The Cloud Roads (edition 2011)

Managing to be at once alien and familiar, Moon's journey from wounded loner to champion was touching. Wells's world is accessible, but the unique details making up her ecosystem are vivid and interesting. This book reminded me of the stories of Temeraire, though I love that THE CLOUD ROADS gives us the story from the alien's perspective.

Full review at Read Fragment. ( )

This series was on list of N.K. Jemisin's Favorite Epic Fantasies and I am glad I decided to give it a chance. Now it is also on my list of favorite fantasy novels too. I would not call it epic, but maybe because my mind is poisoned and I expect epic fantasy to have mile-long books and medieval setting. This book is not that.

The world of Three Realms is original. Plant, life and creatures that inhabit it are simply - fantastic. And descriptions of flying islands, ancient ruins and architecture will leave you without breath. My most eloquent thought while I was reading them was 'Wow'. :)

Although the setting, characters and customs are unknown to us, the story pulls you right in and you are there with our main character Moon, sharing his troubles and adventures.

I will definitely read the sequel [b:The Serpent Sea|11834447|The Serpent Sea (Books of the Raksura #2)|Martha Wells|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327922521s/11834447.jpg|16789468] soon. ( )

THE CLOUD ROADS was cozy and charming, with a surly but lovable dragon-shifter protagonist, Moon. The author, Martha Wells, describes the Three Worlds like the author of a particularly luscious travel guide, full of shores, forests, and cities that you can't help but want to visit. I felt immersed in the world and connected to Moon, who I rooted for, and Wells does a wonderful job of dropping the reader into various social groups without letting the new people or customs become confusing or overwhelming.

In THE CLOUD ROADS Moon finds himself among his own people, the Raksura, after a life of fruitless searching. He's tried to fit in with many different people over the years, but once they find out that he's a shifter - and resembles a race of rapacious predators, the Fell - they always kick him out. He's nearly too exhausted to try again, now that he's been found by his own kind, especially since years of bad luck have all the Raksura of Indigo Cloud uncharitable and on edge. There's lots of tension boiling under the surface and, because of who and what Moon is, his presence sparks a fair bit of conflict.

The story kept me interested but the relationships between the main characters never quite gelled. Moon develops a friendship with another dragon-shifter, Chime, who has a pretty interesting backstory but never quite came to life. Moon's romantic relationship with Jade, the young queen, develops naturally but I never felt a spark. And so on and so forth with the other secondary characters; almost there, but not quite.

This is really a 3.5 star book. When I'm conflicted, my rule is to round up if I think I'd read another book by the author or down if I don't. I'm not sure; I don't think I'll seek out the sequel to THE CLOUD ROADS, but I wouldn't avoid it, either. On the other hand, you never know. I picked this one up because I'd just finished a book that was really intense and gritty and I wanted something that would keep me glued to the page without sawing at my heartstrings, and this fit the bill perfectly. I guess I'll round up - a book deserves a little boost for offering the right thing at the right time.

EDITED TO ADD: I had a chance to read the sequel, THE SERPENT SEA, and I LOVED it. I'm glad in retrospect that I gave THE CLOUD ROADS four stars - I like where this series is going & suspect I wasn't in the right mood to appreciate THE CLOUD ROADS when I read it. ( )

An exotic world, inhabited by the bizarre and otherworldly, forms the setting for this fantastic adventure that challenges the tropes of the genre. Its familiar - a story about an orphan finally reunited with his kind and forced to quickly learn their way and save them from an ancient foe - and yet not - the world is decidedly foreign and keeps readers off-balance.

Martha Wells has created a fantasy world I fell in love with the moment I read the worlds floating island. There are deserts and rolling plains and forests, and every now and again a floating island will appear in the sky. Its called The Three Worlds, because it's populated by creatures of the land, sea and air. There are lots of species - we only meet a handful in The Cloud Roads, and most of them very briefly - and surprisingly, none of them are humans. The races frequently make homes in ancient ruins left behind by long forgotten peoples, about whom I am insanely curious. They are terrorized by an aerial race called Fell, who basically steal everything they need and kill wantonly.

