Official Review: The Six and the Gardeners of Ialana

Levi · Post by **Levi** » 03 Feb 2016, 22:51

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Six and the Gardeners of Ialana" by Katlynn Brooke.]

4 out of 4 stars

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The Six and the Gardeners of Ialana is the second book of a series, and one in which author Katlynn Brooke really hits her stride. This entry in the fantasy genre is another one that fans of fantasy will love, as Katlynn takes us back to a sprawling world which she has created; one that abounds with metaphysical meaning. She continues to forego the usual use of magic to explain the unbelievable things that the reader is to experience, and for me this plot device is what makes her books so refreshing. I previously read the first book of the series and wrote a glowing review, and had already excitedly purchased this second book before I saw it come up for review. I was not disappointed!!

The Six, a group of friends destined to fight for the healing of the citizens of Ialana, have narrowly escaped the evil ruler Amrafalus and his plans to use their powers for evil. They find themselves in a land where the Trueni (people who have been altered by power crystals and then used as slaves), are eager to accept their knowledge of healing through crystals. They begin their healing, but soon run afoul of the local ruler, who also wants their power used for his own nefarious purposes. Meanwhile, another dark figure is introduced: Branwyn (also known as the Raven due to her ability to shapeshift and the form she takes when doing so), is a very powerful "woman" who uses an acquaintance of The Six to help find them so that she can use them to bolster her plan to rule the world. The Six narrowly escape and the story recounts their harrowing journey, and then their continued training with elemental powers, after they find a portal that takes them to another time and place. At the same time Branwyn grows in power while seducing leaders, taking over kingdoms, and searching for The Six so that she can use them to bring her plan of world domination to full fruition.

I can unabashedly say that I love Katlynn Brooke's world building skills and her story-telling abilities. I sing her praises for avoiding magic and seeking a deeper explanation for the things that she would have us experience. There are underlying themes throughout her stories of understanding and appreciating the world around us, and of championing social justice. The way things work in her writing shows a picture of understanding the life force of the world, which brings about a greater understanding of people and their need for healing. I also applaud her use of a narrative that alternates between viewpoints, but only because she does it so well. I love seeing things from different perspectives, and this was achieved flawlessly throughout both books.

Unfortunately, this book was not edited as well as the first book of the series. There were missing words and poor choices in phrasing that could easily have been caught with even minor editing. I must point this out in my review because the first book was surprisingly devoid of any noticeable errors, which made the ones in this book stand out, even though they were not glaring and were scattered enough as to not really create any issues when reading. I have definitely seen worse, but I love these books and therefore highly recommend further editing so that this world can continue to gain new readers.

I give The Six and the Gardeners of Ialana four out of four stars. The minor editing issues would have me give the book 3.5 out of four stars if possible, but as it stands I love the story so much that I cannot err on the low side as I feel that the book deserves more than three stars. I invite any of my fantasy loving friends to join me in my quest to journey with The Six as they continue escape evil and seek to heal the world!

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The Six and the Gardeners of Ialana
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gali · Post by **gali** » 10 Feb 2016, 00:13

Sounds good. I am glad you enjoyed the book. Great review!

Levi · Post by **Levi** » 10 Feb 2016, 00:28

@gali thank you so much!!

Post by **bookowlie** » 11 Feb 2016, 10:41

Nice, insightful review! It's high praise that you already bought the book before finding it on the list of review books. I read one sentence too fast and thought it said "seducing teachers." I am glad I realized that the character only seduced leaders, not teachers, while gaining power!

Levi · Post by **Levi** » 11 Feb 2016, 16:37

@Bookowlie it's true, I really like this series! Mostly because she refrains from unacceptable plot devices like seducing teachers hahaha.

Eric Morris · Post by **Eric Morris** » 18 Feb 2016, 12:58

@Levi, I have a complaint. You continually encourage me to add to my reading list faster than I can complete my tasks!! Another great review, sir, and another series for me to check out. If you keep this up, I will have to lock myself away for an extended period while I catch up on all your recommendations.

BTW, I took on Frozen Mystic because of your and Kappy's reviews, and I was not disappointed, so thank you for that.

Again, great review, and I'll jump into this series as soon as my To-Read list dwindles.

LivreAmour217 · Post by **LivreAmour217** » 18 Feb 2016, 13:14

Great review! I will have to check out this series, it sounds really good!

PashaRu · Post by **PashaRu** » 18 Feb 2016, 13:37

Thanks for a well written review! I don't really read this genre, but it sounds like this is a little deeper than the usual fantasy offering with the usual clichés.

(Here's to hoping that a rating of 3.5 will be possible one day. I started an effort a few months ago to change to a better rating system, the vast majority was in favor of it, but it turned into a bit of a fiasco, and in the end things remained the same for reasons still not completely clear to me.)