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samueldhall's review
3.0
Certainly not my favourite Feist book I've ever read. In saying that it's not a terrible book at all.
tadhgerman's review
5.0
With Queen of Storms Feist has taken the world he introduced in King of Ashes and knitted together many of the threads, building relationships between characters and sowing deeper mysteries for us to uncover. As always I found his style to be compelling and the characters enjoyable. A really enjoyable read.
hanseah's review against another edition
5.0
Fast Paced Epic Fantasy
As the first book developed the work and characters for this trilogy: the second book started off with a bang and the battles continued. Plenty of adventure and action to be had in this tale. I am looking forward to the conclusion in book three.
As the first book developed the work and characters for this trilogy: the second book started off with a bang and the battles continued. Plenty of adventure and action to be had in this tale. I am looking forward to the conclusion in book three.
ammandee_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
dawn_marie's review against another edition
2.0
I found the second volume of Raymond Feist's Firemane Saga very disappointing; and it pains me to say that because I have enjoyed Mr. Feist's writing and his other novels for years. The Queen of Storms fell completely flat for me and I found myself skimming passages near the end of the novel just to finish it. When I finished the novel, I felt like other than the "big thing" that forced the characters to physically move to different locations, there was very little progress made to the story's narrative.
While the world-building was top-notch (as always) and the characters (mostly) interesting, the odd pacing (Mr. Feist should find another editor) and outright repetitiveness of various plot points (gleamed from several other novels, including Mr. Feist's own works) really dragged down my enjoyment of the book. As I was reading, I often had the thought "Wait, didn't this exact thing happen in another book (Serpentwar and Riftwar Sagas, Kingkiller Chronicles?)" - not similar, exactly the same. I understand that tropes are tropes for a reason, and I have no issue with an author borrowing from his previous works; but for goodness sake, please change more than just the character's name when reusing plot points.
There is a good story somewhere within the pages of the Queen of Storms - it needed a stronger editor and a good beta reader (someone to point out the obvious reusing of characters and plot points to bring it to light.
While the world-building was top-notch (as always) and the characters (mostly) interesting, the odd pacing (Mr. Feist should find another editor) and outright repetitiveness of various plot points (gleamed from several other novels, including Mr. Feist's own works) really dragged down my enjoyment of the book. As I was reading, I often had the thought "Wait, didn't this exact thing happen in another book (Serpentwar and Riftwar Sagas, Kingkiller Chronicles?)" - not similar, exactly the same. I understand that tropes are tropes for a reason, and I have no issue with an author borrowing from his previous works; but for goodness sake, please change more than just the character's name when reusing plot points.
There is a good story somewhere within the pages of the Queen of Storms - it needed a stronger editor and a good beta reader (someone to point out the obvious reusing of characters and plot points to bring it to light.
hudsone45's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sammitat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
bethtabler's review against another edition
4.0
A hard-hitting, heartbreaking second novel of The Firemane Saga. In Queen of Storms, Raymond E. Feist takes us on a wild and perilous ride with his characters.
I once tried to explain where Raymond E. Feist fit into fantasy as a genre. I was talking to a gamer at the time, and the only comparison I could come up with at the time was that Raymond E. Feist is to fantasy what Final Fantasy is to gaming. Feist has been around a long time. To some, his novels are the bedrock for their love of fantasy books, much like The Final Fantasy series to gamers. To those who read fantasy and have been reading fantasy for decades, Feist is enormous. His Riftwar Cycle is 30+ books long and defines what epic fantasy can be. Not to say that Feist is the end all be all of fantasy. There are many types and flavors of fantasy out there, but if you enjoy high fantasies, he is a must-read.
The Queen of Storms picks up right where we left off in King of Ashes. A lot is going on with the four main characters and tone-wise The Queen of Storms immediately has a darker and more intense tone. The four main characters: Hatu, Hava, Declan, and Donte, are the leading players. We also have the perspective of Baron Dumarch, who will play a pivotal role in the upcoming final book of the trilogy. Although he is crucial, I don’t think he is as important as the other four characters. Hatu, however, is an incredibly important character.
