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snoopydoo77's review against another edition
3.0
I was offered an ARC of this book and after reading the blurb fir it I thought it might be something I enjoy and I mostly did.
However there also were a few things that I didn’t like as much but overall it was a good book that you will enjoy if you like fantasy.
For me the story was a bit slow-paced, but I couldn’t figure out if it was the story line or if it was just me. The entire book is very descriptive, which is always nice but sometimes can slow one down.
I definitely enjoyed the story and the idea behind it. I couldn’t wait to see what will happen next. We get a little bit of everything in this book, action, romance, thrill, betrayal and a humor and of course plenty of suspense.
Now to the part I couldn’t enjoy as much. The Characters, and not just one but all of the sisters and other people you encounter in the book. For some reason I sadly had a very hard time to connect to any of the characters. While all five sisters were very different from each other they all were equally flat to me. They just came over as very 2 dimensional and I couldn’t connect or relate to any of them. Which made it seem long and sometimes boring.
Overall, like I said I enjoyed the story, just not the characters telling it so much. I might read the second book to see if it gets better and to see what happens next.
I rate the book 3 ★
However there also were a few things that I didn’t like as much but overall it was a good book that you will enjoy if you like fantasy.
For me the story was a bit slow-paced, but I couldn’t figure out if it was the story line or if it was just me. The entire book is very descriptive, which is always nice but sometimes can slow one down.
I definitely enjoyed the story and the idea behind it. I couldn’t wait to see what will happen next. We get a little bit of everything in this book, action, romance, thrill, betrayal and a humor and of course plenty of suspense.
Now to the part I couldn’t enjoy as much. The Characters, and not just one but all of the sisters and other people you encounter in the book. For some reason I sadly had a very hard time to connect to any of the characters. While all five sisters were very different from each other they all were equally flat to me. They just came over as very 2 dimensional and I couldn’t connect or relate to any of them. Which made it seem long and sometimes boring.
Overall, like I said I enjoyed the story, just not the characters telling it so much. I might read the second book to see if it gets better and to see what happens next.
I rate the book 3 ★
kimmi_a's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
bookph1le's review against another edition
4.0
Easily the best fantasy novel I've read in years. Complete review to come.
Complete review:
Daughters of the Storm is a book that pulls no punches. It will break your heart. Bad things will happen to characters you care about. Characters will do things that will make you want to yell at your page/ereader screen in frustration. That's what makes it such a successful novel. Some spoilers to follow, though I'll be careful not to give away any major plots twists.
The first and most fantastic thing about this novel is the variety of female characters. There are five sisters, and each of them is truly unique. They all have their own motivations, their own points of view, and they are all distinctive from one another. You will not like all of them. I certainly didn't. But that's also to the book's favor. It's far more concerned with creating believable female characters exercising their agency than it is about making them "likable". This is particularly true with regard to Bluebell.
I have to single Bluebell out because I was frankly thrilled with her. She more or less bucks every last thing that's expected of a traditionally feminine characters. She is the heir to the throne and everything she does she does with that fact in mind, which means there are times when she does things that do not endear her to others, even members of her own family. She is vengeful and prickly, and these traits cause her a serious case of myopia at times, to her own detriment. She is strong and unapologetic and purposely scarred herself so that she would be undesirable and not forced to think about things like motherhood and children. She freaks people out. But on the good side, she's also fiercely loyal and extremely dedicated to her entire realm; meaning, she's concerned with every last farmer in her kingdom. Status is important in as much as she understands its implications for foreign relations, but status is meaningless to her because she sees the inherent value in everyone who makes up the realm she's trying her hardest to defend. As I said, she is myopic and does sometimes make bad decisions because her fatal flaw is that she can't put herself in other people's shoes and understand their motivations, not so much because she doesn't care, but because she can't understand why people don't share the same singular focus she possesses. In short, she is one of the best, most complex female characters I've read about in a very, very long time.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't single out Ash, who was the second most intriguing female character to me. Her story involves a lot of magic and mysticism, and I'm very interested to see where the series will take that particular plot line, since this book just starts to give us a taste of Ash's power. Like Bluebell, Ash felt fully realized to me, a person with motivations I found easy to understand, even if her choices were sometimes unsettling to me. I also like that her powers are something of a double-edged sword, and that the author spends time exploring this theme rather than just giving Ash boom!magic powers. There's a cost to what Ash is doing, and it's one the author wants the reader to think about. I admire this in fantasy novels as I find it a real turnoff when characters who can wield magic do so without any concrete consequences. To me, novels like these are much richer when they ask the reader to consider the consequences of power, both to the character him or herself, and to the larger world of the story.