The protagonist, Moon, knows he's never met another creature like himself, and has spent his life hiding amongst the ground-dwelling species that inhabit the land. Eventually the truth comes out and he is driven out and attacked, and when yet another community abandons him (this time they stake him to the ground hoping wild animals finish him off), Moon is rescued by someone who tells him what he is - Raksura - and invites him to join a community of people like him.

The biggest surprise about the book are the Raksura. Sporting wings, claws and scales in one form but humanoid in another, they are a curious blend of avian and reptilian in looks and have a distinctly bee/wasp/ant-like social structure. Moon struggles to adapt to their way of life because they are so community minded, and readers will also experience discomfort trying to understand them. Martha Wells has done a great job in explaining their complex social hierarchy and the ways in which each caste is different from the others, and once readers have the Raksura all figured out, there are the Fell to contend with, who have an equally challenging society.

The Cloud Roads is stand-off-ish - it's difficult to sympathise with the characters or establish a connection with them, and everything is so alien that one spends half the book playing catch up. This is part because it follows creatures that aren't human by any stretch of imagination, but still hunt, read, write, and have a strong sense of community. I think it's also because of the intelligent story-telling device the author uses - there are no information dumps, and the world building (history, culture, lore and mythology) is told slowly. I like it because it feels more natural to tell a story this way, but it means that readers are just as clueless as Moon, and he's in so deep over his head it takes him several chapters to realise it.

Moon is an extremely likeable character, naturally suspicious and shy but quick to anger. Although plagued with the fear that he won't fit in amongst his own kind, he makes an honest go at eking out a life among them, which I find admirable. I think it would have been easy for Moon to be self-pitying and prone to whining, but Wells has made him determined to succeed while keeping his insecurities intact. All of the secondary characters in the book ring true and defy stereotypes, although I would have liked Jade to have something going for her other than 'strong, young, beautiful Queen-in-Waiting trying to prove her worth'.

The Cloud Roads deserves every word of praise it gets, and will be enjoyed by fans of high fantasy. I have enjoyed reading it and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series, The Serpent Sea and The Siren Depths.

You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic. ( )

http://cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/weblog/algae-2012-03.html#wells ( )

Moon has spent his life hiding what he is - a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself... someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power... that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival... and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save himself... and his newfound kin.

(amazon.com)

It's been a while since I've read a good sci-fi book. This one was pretty good. It's one of the first one's I've ever read where there weren't any humans. Though there were forms of creatures called "groundlings", which were very similar to humans. The only difference was they weren't afraid to rip out a few throats and eat it. But it was a very good story line.

I loved how she created a whole new world. It was a very wonderful world. She added so much history to the civilizations that I could believe it to be a real place. All the different cultures added to the "magic". Moon was a great character. He's the hero trying to figure out where he truly belongs and along the way he falls in love. Jade was a great woman for Moon. You could tell there was great chemistry between the two. Though sometimes he could be a jerk to Jade.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good sci-fi/fantasy novel. I loved it from the start. I can not wait to read The Serpent Sea! great job Martha Wells! I wonder if she is related to H.G Wells? Anyways... 4/5 stars! ( )

The premise: nabbed from BN.com: Moon has spent his life hiding what he is - a shape-shifter able to transform himself into a winged creature of flight. An orphan with only vague memories of his own kind, Moon tries to fit in among the tribes of his river valley, with mixed success. Just as Moon is once again cast out by his adopted tribe, he discovers a shape-shifter like himself... someone who seems to know exactly what he is, who promises that Moon will be welcomed into his community. What this stranger doesn't tell Moon is that his presence will tip the balance of power... that his extraordinary lineage is crucial to the colony's survival... and that his people face extinction at the hands of the dreaded Fell! Now Moon must overcome a lifetime of conditioning in order to save and himself... and his newfound kin.

