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andypeloquinauthor's review
4.0
There were a lot of things I loved about this book. There was one particular scene earlier on that beautifully showed the callous brutality of the characters and the world in which the book was set. The story was engaging, well-paced, and pulled me along from start to finish. The ending of the book was beautifully satisfactory and yet surprised me at the same time.
I found a few issues: one part of the story seemed to meander in a certain direction for no apparent reason. I believe it was meant to delve into the backstory of the character/s, but it just felt out of place among the rest. Also, the romance between two of the characters was hard to swallow. They went from opposites to lovers in too short a time without proper development of their relationship.
However, overall it was a great book and one I'd recommend to lovers of dark fantasy.
I found a few issues: one part of the story seemed to meander in a certain direction for no apparent reason. I believe it was meant to delve into the backstory of the character/s, but it just felt out of place among the rest. Also, the romance between two of the characters was hard to swallow. They went from opposites to lovers in too short a time without proper development of their relationship.
However, overall it was a great book and one I'd recommend to lovers of dark fantasy.
mellhay's review
4.0
Throughout the book I found myself drawn into the world and the magic here. I enjoyed the characters. Even when I was getting a bad vibe from a character or two because this is a sign of them being written very well for me to get the right feel off their actions and emotions. The end happened fast because we were moved from one character to another to get the whole view as it was happening, which pulled me back some, but that's the movement of everything happening.
****FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW****
****FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW****
iridescence93's review against another edition
3.0
2.5*
Kind of mediocre. Generic fantasy world. All the characters were kind of flat and ulikeable. They often seemed to do things just to advance the plot without clear motivations. The prose is probably the best part of this so may give her other books a try at some point.
Kind of mediocre. Generic fantasy world. All the characters were kind of flat and ulikeable. They often seemed to do things just to advance the plot without clear motivations. The prose is probably the best part of this so may give her other books a try at some point.
secre's review
4.0
Having read Chains of Blood, the beginning of the series set after The Rhenwars Saga, I thought I'd solve my confusion by going back to where everything starts with the prequel to The Rhenwars Saga. Points to the author, I enjoyed Chains of Blood even without the background knowledge that would have come from reading the initial series first, but I have to say things started to make a whole lot more sense when I stopped being awkward and read the books in the proper order!
Darkstorm takes you all the way back to the beginning, when the Well of Tears is yet to be opened and two brothers have to try to overcome their differences in order to put a halt to these dangerous machinations. It's a far more simplistic narrative in many ways than Chains of Blood, and I suspect this is because it's a prequel so much of the world building has been done in the later books that were actually written first. That said, it is also a narrative that has strong, flawed characters leading it and is absolutely full of action and drive.
I really enjoyed how the relationship between Quin and Braden was portrayed, with both being very different characters that leads to conflict and tension. I appreciated how neither brother nor Merris could be categorised as archetypal 'heroes', yet most of them are muddling along as best as they can regardless. As often as they get something right, they manage to screw it up instead, meaning that the narrative can often twist in ways you wouldn't have anticipated. Merris is a particularly fascinating character as she is something of a chameleon, changing to fit her circumstances in unexpected ways. Even more interestingly, even the villains aren't true villains in the expected ways. Their motivations, whilst not pure, are actually fairly understandable and even potentially defensible. The old axiom that the means justify the end is definitely in use here, as thousands of magi lives are at risk if their plan doesn't work.
All in all, this was an excellent read with deep and complex characters that left you unsure as to who you really should be rooting for. I suspect it would be better read after reading the main series, as the world building is far more extensive in the first book of the main series, but for a dark and unusual fantasy this ticks nearly all the boxes.
Darkstorm takes you all the way back to the beginning, when the Well of Tears is yet to be opened and two brothers have to try to overcome their differences in order to put a halt to these dangerous machinations. It's a far more simplistic narrative in many ways than Chains of Blood, and I suspect this is because it's a prequel so much of the world building has been done in the later books that were actually written first. That said, it is also a narrative that has strong, flawed characters leading it and is absolutely full of action and drive.