Lastly, I do want to address Rose, even though I didn't like her as much as the other characters. She does have an interesting subplot about the price women in her position are asked to pay. The contrast between her and Bluebell is interesting because they're both forced to subvert their own wishes at times, with the difference being that Bluebell has embraced a role against which Rose chafes. Rose feels another source of tension due to her motherhood, which places constraints on her that might not otherwise exist. It's not that this book is anti-motherhood or that Rose resents her role as a mother. Instead, the book offers a realistic look at the demands of motherhood and how they can contrast with a woman's personal wishes and ambitions. So often in media, women are simply portrayed as subsuming themselves when they become mothers that I think real-life women feel confused and alienated when they find themselves coming up against this tension between their role as mother and what they personally want, and I'm always glad to see a more real depiction of this struggle. Rose has many flaws, but she is a good mother, and I appreciated that the book portrayed this in a more nuanced way than simply making her disappear into her role as a mother.
More than anything, this is a very character-driven novel, but that doesn't mean it's just the sisters thinking deep thoughts. There's a lot of action and intrigue in here too, and I thought all of the story lines were nicely woven together. At heart, every thread has a theme of female power in its varying forms, and how when women exercise their power, it can blow up in their faces. This is as true of Ivy as it is of Bluebell. They may manifest and try to use their power in different ways, but it often comes back to bite them precisely because they're not staying in the "good girl" box in the way their society expects them to. There are many ways to be a woman, as this book shows, and none of them come without consequences and challenges tied entirely to gendered expectations.
This is the first book I've read by Wilkins, and I find her a formidable voice in the fantasy genre. Her writing is compelling, her fantasy world well-drawn, and she made me care so much that some of what happens to the characters hurts. That's good. For a passionate bookworm like me, nothing is better than when a book reaches deep into me and doesn't just tug at my heartstrings but yank insistently on them. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
Complete review:
Daughters of the Storm is a book that pulls no punches. It will break your heart. Bad things will happen to characters you care about. Characters will do things that will make you want to yell at your page/ereader screen in frustration. That's what makes it such a successful novel. Some spoilers to follow, though I'll be careful not to give away any major plots twists.
The first and most fantastic thing about this novel is the variety of female characters. There are five sisters, and each of them is truly unique. They all have their own motivations, their own points of view, and they are all distinctive from one another. You will not like all of them. I certainly didn't. But that's also to the book's favor. It's far more concerned with creating believable female characters exercising their agency than it is about making them "likable". This is particularly true with regard to Bluebell.
I have to single Bluebell out because I was frankly thrilled with her. She more or less bucks every last thing that's expected of a traditionally feminine characters. She is the heir to the throne and everything she does she does with that fact in mind, which means there are times when she does things that do not endear her to others, even members of her own family. She is vengeful and prickly, and these traits cause her a serious case of myopia at times, to her own detriment. She is strong and unapologetic and purposely scarred herself so that she would be undesirable and not forced to think about things like motherhood and children. She freaks people out. But on the good side, she's also fiercely loyal and extremely dedicated to her entire realm; meaning, she's concerned with every last farmer in her kingdom. Status is important in as much as she understands its implications for foreign relations, but status is meaningless to her because she sees the inherent value in everyone who makes up the realm she's trying her hardest to defend. As I said, she is myopic and does sometimes make bad decisions because her fatal flaw is that she can't put herself in other people's shoes and understand their motivations, not so much because she doesn't care, but because she can't understand why people don't share the same singular focus she possesses. In short, she is one of the best, most complex female characters I've read about in a very, very long time.
I'd also be remiss if I didn't single out Ash, who was the second most intriguing female character to me. Her story involves a lot of magic and mysticism, and I'm very interested to see where the series will take that particular plot line, since this book just starts to give us a taste of Ash's power. Like Bluebell, Ash felt fully realized to me, a person with motivations I found easy to understand, even if her choices were sometimes unsettling to me. I also like that her powers are something of a double-edged sword, and that the author spends time exploring this theme rather than just giving Ash boom!magic powers. There's a cost to what Ash is doing, and it's one the author wants the reader to think about. I admire this in fantasy novels as I find it a real turnoff when characters who can wield magic do so without any concrete consequences. To me, novels like these are much richer when they ask the reader to consider the consequences of power, both to the character him or herself, and to the larger world of the story.
Lastly, I do want to address Rose, even though I didn't like her as much as the other characters. She does have an interesting subplot about the price women in her position are asked to pay. The contrast between her and Bluebell is interesting because they're both forced to subvert their own wishes at times, with the difference being that Bluebell has embraced a role against which Rose chafes. Rose feels another source of tension due to her motherhood, which places constraints on her that might not otherwise exist. It's not that this book is anti-motherhood or that Rose resents her role as a mother. Instead, the book offers a realistic look at the demands of motherhood and how they can contrast with a woman's personal wishes and ambitions. So often in media, women are simply portrayed as subsuming themselves when they become mothers that I think real-life women feel confused and alienated when they find themselves coming up against this tension between their role as mother and what they personally want, and I'm always glad to see a more real depiction of this struggle. Rose has many flaws, but she is a good mother, and I appreciated that the book portrayed this in a more nuanced way than simply making her disappear into her role as a mother.
