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A review by baskerville_book_reviews
Arianna and the Spirit of the Storm by Stephen Landry, Robbie Ballew
5.0
I previously reviewed the prequel story in this series, Egris and the Silence of the Storm. While reading the prequel isn’t required to fully understand the story, I suggest it as it’s a nice bit of world-building and backstory.
A handful of the main plot points are all things you’ve likely heard before if you read fantasy. How many times have you seen the story of the rebel/driven parent who’s never around; only for their kid to grow up and discover they had a secret life as they meet their parent’s friends and Allies while digging through their past. Supernatural, The Amasai Rising Trilogy, the Inheritance Cycle, and so on. While it may not be original, it brings enough new to the table to keep it interesting.
As I said with the prequel story, it’s either intended for a younger audience or at least “kid friendly” a term I’ve always disliked. Despite that, I still found much to enjoy about it. It’s a series that I think would make a great beginner fantasy story for somebody new to the genre. The journey the characters go on does feel a bit rushed because it’s not an 800-page tome like so many other fantasy stories are. It makes for a nice in-and-out adventure.
I didn’t have any issues with the narrator until she said “clawred”. I’ve said many times in reviews, I truly can’t stand when professional narrators can’t pronounce basic words properly. There are a couple of times in the audiobook where you’ll hear the same line twice. It seems to be a rare issue with Audible audiobooks where audio sessions or parts aren’t connected properly. It’s not a common occurrence in the sorry, it happens maybe 2 – 3 times, but it can take you out of the moment.
Overall, I think this story is interesting and engaging. While the world lore is puddle deep, sometimes that’s for the best. I think it’s worth a read or listen.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.
A handful of the main plot points are all things you’ve likely heard before if you read fantasy. How many times have you seen the story of the rebel/driven parent who’s never around; only for their kid to grow up and discover they had a secret life as they meet their parent’s friends and Allies while digging through their past. Supernatural, The Amasai Rising Trilogy, the Inheritance Cycle, and so on. While it may not be original, it brings enough new to the table to keep it interesting.
As I said with the prequel story, it’s either intended for a younger audience or at least “kid friendly” a term I’ve always disliked. Despite that, I still found much to enjoy about it. It’s a series that I think would make a great beginner fantasy story for somebody new to the genre. The journey the characters go on does feel a bit rushed because it’s not an 800-page tome like so many other fantasy stories are. It makes for a nice in-and-out adventure.
I didn’t have any issues with the narrator until she said “clawred”. I’ve said many times in reviews, I truly can’t stand when professional narrators can’t pronounce basic words properly. There are a couple of times in the audiobook where you’ll hear the same line twice. It seems to be a rare issue with Audible audiobooks where audio sessions or parts aren’t connected properly. It’s not a common occurrence in the sorry, it happens maybe 2 – 3 times, but it can take you out of the moment.
Overall, I think this story is interesting and engaging. While the world lore is puddle deep, sometimes that’s for the best. I think it’s worth a read or listen.
NOTE: This copy was provided to me free of charge as a digital review copy. The opinions stated in this review are mine and mine alone, I was not paid or requested to give this book a certain rating, suggestion, or approval.