I really enjoyed how the relationship between Quin and Braden was portrayed, with both being very different characters that leads to conflict and tension. I appreciated how neither brother nor Merris could be categorised as archetypal 'heroes', yet most of them are muddling along as best as they can regardless. As often as they get something right, they manage to screw it up instead, meaning that the narrative can often twist in ways you wouldn't have anticipated. Merris is a particularly fascinating character as she is something of a chameleon, changing to fit her circumstances in unexpected ways. Even more interestingly, even the villains aren't true villains in the expected ways. Their motivations, whilst not pure, are actually fairly understandable and even potentially defensible. The old axiom that the means justify the end is definitely in use here, as thousands of magi lives are at risk if their plan doesn't work.
All in all, this was an excellent read with deep and complex characters that left you unsure as to who you really should be rooting for. I suspect it would be better read after reading the main series, as the world building is far more extensive in the first book of the main series, but for a dark and unusual fantasy this ticks nearly all the boxes.
taisie22's review
4.0
Sent to Aerysius to avert a possible war, Ambassador Branden Reis of Bryn Calazar is also the lover of Sephana Clemley. Both are also mages. When Sephana's acolyte, Merris Bryar, uncovers a plot at a high level, Branden realizes there is more danger than just war between the two countries. He sends Merris to his brother, Quin Reis, to gain his aid in defusing the plot on that side.
I'll make a confession right here. Somehow I got confused in the order of these books and read DarkMage (the next book in the series) first. I liked it but realized I was missing some important backstory so now I'm reading these books in order. Darkstorm is a fastmoving epic with a lot of characters and magic, good, evil, and betrayal. The worldbuilding is excellent; the story pops with small details that draw the reader in and makes this world real.
The characters aren't realized as fully, but I was okay with that for the most part. I did wonder about motivations and emotions in some sections but I enjoyed the story too much to care much. The one exception was Merris; she was pretty schizophrenic in her motives as well as her apparent appearance. She starts out as an acolyte running through tunnels; I took her to be fairly young and untried. Suddenly, she's a femme fatale enticing all the men around. Her character does a 180 also though there's an explanation for that. But I wasn't buying the sudden confidence that apparently leads to her new beauty; if that was the case, why didn't she use sex to blackmail Prime Warden?
I also would have liked a longer book with more backstory. Maybe that's me, but I enjoyed the section about the horse people from Khazahar Steppe. I wanted to know more about them and then what happened to them. Maybe I'll get the answers in the rest of the story.
Still, there's some fine writing here. I'll keep going with the series and hope for more depth to this otherwise great story.
I'll make a confession right here. Somehow I got confused in the order of these books and read DarkMage (the next book in the series) first. I liked it but realized I was missing some important backstory so now I'm reading these books in order. Darkstorm is a fastmoving epic with a lot of characters and magic, good, evil, and betrayal. The worldbuilding is excellent; the story pops with small details that draw the reader in and makes this world real.
The characters aren't realized as fully, but I was okay with that for the most part. I did wonder about motivations and emotions in some sections but I enjoyed the story too much to care much. The one exception was Merris; she was pretty schizophrenic in her motives as well as her apparent appearance. She starts out as an acolyte running through tunnels; I took her to be fairly young and untried. Suddenly, she's a femme fatale enticing all the men around. Her character does a 180 also though there's an explanation for that. But I wasn't buying the sudden confidence that apparently leads to her new beauty; if that was the case, why didn't she use sex to blackmail Prime Warden?
I also would have liked a longer book with more backstory. Maybe that's me, but I enjoyed the section about the horse people from Khazahar Steppe. I wanted to know more about them and then what happened to them. Maybe I'll get the answers in the rest of the story.
Still, there's some fine writing here. I'll keep going with the series and hope for more depth to this otherwise great story.
alwroteabook's review
5.0
Finally got around to reading this, even thought it's been on my TBR for quite some time. It was darn good too. It started off like some YA fantasy (not that that's bad) with some hints of a dark undercurrent, slowly building up the tension. Then about 70% in, bang - here we go (don't worry, you'll be intrigued throughout).
