Gathering Clouds... by James Field

Gathering Clouds... Reviews

• 
  Sean DeLauder

  Trevor Cloud is a reclusive genius who has invented a machine that can go anywhere, endure any environment, and is powered by any energy expended around or upon it. His focus on the development of his extraordinary machine, an egg-shaped contraption he calls The Cloud, has left him only dimly aware of the fact that the clouds of Earth are curiously in absentia. It isn’t long, however, before Trevor, and his less reclusive brother, Russell, learn the nefarious source of the missing clouds—an extra-terrestrial agent that is siphoning away Earth’s vapor for reasons unknown.
  
  Brother Russell Cloud could not be more different from his brilliant sibling: athletic, outgoing, upbeat, philosophical, and perhaps somewhat prescient. Nevertheless, the two brothers confide and trust in one another completely.
  
  The story meanders a bit as Trevor and Russell explore the fascinating capabilities of the Cloud, here and there unveiling some new (but invariably important) function, but this is mere winding of the crank before the brothers come into contact with the aliens. Soon circumstances require them to deal with the threat. Indeed, after witnessing the technological capabilities of the visitors’ machines, and the paltry attempts humanity makes to thwart them, Trevor and Russell realize they and their machine may be the only thing that can stop the aliens.
  
  James Field has created a fascinating exploratory device in the Cloud and novice adventurers, the Cloud brothers. Who wouldn’t want to test the capabilities of a nigh self-sustaining machine that could go anywhere and guarantee the safety of its inhabitants? Best of all, improbable as it may seem, Trevor describes the function of his machine and its many failsafes with a scientific literacy and tone that makes the device seem entirely probable.
  
  To my surprise, despite the variety of experiences and entities we encounter on our journey with the Cloud brothers, the most interesting of all were the inanimate characters: the Cloud ship itself, seemingly invincible, infinitely adaptable, and all but unstoppable, and a gadget that identifies itself as Aidme. Part of the fun in reading this story is learning how Trevor will tweak his ship with a few hours of coding to navigate the latest challenge.
  
  This is the maiden voyage of the Cloud and the Cloud brothers, and their first adventure was a doozy. It might be difficult to top, but I hope it isn’t their last.
• 
  Laura Thomas

  I remember reading science fiction when I was a teenager and falling in love with it. I couldn't get enough. James Field writes science fiction the way it is supposed to be written. The pages are filled with technological wonders and fantastical alien life forms. I was snagged, hook, line and sinker by the first sentence.
  "Within the next few seconds Trevor will either experience a titanic swell of satisfaction - or die a gruesome death."
  Did it hook you? On to the story.
  The Cloud machine may look like a giant egg but it is a technological marvel. Want to go deep underwater, it will take you. Feeling like a little trip into space, climb aboard. Trevors space craft is virtually indestructable and can go anywhere.
  trevor Cloud is a physics genius with an amazing idea. Build a travel machine and explore outerspace. he is the more serious of the Cloud brothers.
  Russell, the younger sibling, is a martial arts master and a rabble rouser with special meditative abilities and visions. These visions will be needed if they are to survive what is coming.
  While traveling in space they discover that it is crowded with aliens and not all of them are friendly. One, in particular, wants our resources.
  Add together aliens, the end of the world, heroes and a couple of bumbling thugs, stir vigorously, and you have all the ingredients for a great science fiction adventure. This author sure can cook!
• 
  Hock Tjoa

  This is science fiction of the first order. It lacks perhaps the philosophical dimensions of Arthur Clarke's fables, but is at least as good as anything Asimov wrote. Two rather young men, one a brilliant student of physics (he takes it to the level of "hyper-dimension physics," if you get the picture), the other an eighteen old master of five different martial arts and of meditation with mental techniques at least as important as his brother's hyper-dimensional physics lead the defense of earth against aliens who are stealing water vapour from Planet Earth. The story is well told and refreshingly uncluttered by any Young Adult drama or romance. To say more would giveaway "spoilers." Science fiction fans rejoice; there is a new master in town!
  This review is based on The Cloud Boys: Book One.
• 
  Penumbra

  I received Gathering Clouds through Making Connections ARR: Science Fiction for an honest review, thank you.
  
