See How I Contended With The. . .
The Queen of
Storms
I’ve been looking forward to
volume two of the Firemane Saga, and have to say, I wasn’t disappointed.
*******
Hatushaly and his young wife Hava
have arrived in the prosperous trading town of Beran’s Hill to restore and
reopen the fire-damaged Inn of the Three Stars. They are also preparing for the
popular midsummer festival, where their friends Declan and Gwen will be wed.
But Hatu and Hava are not the
ordinary loving couple they appear to be. They are assassins from the
mysterious island of Coaltachin, home to the powerful and lethal Nocusara, the
fearsome “Hidden Warriors.” Posing as innkeepers, they are awaiting
instructions from their masters in the Kingdom of Night.
Hatu conceals an even more
dangerous secret. He is the last remaining member of the legendary Firemanes,
the ruling family of Ithrace. Known as the Kingdom of Flames, Ithrace was one
of the five greatest realms of Tembria, ruled by Hatu’s father, Stervern
Langene, until he and his people were betrayed. His heir, Hatu—then a baby—was
hidden among the Nocusara, who raised him to become a deadly spy.
Hatu works hard to hide his true
identity from all who would seek to use or to destroy him, as fate has other
plans for the noble warrior. Unexpected calamity forces him to make choices he
could not have dreamed awaited him.
A series of horrific events shatters the peace of Beran’s
Hill, bringing death and devastation and unleashing monstrous forces. Once
more, the Greater Realms of Tembria are threatened—and nothing will ever be the
same again.
*******
The story itself adopts a
clever balance. It reveals more about Hatu, Hava and Declan; their evolving
personalities; their relationship with each other and those around them; the
true motivating factors in their lives – which seem to be changing the longer
time goes on. And it also expands on the hints we received in the first book of
a much larger picture: Was Lodavico acting out of pure narcissism when he
betrayed the Firemane’s and tried to end their line, or were other players involved?
Who is the real driving force behind the Church of the One? Exactly where do
the foreign invaders come from and what is their actual agenda?
And how on earth are the
ancient guardians of the Firemane’s, the Flame Guard, going to counter this
growing threat. I mean . . . can they?
Yes, there’s a lot going on
in the world of Garn – and beyond – it seems. But once again, Raymond E. Feist
demonstrates why he’s an international bestseller of epic fantasy. The Queen of Storms is a masterclass in
taking your time to fully introduce your characters, and how to gradually
introduce the threads that will bind your story arc together in a way that
keeps everything tight. The pace is steady throughout; our protagonists and
antagonists as complex and engaging as ever; and the attention to detail is
superb.
And the tease?
That’s as subtle as always.
Feist creates an atmosphere of intrigue and growing tension that builds and
builds . . . and keeps building, so that you’re always eager to keep the pages
turning. I want more!
A most excellent sequel and a
taste of even better things to come.
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