The plot revolves around two brothers and their "ladyfriends." Braden is the successful one, the highest ranking mage in his homeland of Caladorn. He is the equivalent of the foreign ambassador to Rhen, who appear to be on the brink of war with Caladorn. His brother Quin is a disaster, an alcoholic who drank away all his potential. Braden has an illicit affair with Sephana, a wizard from Rhen, and their very affair could set off the war on its own. But it is Merris, a wizard-in-training who sets off the whole affair by following her boss, the Prime Warden (president) of Rhen, who meets up with some dodgy characters.
The characters are deep and well layered, while the plot is well-disguised throughout, always staying one step ahead of the reader. There is so much more going on under the surface, that the next three books may not cover it all, but I'll have to read them to find out. I'll keep you all posted.
The plot revolves around two brothers and their "ladyfriends." Braden is the successful one, the highest ranking mage in his homeland of Caladorn. He is the equivalent of the foreign ambassador to Rhen, who appear to be on the brink of war with Caladorn. His brother Quin is a disaster, an alcoholic who drank away all his potential. Braden has an illicit affair with Sephana, a wizard from Rhen, and their very affair could set off the war on its own. But it is Merris, a wizard-in-training who sets off the whole affair by following her boss, the Prime Warden (president) of Rhen, who meets up with some dodgy characters.
The characters are deep and well layered, while the plot is well-disguised throughout, always staying one step ahead of the reader. There is so much more going on under the surface, that the next three books may not cover it all, but I'll have to read them to find out. I'll keep you all posted.
ksmarsden's review
4.0
Mages from opposite sides have to come together to stop hell being unleashed on earth. Sephana, Merris, Braden and Quin only have three weeks to overturn the apocalypse.
I received free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great Fantasy story with some big ideas.
The impending apocalypse; the idea that magic is a tangible thing that people devote their lives to, and the threat of it reversing polarity; and what people will sacrifice to stop it.
I also found the morals and arguments of the opposing characters fascinating, and it does make you wonder which is the lesser of two evils.
I liked the four main characters - the narrations starts mainly with Merris, as she uncovers the sinister plot and tells her mentor that one of their highest-standing mages is working against nature.
Braden and Quin get to lead some sections. Sephana is nice enough, but tends to be a back-up character for Merris and Braden.
Merris is quite light-hearted and helps to contrast the seriousness of the plot. I did find her character very changeable throughout, and was hard to keep track of. One minute she's shy, the next she's confident. She's tomboyish, then a seductress. In the story, she is described as a chameleon who adapts to her surroundings, so I struggled to define her.
Braden is probably the strongest character. His morals define him, and he stands true to who he is, no matter the cost. He has his problems and past pains, but he doesn't let that hinder him in trying to save the world. He represents the best of everything, he's a diplomat, a fierce warrior, a leader amongst the tribes he originated from (oh, and deserving of Thor's hammer, anyone?).
His brother Quin is his opposite. He is physically weak, prone to addiction, and has little willpower to control his emotions. His magic is also more experimental, and has darker undertones. But he is loyal, and brave (when necessary) and will step up to do his part.
As I said before, Sephana is a back-up character. She is nice, has powerful magic and a positive outlook. She supports Braden when he needs it, and helps to keep him human. Beyond that, we don't get to know much about her.
The story has some big ideas, and I enjoyed most of it.
I have to confess, I found the second have somewhat confusing, as the tension builds and the narration jumps between various scenes.
I also wondered at the lack of drive from some of our characters - they've got three weeks to stop the oncoming apocalypse, but Quin and Merris spend two weeks of that shacked up in an inn 'hiding'.
I received free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a great Fantasy story with some big ideas.
The impending apocalypse; the idea that magic is a tangible thing that people devote their lives to, and the threat of it reversing polarity; and what people will sacrifice to stop it.
I also found the morals and arguments of the opposing characters fascinating, and it does make you wonder which is the lesser of two evils.
I liked the four main characters - the narrations starts mainly with Merris, as she uncovers the sinister plot and tells her mentor that one of their highest-standing mages is working against nature.