My Rating: Good Read

I may have downloaded this on a whim because it was free during the holidays, but The Cloud Roads ended up being utterly enjoyable to read. Fans of fantasy will most certainly want to give this book a shot, especially readers who want something more than elves or dragons or werewolves and vampires. I haven't actually read a fantasy where the primary focus in on reptilian shape-shifters (which is the easiest way to describe the Raskura), but Wells does a wonderful job painting the picture and giving me a real sense of what it's like to be a Raskura, what it's like to confront one, and what it's like to live in a world where many groundlings fear them. Moon is a rather reluctant hero, but he's honorable as well, despite his misgivings for the story he's been thrust into. As soon as I'm able, I'll be picking up the sequel, The Serpent Seas, to see how Wells continues to develop this world, because it and the characters were just that enjoyable. Wells is an author I'll definitely pay better attention to in the future.

Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. I didn't take a lot of notes while reading, and those I did take were more to mark the areas I found humorous, so no spoilers. The full review is in my blog, which I've linked to below, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: Martha Wells' THE CLOUD ROADS

Happy Reading! ( )

For some reason, Martha Wells has become one of those authors that I will follow wherever she goes. Although I don't think this is her finest work (a title that probably goes to The Wheel of the Infinite), this was an enjoyable, smart novel taking place in a world that I definitely want to hear more about. ( )

I downloaded this book from Amazon because it was free. It's a fantasy book. I got three chapters in and decided that instead of painfully pushing through the rest of this book, I would rather read something more enjoyable. I could not relate to the characters. The author gave too much information that ultimately didn't leave me with any better sense of who everyone is or what the setting is like, even after three chapters. So, I am not quitting; I made a conscious decision to put down a poorly written book in favor of the promise of a better one elsewhere. Yes. ( )

It was refreshing to read such a well-written, stand-alone fantasy novel. The story here is only the tip of an iceberg of potential stories within this world--which is vast and populated with many different peoples--not just different nationalities, but different species.

Moon has been alone among the cultures of this world for most of his life. His doesn't know who his people are, and in all his wandering, he has never found another like him--he can shape-shift into a form that can fly. He hides his true nature, moving from culture to culture, because his flying form can be mistaken for a species of vicious, intelligent flying creatures that terrorize the species of the Three Worlds.

One day, his species, the Raksura, find him, and he is no longer alone--instead he is thrust into the middle of a conflict between his own people, and the possible extinction of his entire species. ( )

When it comes to some Fantasy genre I am very picky about what I read. So when I saw The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells I was a little worried. Here was this great book with amazing cover art and what looked like a wonderful story concept. I even got a little timid worried that I would read the story find it not appealing and put the book down. After staring at the book picking it up starting to open it then freaking out and putting it down again it took my Kindle breaking to actually get the kick in the rear I needed to stop being afraid that the book would disappoint me and to actually give it the shot that it so fairly needed.

Picking it up and the first pages did NOT let me down. I fell in love. I fell in love with Moon, with stone and Jade and flower with all the characters and every single one of the children. I wanted to cuddle the little Speckle. Every turn of the page pulled me in to the world and made me want to know what was going to happen next. Each twist and turn taking you on a magical ride and a love of friends, family, and new beginnings. All in all I say to embrace this novel open it up and read it. Allow it to pull you in and let you fall in love with it as I have. ( )

I wish I could give this book 6 stars because it surprised the heck out of me with how much I enjoyed it. The author created an incredibly unique setting that was a lot of fun to get to see and explore with the lead character. It really reminded me of how I felt when I read "Dragonriders of Pern" back in Junior High School - how I was never really sure what was going to happen or what was waiting around the next corner.

Great book by a fantastic author. It made me a fan. ( )

The world building aspect of this book was very good, yet I had a difficult time connecting to any of the main characters. Many of the characters were not that likable, and the dialog between them was less then inspiring. ( )

We follow the story of Moon, a solitary Raksura who has developed into manhood not knowing where he came from or even what type of people he belongs to. He is described as a shifter, one that can change from a flying creature into a walking creature. He was orphaned from a young age and has been moving between groundling camps in which he never fit in and could not reveal his true self to. He lived in constant fear that if a groundling saw him shift into is Raksura form that he would be confused with the enemies of all creatures, the Fell. One day, a flying creature like himself, rescues him from a deathly situation and takes him to a floating island until he can heal. Moon and the rescuer take this time to ask each other questions about where they come from and who they are.

