The Ale Boy's Feast: A Review
I've been a reader of the Auralia thread since late 2007, I have always found each of the four books to be something astounding and beautiful, but always in a different way. So it was with the first three, and so it was with the fourth and final book of this series. At first I thought that The Ale Boy's Feast didn't quite match up to the others as far as holding that beauty that the other three endeared themselves to me so deeply with, and I continued to think so until I reached the final chapters. Then once again the story became beautiful to me as all the various threads and loose ends of this book, and the previous books, started to resolve a bit. The last few chapters were the most beautiful of The Ale Boy's Feast
My one complaint that I did have while reading it is that it took me nearly eight chapters to get into the story, at that point there were many plot-threads being given but with very little resolution and no sense of being tied together as one story. Each chapter seemed to be going in a different direction then the one before it. Of this, it is that it took me so long to get into the story enough for it to capture my interest.
Yet, as the book reached its conclusion I was thankful for the laying down of threads that once resolved, made sense. It made for a much more pleasant conclusion then if the conclusion had been written without the confusing beginning.
The writing style is, as usual, well done. However for much of the book it didn't seem to hold the same sense of wonderment that the first book of the series did. There were many passages throughout that were beautifully written, but it wasn't until the end that the familiar beauty of Mr. Overstreet's word-craft really seemed to present itself. Yet, again, looking back from the end of the book. It was beautiful. I don't know whether to be awed by that or disappointed that I missed it at the time I was reading it.
Overall, I am quite satisfied with this book, especially as the conclusion of so much that went before it. I felt it resolved very beautifully and believably the many threads that Mr. Overstreet has woven throughout, not only The Ale Boy's Feast but the entire Auralia thread. When I finished I felt, not disappointed, but satisfied, as if I had just taken a drink after being thirsty, and found my thirst quenched.
I would definitely recommend this book, but definitely would recommend reading the other three first. For anyone who hasn't been following along the books are in this order: Auralia's Colors, Cyndere's Midnight, Raven's Ladder, & The Ale Boy's Feast
The Ale Boy's Feast on Amazon.com
Author Website: Jeff Overstreet, looking closer.org
As part of the CSFF blog tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, for the purposes of this tour.
Participants’ links
Gillian Adams
Red Bissell
Grace Bridges
Beckie Burnham
Morgan L. Busse
Valerie Comer
CSFF Blog Tour
Shane Deal
Chris Deane
Cynthia Dyer
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Carol Keen
Dawn King
Inae Kyo
Shannon McDermott
Shannon McNear
Karen McSpadden
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Donna Swanson
Rachel Starr Thomson
Robert Treskillard
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Dona Watson
Phyllis Wheeler
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