A review by wardenred
Stormsong by C.L. Polk

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • 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

4.0

 Sometimes secrets won't be contained, no matter how hard you try.

I absolutely loved Witchmark, the first installment in this series. I loved it so much that at one point I almost flung it across the room because it made me that emotional. So the moment I knew there was going to be a sequel, I cleared an honorary position on my TBR for it, then proceeded to delay actually reading it for months because I was scared it wouldn't live up to the sky-high expectations.

In some parts, it didn't. In some parts, it totally did. Everything the first book mostly hinted it, the second book delivered in spades. The first book ended in a pretty conventional space, by fantasy standards: "The system is rotten and awful, so we're gonna destroy it." Stormsong delves deep in the nitty-gritty of the aftermath. Okay, the old system is destroyed; what now? How exactly are we going to build something new? Which parts of the old do we preserve? Who is the one paying the price for this big noble change we've wrought? There's also a lot of political intrigue here, deliciously compiled and well-thought-out. The political aspects of this magic-driven society were really interesting for me as I read Witchmark, and I'm happy with this chance to learn so much more about how it functions.

Why wasn't this a 5-star read for me, then? Weeeeell... I really had trouble connecting with Grace, the narrator, until about mid-book. To tell the truth, she was one of my least favorite characters back in Witchmark, and getting to see the world through her eyes didn't really help me like her that much. However, gradually she became if not likeable than compelling enough to me, and by the second part of the book I got invested in following her journey. I still rejoiced every time I saw Miles, the MC of the first book, on the page. There was too little Miles for my liking! I mean, I get it, it's right there in the summary: his protagonist days are over, and he's now firmly in the secondary character part. These transitions are always hard to pull off. Maybe it wasn't pulled off just right, or maybe it's just because I didn't click with Grace. I'm actually inclined to think it was the latter.

Otherwise, the political intrigue, once again, was *chef's kiss*, the writing was beautiful and poetic, and the romance was well-done, if a little rushed at parts. A good read, and I hope I'll get more chances to visit this complex world!
Expand filter menu Content Warnings