You do not see much personal growth with him personality-wise in Queen of Storms as he is still very much a bratty and slightly slow to pick up on things lead character. He doesn’t engender much sympathy or interest from me as a reader. But one change we do see in Queen of Storms is that his circumstances change quickly and with finality. He finally starts to understand that he has responsibilities that he cannot shrug off. He was living a comfortable and normal life at the beginning of Queen of Storms as an innkeeper. Although he had never run an inn with Gwen, Declan’s future wife, he was getting the hang of it and rebuilding his inn. But we all know that comfort and stability is not in the future of a Sicari trained spy and the missing Firemane child.
Hava, who, along with Declan, has the most exciting narratives in Queen of Storms grows as a character. Or at least she lets out her lethality. There is a desperate and absolutism to her moral values. Whether this is an innate part of her personality or something learned from her years trained as a Sicari trained spy, she will do anything it takes to achieve her goals. You see that in spades on Queen of Storms. Nothing will stop her.
Declan, master smith and would be family man has a lot to contend with in Queen of Storms. The least of which is the loss of his forge. What is a blacksmith if they have no forge? Declan has a strong compartmentalism in his mind and personality. It is the antithesis of Hatu. Where Hatu burns with fire and rage that can consume him entirely, Declan is cold and hard. Much like the iron he forges. As a reader, it is evident that Feist is purposefully putting these two players in the plot who are entirely different but whose lives intertangle with each other. There will come a moment in the next book; I suspect where Declan’s cold fire, and Hatu’s rage will work in tandem.
Last but not certainly least is Donte. His arc in this book is confusing and slightly bewildered. He floats on a collision course with Hatu and Hava like a balloon, he bounces and drifts from one thing to the next. But without and seriousness or steadfastness. He will be an essential character in the next book, for sure. If only because of the thread of his attachment to the witches from the first story. He has the niggling mind worm of an idea planted in his mind from them, and he is seemingly okay with it. Even though it goes against everything, he values. It is strange; I feel like his mind is going to crack under the load of this idea.
In the first book of this trilogy, King of Ashes, there were quite a few moments of celebration and happiness. It wasn’t always doom and gloom. The theme and tone of the Queen of Storms are quite different. This story is a transitional novel. It did not have it’s mini-arc, but rather a series of plot beats that funneled the characters to an epic conclusion. This book felt like Feist was taking a deep breath like he was the wolf and was going to blow down the proverbial pig’s house. And that deep breath will be the third book, where everything will come crashing down in fire and ash and be rebuilt anew.
This transitionality of the second book of the trilogy made it at some points feel slow. As a reader, I had no idea where I was going, so I was blindly crashing from moment to moment. These moments were exciting, but I did not get the same epic feeling I had after reading the first book.
The antagonist of The Queen of Storms is veiled. Who you thought was the bad guy in the first book, was a pawn. The characters’ political machinations: the baron, the Sicari, the Azhante, and the protectors of the Firemane line all swirl together in a maelstrom. I had no idea who the big baddie is. That is exciting, and I loved that Feist continually surprised me during this story.
Prevalent things in Feist’s novels are tragedies. Tragic events that shape the characters and send them on their narrative paths. Feist’s books are never stories of sunshine and rainbows. They are always epic and lustrous. They are bold and exciting, but frequently tragic, and they pull on your heart. This series is going to be like that. Although Feist says that this series is a trilogy, I could see it going for ten books. There is a lot to cover in this world—the epic tale of returning the Firemane child to his kingdom and the political machinations thereof is huge in scope. But this book is explicitly a book of transitions; if you are a fan of epic stories or are fans of Feist, you will enjoy this.
But take care and be forewarned; there are no conclusions to be found in this book.
I once tried to explain where Raymond E. Feist fit into fantasy as a genre. I was talking to a gamer at the time, and the only comparison I could come up with at the time was that Raymond E. Feist is to fantasy what Final Fantasy is to gaming. Feist has been around a long time. To some, his novels are the bedrock for their love of fantasy books, much like The Final Fantasy series to gamers. To those who read fantasy and have been reading fantasy for decades, Feist is enormous. His Riftwar Cycle is 30+ books long and defines what epic fantasy can be. Not to say that Feist is the end all be all of fantasy. There are many types and flavors of fantasy out there, but if you enjoy high fantasies, he is a must-read.