More than anything, this is a very character-driven novel, but that doesn't mean it's just the sisters thinking deep thoughts. There's a lot of action and intrigue in here too, and I thought all of the story lines were nicely woven together. At heart, every thread has a theme of female power in its varying forms, and how when women exercise their power, it can blow up in their faces. This is as true of Ivy as it is of Bluebell. They may manifest and try to use their power in different ways, but it often comes back to bite them precisely because they're not staying in the "good girl" box in the way their society expects them to. There are many ways to be a woman, as this book shows, and none of them come without consequences and challenges tied entirely to gendered expectations.
This is the first book I've read by Wilkins, and I find her a formidable voice in the fantasy genre. Her writing is compelling, her fantasy world well-drawn, and she made me care so much that some of what happens to the characters hurts. That's good. For a passionate bookworm like me, nothing is better than when a book reaches deep into me and doesn't just tug at my heartstrings but yank insistently on them. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where this series goes.
amandahansen's review against another edition
2.0
I was not a fan of this book. it took my months to even get into the book and when i finally got the hang of it. The book was just not interesting and the characters were extremely annoying and badly written
kcdcwrites's review against another edition
4.0
I received free books from Penguin Random House in exchange for this review. My copy was an advanced copy from Emerald City Comic Con.
Other reviews have delved into the plot of this book. I'll stick more to stylistic choices and writing as a whole without any spoilers. Kim Wilkins paints rich characters that compelled me to feel one way or the other about them rather than apathetic. This, for me, is of key importance when I'm reading a fantasy work. I want to feel happy, or angry, or sad about the characters' choices. I want to discover as they discover and give a crap about those discoveries. Kim Wilkins delivers on this.
Like many fantasy novels, travel is involved as well as descriptions of various cities, trails, and roads. I wished often for a map. It may just be that I didn't have one in my advanced copy.
Overall, worth the read, and I'm excited to see what comes next!
Other reviews have delved into the plot of this book. I'll stick more to stylistic choices and writing as a whole without any spoilers. Kim Wilkins paints rich characters that compelled me to feel one way or the other about them rather than apathetic. This, for me, is of key importance when I'm reading a fantasy work. I want to feel happy, or angry, or sad about the characters' choices. I want to discover as they discover and give a crap about those discoveries. Kim Wilkins delivers on this.
Like many fantasy novels, travel is involved as well as descriptions of various cities, trails, and roads. I wished often for a map. It may just be that I didn't have one in my advanced copy.
Overall, worth the read, and I'm excited to see what comes next!
larix10dua's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this one. Very much for the characters as well. I didn't really like any of them. they were all annoying and kept getting in the way of themselves - but at the same time you had to cheer them on.
eletricjb's review against another edition
3.0
This was too long, and I was in NO MOOD for a religious zealot character, but on the whole it was still compelling.
lostinagoodbook's review against another edition
3.0
Disclaimer: I received this book free from Netgalley in return for an un-biased review.
Five daughters. Five very different women who have to come together in order to deal with their father’s grave illness and possible death. You guys know me by now. I loves me a book that focuses on women and their lives. Add in some fantasy elements and this is a slam dunk for me right? I’m not quite sure.
I have a certain amount of respect for Bluebell. She is a strong woman, with a sense of loyalty and duty which I can admire. Her sister Ash is also somewhat endearing. She is lost in her magic and afraid to admit to her power. However, I have trouble feeling anything for the other women in the story. They are by turns, lusty, selfish and deluded. The book left me feeling disappointed. There was a little too much sex, but not enough love. These girls haven’t much love for one another, for their father, for their children or for their lovers. It makes sympathizing with them difficult. I have to think though. Should I require these women to be lovable? Isn’t it enough that they are individual and unique? They don’t all have to act in ways I think are acceptable, I’d rather they should be themselves, and goodness knows sometimes we are all un-likeable. I can deal with that.
One issue I have with the book is that some of the plot resolutions come a trifle too easily. A character is in a perilous situation and a magical creature appears, saves her, throws some prophecy into the wind and rides away. It was a little too convenient. I think that the problem is the book suffers from middle book syndrome. But this is a first book you say?! Yes, that’s true. I just think that this is a story and character’s who are decidedly on the road to somewhere else. That can be frustrating for an observer. We like a beginning, middle and end, but those aren’t to be found here. This is going to be a lengthy journey. I think some of these abrupt resolutions will get a call back later and things that bother me right now will likely make more sense when I get to the end.
