A peasant girl who dreams of becoming a sorceress, a boy who imagines himself a knight – trailed by a ruthless mercenary armed with an ancient sword.All Lynette wanted was to leave her boring village life – to attend the Fae Academy and become a Druid priestess like her teacher before her. Her clumsy attempts at magic are a reminder of how much she has yet to learn. But if they would only accept … would only accept her, if the Fae Kingdom – closed to human visitors for centuries now – would only just open its doors, she is certain she could become a master of the magical arts.
Yet her journey puts her on a collision course with a reawakened evil – offering a king’s ransom for the recovery of a long-lost relic. Treasure hunters of every variety – werewolves, mercenaries, common thieves and undead alike – are soon locked in pursuit of its promised riches. Together with Baxter, a young squire who fled his own kingdom, and Eirlon, a gnome who trades in rare antiquities, Lynette is drawn unwillingly into the hunt for the elusive relic.
Hounded by goblins, ogres – and darker things – Baxter carries his own burdens: secrets that have made him the enemy of the crown. And then there is Garth, the mysterious mercenary who both frightens and intrigues Lynette: the weapons-master armed with an ancient blade – snatched from the hand of a long-vanished fae prince.
Willingly or not, Lynette, Baxter and Eirlon must together solve the riddles behind the relic – and stay one step ahead of the ruthless killers that pursue them.
The complete Book One of the Stormfall Chronicles, Storm’s Herald is an Epic Fantasy series suitable for all ages.
more
Storm’s Herald is the first book in the Stormfall Chronicles series and is a very promising start to an interesting high-fantasy / coming-of-age adventure.
The main characters are Lynette and Baxter, who are both apprentices – mage and warrior, respectively – and both end up striking out alone for their own compelling reasons. Their paths inevitably converge (along with that of Eirlon, a gnome sage who appears to have secrets of his own) and they begin a quest that sees them looking for answers to recent attacks and gradually beginning to realise that this may be bigger and more daunting than they thought. Like, ‘legend-in-the-making’ big!
I was a little confused about the characters at first, as a third ‘apprentice’ was introduced early on and seemed, at first, to have equal standing with the two potential adventurers. Kalden is an apprentice healer and seemed like a natural complement to the skills of the other team members, but then he suddenly drops out of the narrative, choosing a place in village life. He does pop up again later, after I had mostly forgotten about him, but more as a minor character than a significant one so far. I found this just a tiny bit unsettling for a while, as wondering about his role in the story distracted me from full immersion in the story (until, as I said, I successfully dismissed him from my mind… sorry Kalden!).
Other than that – very insignificant – quibble, I really enjoyed this book. The characters are interesting and have plenty of room to grow and develop as the story progresses. Lynette and Baxter both confounded my initial impressions of them, by having hidden depths and individual motivations, causing them to occasionally act in unexpected ways. I particularly liked this character complexity.
Similarly, while the main plot appears to be a straightforward seek-and-find quest, there are clearly undercurrents of darker magic, murkier politics, secrets and deceptions that promise an epic wider story arc as the series continues. There are different types of magic and monsters to explore, and a range of classic fantasy races – fae, werewolves, gnomes, orcs, goblins – with their legendary stereotypes and, again, actual individual, personal quirks.
There were no graphic details – violent or romantic – that would make this story unsuitable for later middle grade upwards, but the level of storytelling, world-building and character development clearly push the book into classic epic/high fantasy territory, making it ideal for adult fans of the genre too.
I can’t wait to get stuck into book two, Storm’s Clouds, to find out what happens next…!
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
It’s been a quick minute since I’ve read in this genre, and I am kicking myself that I let so much time pass by! I love YA fantasy!! How could I forget that!? Thanks, J.W. Golan, for sending your book my way. It has reignited my passion.
*spoiler alert*
I love the team element of the story structure. It really opens up world-building possibilities and POV dynamics. The perspective transitions are smooth for the most part; I can only think of one place in the novel where I felt jolted out of the story flow due to the POV change.
My worst criticism of the story is Garth. He seems overpowered in my opinion. This character comes in during every conflict and dispatches the bad guys. It seems he’s there as the plot’s problem solver, a deus ex machina. But, he is very likeable. I have a small suspicion that this world’s hero, Garth/Gwythyr/Gyaltso, will give the ultimate sacrifice sometime later in the series.
Another point about Garth—I didn’t realize the title of the book was referring to him until the most of the way through the novel. I assumed the “storm’s herald” was referring to the girl on the cover, Lynette. She has some magical abilities which is noted to be rare for a human, but I did find the descriptive phrase “naturally gifted/attuned/talented” overused. Perhaps the author can find a different way to describe her in the upcoming books or, at least, harp on another trait of hers once in a while.
All in all, a lovely read. The story is very engaging. I fell in love with the characters, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next in their adventure!