The Queen of Storms picks up right where we left off in King of Ashes. A lot is going on with the four main characters and tone-wise The Queen of Storms immediately has a darker and more intense tone. The four main characters: Hatu, Hava, Declan, and Donte, are the leading players. We also have the perspective of Baron Dumarch, who will play a pivotal role in the upcoming final book of the trilogy. Although he is crucial, I don’t think he is as important as the other four characters. Hatu, however, is an incredibly important character.
You do not see much personal growth with him personality-wise in Queen of Storms as he is still very much a bratty and slightly slow to pick up on things lead character. He doesn’t engender much sympathy or interest from me as a reader. But one change we do see in Queen of Storms is that his circumstances change quickly and with finality. He finally starts to understand that he has responsibilities that he cannot shrug off. He was living a comfortable and normal life at the beginning of Queen of Storms as an innkeeper. Although he had never run an inn with Gwen, Declan’s future wife, he was getting the hang of it and rebuilding his inn. But we all know that comfort and stability is not in the future of a Sicari trained spy and the missing Firemane child.
Hava, who, along with Declan, has the most exciting narratives in Queen of Storms grows as a character. Or at least she lets out her lethality. There is a desperate and absolutism to her moral values. Whether this is an innate part of her personality or something learned from her years trained as a Sicari trained spy, she will do anything it takes to achieve her goals. You see that in spades on Queen of Storms. Nothing will stop her.
Declan, master smith and would be family man has a lot to contend with in Queen of Storms. The least of which is the loss of his forge. What is a blacksmith if they have no forge? Declan has a strong compartmentalism in his mind and personality. It is the antithesis of Hatu. Where Hatu burns with fire and rage that can consume him entirely, Declan is cold and hard. Much like the iron he forges. As a reader, it is evident that Feist is purposefully putting these two players in the plot who are entirely different but whose lives intertangle with each other. There will come a moment in the next book; I suspect where Declan’s cold fire, and Hatu’s rage will work in tandem.
Last but not certainly least is Donte. His arc in this book is confusing and slightly bewildered. He floats on a collision course with Hatu and Hava like a balloon, he bounces and drifts from one thing to the next. But without and seriousness or steadfastness. He will be an essential character in the next book, for sure. If only because of the thread of his attachment to the witches from the first story. He has the niggling mind worm of an idea planted in his mind from them, and he is seemingly okay with it. Even though it goes against everything, he values. It is strange; I feel like his mind is going to crack under the load of this idea.
In the first book of this trilogy, King of Ashes, there were quite a few moments of celebration and happiness. It wasn’t always doom and gloom. The theme and tone of the Queen of Storms are quite different. This story is a transitional novel. It did not have it’s mini-arc, but rather a series of plot beats that funneled the characters to an epic conclusion. This book felt like Feist was taking a deep breath like he was the wolf and was going to blow down the proverbial pig’s house. And that deep breath will be the third book, where everything will come crashing down in fire and ash and be rebuilt anew.
This transitionality of the second book of the trilogy made it at some points feel slow. As a reader, I had no idea where I was going, so I was blindly crashing from moment to moment. These moments were exciting, but I did not get the same epic feeling I had after reading the first book.
The antagonist of The Queen of Storms is veiled. Who you thought was the bad guy in the first book, was a pawn. The characters’ political machinations: the baron, the Sicari, the Azhante, and the protectors of the Firemane line all swirl together in a maelstrom. I had no idea who the big baddie is. That is exciting, and I loved that Feist continually surprised me during this story.
Prevalent things in Feist’s novels are tragedies. Tragic events that shape the characters and send them on their narrative paths. Feist’s books are never stories of sunshine and rainbows. They are always epic and lustrous. They are bold and exciting, but frequently tragic, and they pull on your heart. This series is going to be like that. Although Feist says that this series is a trilogy, I could see it going for ten books. There is a lot to cover in this world—the epic tale of returning the Firemane child to his kingdom and the political machinations thereof is huge in scope. But this book is explicitly a book of transitions; if you are a fan of epic stories or are fans of Feist, you will enjoy this.
But take care and be forewarned; there are no conclusions to be found in this book.