The Beautiful Boy

Book 2 of the Saga of the Six Worlds series, Cherith Baldry’s Rite of Brotherhood demonstrates the importance of fraternal love, that true friendship requires compassion, vulnerability, and understanding – even if the one you love doesn’t want to love you back.

Fifteen-year-old Aurion is sent on a quest by his father, the king of the Two Islands, to make peace negotations after their home is raided by an army sent by King Largh, king of Tar-Askar. The king tells his son Aurion that he has a cousin on Tar-Askar named Arax, a boy prince who is also fifteen-years-old, but that he won’t be receptive to him since Arax worships Askar, a violent god of the sea. Aurion, however – through his humility and brotherly sense of love given to him by the true God – does not seek war, but peace.

The novel deals with importance of loyalty and friendship through two boys who grow up in culturally distinct backgrounds. Aurion’s vulnerability is front and center, as he is willing to be honest, compassionate, and loving towards Arax despite his adverse behavior. Arax, who worships Askar, finds validation in a warrior ethos, with his culture being one of blood, hostility, and brutality. He lives for the kill and finds concepts such as self-sacrifice embarassing.

When Aurion tries to show his genuine care for Arax by saving him from a leopard attack during a hunting ritual, Arax feels disgraced.

The cultural and religious differences keep Aurion and Arax’s relationship at a seemingly neverending impasse. Despite their differences, Aurion can sense Arax’s true sentiments in his body language and speech, with Arax even letting some of his more private feelings known when it’s just the two of them.

However, that barrier slowly begins to melt when Aurion once again saves his cousin’s life after a severe fever. When the work of the priests of Askar fail, and Arax’s fever worsens after three days - Aurion, with permission from the king, quickly makes a healing cordial to save him (later bathing him, changing his bedding, and letting him rest). Aurion stays the night at Arax’s bedside, and when Arax awakens with a murmur, he finds himself “fighting tears.” Aurion is surprised by his own reaction, yet acknowledges to himself that his love and affection for his cousin is growing and is real.

Arax, in his own way, shows his affection for Aurion by “bathing his forehead” when he catches the same fever. 

It’s during an important Askarn ceremony for Arax that Aurion – without his knowing it – offers to swear brotherhood to Arax through the gift of hand-crafted knife. The moment is left in a standstill, with both boys unsure of what to make of this sudden turn in their relationship. But Aurion’s abrupt departure captures Arax’s attention, who quickly leaves his own celebration in search of his cousin who ran away. And it’s in this moment that Arax renounces the violent culture that raised him for the sake of Aurion.

Arax concludes that everything they’ve been through together has been culminating to this moment. They may not have realized it or seen it, but their bond was meant to be.

The novel is filled with intense moments that demonstrate what we call true love. This is not a love driven by an erotic or sexual passion, nor is it selfish or hedonistic. Rather, it is a love that is mutual on all accounts, a love that deepens and is affirmed with every moment spent with one another. The brotherhood between Aurion and Arax shows us that blood is thicker than water, that love takes time and work. Aurion’s initiative to be with Arax and to help him come to the truth no matter the consequence, tied with Arax’s desire for a friend (vocalized through sharing secrets and behavior changes) – led them to become exceptional, extraodinary, soul-siblings.

I highly recommend this book for those who are looking for stories on boyhood friendships. This book, while short, has a lot of sweet moments between the two boys. They express each other’s feelings openly with each other, there are several moments where they touch, grab, or hold onto each other for safety, comfort, or simple affection. Aurion becomes very familiar with his cousin’s face and body, recognizing everything from subtle changes in his tone of voice, to the look in his eyes that tells him exactly what he is feeling.  And while moments like this may sound simple or brief, I found them very endearing and I wanted more of them with each page I read.

The depth of their intimate friendship makes the book worth reading. Again, I can’t overstate how much I loved reading this and how much I valued their friendship. Imagine what it would be like if we lived in a world where boys were able to freely love each other like Aurion and Arax.