Stone, the Raksura who has rescued him explains they live in a place called the Three Worlds. There are several types of creatures living in this world consisting of groundlings, skylings and sea creatures. Some of them are obviously interchangeable and have the ability to shift into another form. Moon decides that he will travel back with the Stone to see people like himself and learn about where he may have come from. And the possibilies that his future holds.

Each step of the way they must be smarter, faster and stronger than the Fell that are taking over the world. The Fell are slowly destroying the other creatures to defy their own devastation. All the creatures in this world are experiencing sickness and low breeding numbers. But the Fell have some advantages the other creatures don't have, and they have set their eyes on the Raksura to salvage their dire situation.

The writing is very descriptive and overall easily imaginable. There are so many levels and relations in each type of species that it did take me quite a bit of the book to start to grasp the roles they play in their societies. Both the Fell and the Raksura had different levels of rankings in which some could shift and some couldn't. But the twist of adding the rare shifters in as well, made the book more fantastical and really envelops you into the story. The repetitive descriptions of the people throughout the story helped as well. There is so much adventure and world building and action that literally before you know it the story is over and leaves you yearning for more.

By the end of the book you are fighting for the happy ending, you come to understand all of the creatures, their plight and need to grow in number and survive. How they can work for or against each other and the overall story line -that we all need to find a place to belong. ( )

**I am currently reading this, but I cannot figure out how to add that onto this site** (confusing layout)

Death of a Necromancer is still my favorite, but I really love this book. A unique departure from her usual fare, and a marvelous world. Looking forward to the next one. ( )

Marvelous adventure in a fascinating world. ( )

I enjoyed this book very much, but perhaps not as much as the other two Martha Wells books I've read (City of Bones and Death of the Necromancer). Wells is incredibly gifted at creating fascinating worlds. The landscapes and creatures in this book (and some of her others) are unique and refreshing--all these vampire stories are feeling overdone--so it was nice to read a book with an entirely new type of creature populating the pages.

The creatures in this book mainly involve Raksura and Fell. Both races can shape-shift from a "groundling" form (two arms, two legs, no wings--something like us humans) to a flying form (although there are a few that don't have wings). Fell, however, are the evil race--piliaging, killing, stealing, and tainting everything in their path. Obviously, the Fell are the antagonists of this book.

Moon is Raksura (he's the one featured on the cover of the book). He grew up with just his mother and siblings and very isolated. He was orphaned when he was very young when his mother and siblings were killed and left without a home or any knowledge of his what he was or where to find others like him. So Moon struggles along trying to fit into groundling settlements, but never with much luck. But before long another Raksura finds him--Stone. Moon agrees to let Stone take him back to Stone's "court" (a Raksura city), but quickly learns there's more to this than he first believed.

Moon continues to struggle to fit in, even among his own kind, and learns he knows very little about Raksura. He quickly learns part of the reason he was brought back was to help breed more Raksura. The court is failing for some inexplicable reason, the babies dying, and very few males are left to breed with the queens. Thus, Moon learns that the court is failing and the Fell quickly identify themselves as a looming threat. They must deal with the Fell, but their plan is dangerous and puts them in a vulnerable position. Will Moon find a home with the Raksura? Will the mystery of what is causing the court to die be revealed? Will the Fell attack and if so will the Raksura be able to defend? And will Moon mate with either of the queens or find love with one of them? It is these struggles that are the main plot of the book.

Wells does well at keeping mystery in the story right to the end and produces several surprises throughout the book. It was well written, attention grabbing, unique, and intriguing. Although I struggle at times to fully visualize Wells' descriptions, I always love what I finally do visualize and I applaud her for keeping my attention and my imagination captured so wonderfully! I highly recommend any and all of Wells' books--even the ones I haven't read yet, I have every confidence they are all fantastic! ( )