Book Review for Battle of Kinds by Clint Gleason
Battle of Kinds, by Clint Gleason, is a fantastical tale about learning to live in a harsh world.
Rawluv is a young traveler who has already seen much of the world. From having an affair with a beautiful slave to avoiding Garmish the Thief, he still knew he had other sights to explore. One day however, he was attacked by Quillers, but then saved by an Efftrul named Waltham, who later takes Rawluv as a slave. It isn’t long before Rawluv realizes just how much more he needs to learn, and what it means to live as a person, rather than a shadow of the world around him.
I’ll admit, when I first read about Rawluv, I was a bit irritated. I kept asking myself why Rawluv kept accepting Madeem’s advances, even when Sima was taking care of him. That very inexperience was what led him to get caught. Even so, he still grew, from seeing the mounting tension between the Efftruls and the Nomooks, to the rising of the Trikilliates, he learned that life isn’t as predictable as he thought it to be. He develops into this mature man who realizes that it is better to settle down than to drift from one place to the next. I saw this chaotic, wild creature turn into a domesticated animal, trying to find another master to take care of him.
This was a part of the book that I enjoyed the most. From a free-spirited man to a spiritually broke dreamer, he’s experienced what fighting over something can do to people, how far many are willing to go to preserve what they perceive to be theirs. In a way, he’s learned more about what it means to be a person as a slave to the Efftruls than traveling the world. Personally, this reminds me of a poem written by Maya de Angelou, called Caged Bid. But instead of a bird seeking out its freedom, hoping its song would be heard, Rawluv has already been broken, and would rather stay in the cage than be freed. He’s a wounded little thing in a dark world, one that he might not be able to survive.
A few of the phrases were a bit awkward, and though I loved the world Rawluv lived in, I did wish there were more details. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book; Rawluv’s development was beautifully portrayed, as was the symbolism of freedom in the end. Gleason illustrates the darkness of life, as well as how finding a safe haven can shield you from it, even if it means you have to give up your own individuality. As such, I would give this book a rating of a 3.7 out of 5.0, and would recommend this book to those who enjoy the Feast of Fates by Christian A. Brown, and Legends of Perilisc by Jesse Teller.