  
  
  The blurb to this book pretty much tells what the story is about so I won’t go into that very much. The two main characters are the Cloud brothers, Russell, a martial arts expert, and Trevor, the genius who creates the Cloud. The story is mainly told through their eyes with switching viewpoints.
  
  I found Gathering Clouds to be an entertaining science fiction book. It’s a very quick read with excellent editing and formatting. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to read an eBook where the people involved took the time to make sure that the book is well edited and the formatting is correct. I would give high marks just for this alone.
  
  The dialogue, characterizations and action are different from what I’ve read before. I don’t know if I would call them campy, but the speech patterns, characterizations, and events are larger than life. It took me a while to get used to the style, but eventually I did. It reminds me of a comic book or children’s cartoon where the characters talk in louder than normal voices with exaggerated facial expressions. This makes the book well suited for young adults and especially for young males, because all the heroes are male, there isn’t a single female involved sadly.
  
  This book was a fun read. I’d recommend it to anyone, especially boys, interested in science fiction, and anyone who enjoys over the top characters literally having out of this world adventures.
  
  
  
• 
  Michael Gardner

  Trevor Cloud invents an indestructible flying saucer. Good timing, because there are a bunch of giant alien insects stealing water from Earth. Aided by his brother, Russell, a martial arts expert, they take the ship into space to confront the Mantis. Piece of cake, right? No. The Mantis show them they’re in for a fight and our hero brothers end up on the opposite side of the Universe, in a spaceship junkyard, the victims of the ruthless Mantis.
  
  James Field is a most entertaining writer. In style, Gathering Clouds reminds me of Douglas Adams without the unnecessary meandering plot, or a Terry Pratchett novel with structure and without the random rambling bits. This is epic space opera, highly imaginative, funny and dramatic. Look out for weapons systems that fire “concentrated beams of extinction”, mind control, and action aplenty.
• 
  Lara

  I really like the concept in this quirky sci-fi novel - two brothers fight aliens in their home made spaceship and I'd be happy to read more stories about them.
  
  It seems a bit odd to say it, but I found some aspects of the novel a little implausible. Not the sci-fi, but the 'real world' parts of the story, like the 18 year old martial arts master. And I would have liked a bit more fleshing out of the relationship between the brothers, more back-story if you will. I think this could have easily been a longer novel that gave a bit more detail about the main characters.
  
  Overall, good fun to read.
  ____________
  Having read it again, still great fun, and the implausible bits less so. - Give it a go if you like quirky fiction.
• 
  Wilde Sky

  The world is going through a dramatic climate change - the clouds and life giving rain have disappeared. Can two young brothers, Trevor and Russell, save the world?
  
  The storyline is very well developed and contains many ingenious ideas, but some of the characters didn’t ring true and some of the writing could have been tighter.
  
  If you enjoy sci-fi (such as Battlestar Galactica) you’ll enjoy this book.
  
  Originally I’ve rated this book 3 star overall – 4 for the storyline, but only 2 for the characters and writing (both of which felt a bit clunky in places). But after reading some stories with very little plot I decided to re-rate it as a 4 overall.
• 
  Victoria Zigler

  This is a well-written book, which drew my attention from the start and held it throughout. The characters are well rounded and the descriptions are fantastic. A pleasant combination of action scenes and slower scenes of less activity keep the plot flowing smoothly, and there's just enough scientific information to make it clear you're reading a sci-fi novel without you feeling like you're being bombarded with facts from a textbook. I would highly recommend this book to all fans of science fiction novels, or those looking to try out the genre.
• 
  George Kwiatkowski

  This is fun read as brothers Trevor and Russell save the earth from giant insects. The insects are taking earth's water, the planet is drying up and dying. Looks like nothing can stop the bugs as they have been doing this for a while. Enter the extraordinary Cloud brothers and the fun begins.