Braden and Quin get to lead some sections. Sephana is nice enough, but tends to be a back-up character for Merris and Braden.
Merris is quite light-hearted and helps to contrast the seriousness of the plot. I did find her character very changeable throughout, and was hard to keep track of. One minute she's shy, the next she's confident. She's tomboyish, then a seductress. In the story, she is described as a chameleon who adapts to her surroundings, so I struggled to define her.
Braden is probably the strongest character. His morals define him, and he stands true to who he is, no matter the cost. He has his problems and past pains, but he doesn't let that hinder him in trying to save the world. He represents the best of everything, he's a diplomat, a fierce warrior, a leader amongst the tribes he originated from (oh, and deserving of Thor's hammer, anyone?).
His brother Quin is his opposite. He is physically weak, prone to addiction, and has little willpower to control his emotions. His magic is also more experimental, and has darker undertones. But he is loyal, and brave (when necessary) and will step up to do his part.
As I said before, Sephana is a back-up character. She is nice, has powerful magic and a positive outlook. She supports Braden when he needs it, and helps to keep him human. Beyond that, we don't get to know much about her.
The story has some big ideas, and I enjoyed most of it.
I have to confess, I found the second have somewhat confusing, as the tension builds and the narration jumps between various scenes.
I also wondered at the lack of drive from some of our characters - they've got three weeks to stop the oncoming apocalypse, but Quin and Merris spend two weeks of that shacked up in an inn 'hiding'.
jckang's review
5.0
Where Darkstorm shines is in its damaged characters. The most intriguing of them is Merris, an acolyte of Rhen with magical potential, who yearns for a Transference. She comes off as driven and ambitious, though her goals don’t become clear until the end. With the expectation of at least one mild romantic thread in epic fantasies, I could never quite pin down her true love—probably because she seemed to find several powerful people attractive. We never really learn who… or what… her True Love is until the end, and it won’t be all warm and fuzzy like in The Princess Bride.
See the full review at:
http://fantasy-faction.com/2018/darkstorm-by-m-l-spencer
See the full review at:
http://fantasy-faction.com/2018/darkstorm-by-m-l-spencer
kittyg's review
4.0
I read this book as part of the #SPFBO reading I am currently working on, and I have to say I was not disappointed. I went into this book hoping for mage battles and epic magic and a whole lot of drama, and that is exactly what I got. It's a fairly short fantasy book, but it's got a lot of good moments and it packs a strong punch of fun. I would certainly say this is well worth a read.
In this story we follow two brothers, Braden and Quin Reis. They haven't been best of friends for some time thanks to some shared tragedies in their pasts, but at the time we are following it seems that they are going to have to get along because there is an evil growing and gaining followers, and some of these followers are supposed to be very important people in the world order.
What I liked about this book was that it was pure fun at times. I tend to find that reading fantasy is how I like to escape and enjoy my time, and this book is a prime example of that. The characters and plot are well done for the number of pages the book has, and feel feisty and exciting. The plot moves at a solid pace, and the book feels intriguing from page one where we're following a young mage who is spying on her master.
Overall I think this book was definitely one of the better ones in my bunch and I am looking forward to continuing the series hopefully too as it seems to already have a few others out. I would recommend this one for sure, 4*s
In this story we follow two brothers, Braden and Quin Reis. They haven't been best of friends for some time thanks to some shared tragedies in their pasts, but at the time we are following it seems that they are going to have to get along because there is an evil growing and gaining followers, and some of these followers are supposed to be very important people in the world order.
What I liked about this book was that it was pure fun at times. I tend to find that reading fantasy is how I like to escape and enjoy my time, and this book is a prime example of that. The characters and plot are well done for the number of pages the book has, and feel feisty and exciting. The plot moves at a solid pace, and the book feels intriguing from page one where we're following a young mage who is spying on her master.
Overall I think this book was definitely one of the better ones in my bunch and I am looking forward to continuing the series hopefully too as it seems to already have a few others out. I would recommend this one for sure, 4*s
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