; it felt like I could actually experience what it was like to be an Ethereal Being, and I could also imagine the burst of life when Falin takes mortal form on Zenla.
I also like how they talk. For example, Xin, when describing her feeling of hunger, says, “This is not a request. It announces before it insists,” and the funny part to me is when she goes on to say, “It will not accept thought as negotiation.” The story is long but likable, and the love between Falin and Xin is heartwarming, even after losing memories of their ethereal selves. The ending of this book deserves an award and shows wonderful writing.
I would say a little more work is needed to bring the professional editing to an exceptional level, as I found a few errors across the book, although the editing is still good overall. My main dislike, which makes me take off a star alongside the few errors I found, is that sometimes the descriptions are too much. I will give just one example because of the length of my review:
“They wandered deeper into the city’s labyrinthine streets, where the omnipresence of its churches rose as silent witnesses to Gornon’s religious devotion. The modest dwellings that once marked the outskirts had long since been swallowed by vast sanctuaries, their grand façades carved with scenes of divine triumphs and celestial wars.”
Passages like this made the book difficult to read at times and a bit annoying, because they delayed the more interesting parts I was waiting for.
I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars based on everything I have said. I think this book is amazing, and I can’t wait to read book two. I recommend it to everyone, especially those who love a good fictional storyline that makes you sit and think. Like me, I started to reflect on how special mortality really is and the love between Falin and Xin, which is inevitable not to think about, especially after that well-written ending.
******
Sandcastles and Rainbows I: 2nd Edition
View: on Bookshelves |
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