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martynelson's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
bookflix's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Death, and Confinement
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Rape, Child abuse, and Child death
Cults, Insectsthepyts2's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Alcohol
mortonsspoon's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Xenophobia, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny, Slavery, Confinement, and Religious bigotry
glauxgirl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Trafficking
Minor: Rape
christalbotheindl's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, Trafficking, and Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Racism
stubbornlybookish's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death and Murder
Moderate: Blood and Trafficking
leannj's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Violence, Trafficking, Sexism, and Torture
Moderate: Death
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness
tachyondecay's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Storm of Locusts picks up not too long after Trail of Lightning. Maggie agrees to help the Thirsty Boys apprehend the White Locust, a strange cult leader buying up explosives. The mission goes sideways in a big way, and Maggie picks up the pieces and finds herself responsible for a young woman, Ben, with some clan powers, a chip on her shoulder, and nothing left to loseâremind you of anyone? Maggie, Ben, and other allies have to leave DinĂ©tah to find the White Locustâas well as Kai Arviso, Maggieâs onetime love and the man she killed to save the day last time.
I actually remember very little about the plot of Trail of Lightning. Roanhorse drops the major details here and there, but she is restrained with the expositionâusually a plus, and to be honest, you donât need to remember all the details of the first book to follow this one. In fact, I found this one eminently satisfying: I read it in a single Sunday afternoon!
Roanhorse has the knack for getting you into the action quicklyâessential in urban fantasy, in my opinion. Iâm not just talking about an action sequnence near the beginning, either! She wastes no time getting us into the main plot. This holds for the entire book: Storm of Locusts is lean, its subplots tightly woven parallel to the weft of the main plot. As a result, the pace feels fast yet even. Short pit stops as Maggie gets diverted from her main goal always turn out to advance the main plot too.
Maggie has some damageâbut who doesnât in this post-apocalyptic world? I appreciate how Roanhorse balances Maggieâs psychological trauma and likely PTSD with self-awareness and compassion. She has a sense of humour, and she can land a good burn, but she isnât the stereotypical wise-cracking badass you tend to get in these types of books. Sheâs ⊠Maggie. And if the first book was about her accepting her power and moving on from her former mentor/lover, this one is about forging her own path. Or so she thinksâŠ.
As I said in my review of Trail of Lightning, itâs not my lane to comment on the representation of the DinĂ© and their culture here. All I can do is repeat my pleasure that it is becoming easier and easier to find authentic voices who can write a variety of stories and imagine futures for their people. Iâm not being original when I comment that Indigenous nations are better equipped to handle the next apocalypse because theyâve lived through one alreadyâthis quip is bleak but accurate, in my opinion, and Storm of Locusts reinforces this. The next apocalypse is always just around the corner.
Iâll close by commenting on the relationships. The only one I didnât find satisfying was probably one of the most importantâMaggie and Kai. Their reunion was rushed and fraught with confusion. Everyone else was great! I loved the frenemy vibe between Maggie and Rissa Goldacre, the grudging respect that builds as they work together. Thereâs nothing like characters who have legitimate reasons for not seeing eye-to-eye!
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Death, Grief, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Trafficking