For now though, it is goodbye Yellow Brick Road. These girls are definitely going places, but it won’t be pretty and they won’t always be nice. While I do have trouble deciding how I feel about this first book right now, this is a story I can get behind. I’m just going to have to keep reading.
Song for this book: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
Five daughters. Five very different women who have to come together in order to deal with their father’s grave illness and possible death. You guys know me by now. I loves me a book that focuses on women and their lives. Add in some fantasy elements and this is a slam dunk for me right? I’m not quite sure.
I have a certain amount of respect for Bluebell. She is a strong woman, with a sense of loyalty and duty which I can admire. Her sister Ash is also somewhat endearing. She is lost in her magic and afraid to admit to her power. However, I have trouble feeling anything for the other women in the story. They are by turns, lusty, selfish and deluded. The book left me feeling disappointed. There was a little too much sex, but not enough love. These girls haven’t much love for one another, for their father, for their children or for their lovers. It makes sympathizing with them difficult. I have to think though. Should I require these women to be lovable? Isn’t it enough that they are individual and unique? They don’t all have to act in ways I think are acceptable, I’d rather they should be themselves, and goodness knows sometimes we are all un-likeable. I can deal with that.
One issue I have with the book is that some of the plot resolutions come a trifle too easily. A character is in a perilous situation and a magical creature appears, saves her, throws some prophecy into the wind and rides away. It was a little too convenient. I think that the problem is the book suffers from middle book syndrome. But this is a first book you say?! Yes, that’s true. I just think that this is a story and character’s who are decidedly on the road to somewhere else. That can be frustrating for an observer. We like a beginning, middle and end, but those aren’t to be found here. This is going to be a lengthy journey. I think some of these abrupt resolutions will get a call back later and things that bother me right now will likely make more sense when I get to the end.
For now though, it is goodbye Yellow Brick Road. These girls are definitely going places, but it won’t be pretty and they won’t always be nice. While I do have trouble deciding how I feel about this first book right now, this is a story I can get behind. I’m just going to have to keep reading.
Song for this book: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Elton John
xfirefly9x's review against another edition
4.0
One star lost because a dog died. Otherwise, an amazing read and I look forward to Sisters of the Fire.
ameserole's review against another edition
4.0
WHERE CAN I FIND THE NEXT BOOK PLEASE?
Daughters of the Storm was highly entertaining. Throughout the book I couldn't quite decide which bad ass sister was my favorite.. but maybe with the ending I'm leaning more towards Willow. I mean.. come on? Is it even a competition at this point? Don't get me wrong Bluebell is a bad ass all on her own but that ending guys! I'm still freaking out!!
This book started off really well in my opinion. The King is ill and the Queen wants someone to be with him - little did she know by only telling one kid.. all show up. The daughters of these two weren't quite happy to find out that they were never told about their father's illness and now they want to do everything they can to make him better or to ease his pain. Turns out that someone has poisoned him and everyone is kind of pointing fingers - cough cough I'm look at the aunt right now.
Other than that, I really liked the dynamic between all the girls in this book. They talk and banter like real siblings do but ya know.. they also can throw axes for fun too. The one thing that did throw me off was the whole stepbrother thing and the thing at the ending as well. Again, it was good don't get me wrong but now that I think about it - I'm also cringing a bit. THEN again.. times were different and I'm sure this was a pretty common thing. Maybe? IDK READ THE BOOK.
Overall, I loved this book and I seriously can't wait to dive into the second one!
Daughters of the Storm was highly entertaining. Throughout the book I couldn't quite decide which bad ass sister was my favorite.. but maybe with the ending I'm leaning more towards Willow. I mean.. come on? Is it even a competition at this point? Don't get me wrong Bluebell is a bad ass all on her own but that ending guys! I'm still freaking out!!
This book started off really well in my opinion. The King is ill and the Queen wants someone to be with him - little did she know by only telling one kid.. all show up. The daughters of these two weren't quite happy to find out that they were never told about their father's illness and now they want to do everything they can to make him better or to ease his pain. Turns out that someone has poisoned him and everyone is kind of pointing fingers - cough cough I'm look at the aunt right now.
Other than that, I really liked the dynamic between all the girls in this book. They talk and banter like real siblings do but ya know.. they also can throw axes for fun too. The one thing that did throw me off was the whole stepbrother thing and the thing at the ending as well. Again, it was good don't get me wrong but now that I think about it - I'm also cringing a bit. THEN again.. times were different and I'm sure this was a pretty common thing. Maybe? IDK READ THE BOOK.
Overall, I loved this book and I seriously can't wait to dive into the second one!